1917-1919 THE AMERICAN ARMY IN SOLOGNE AND IN THE CHER VALLEY - MARCH TO DECEMBER 2017 CELEBRATION OF THE CENTENARY PRESS BOOK - Fusac
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1917-1919 THE AMERICAN ARMY
IN SOLOGNE AND IN THE CHER VALLEY
MARCH TO DECEMBER 2017
CELEBRATION OF THE CENTENARY
PRESS BOOK
The 41st division
If Gièvres and Pruniers-en-Sologne played a technical and logistical role, the Cher Valley
was occupied by the 41st Division starting in January 1918. The high commandment of
the American Expeditionary Corps quickly realized the need to create a system to replace
wounded soldiers or those killed in combat ; this is why the 41st Division was designated
as the Replacement Division, December 8, 1917, a few days before its deployment in
France. It integrated the Service of Supply and the Intermediate Section.
Without real experience of large scale combat, the American Army, while extremely orga-
nized with powerful logistics, was unprepared to handle the losses of the combat divisions.
The 41st Division found itself obliged to institute its own rules and ways of working in
order to better serve the units that would receive young soldiers, only just deployed and
trained. Its results were excellent in terms of efficiency and training quality of the “repla-
cements”; it became the most important depot in the French territories. All the other depots
would adopt and follow its methods of organization. In January 1918 the depot received
the name “1st Depot (Infantry) Division” and would be used until December 1918.
The superior officers of the 41st Division were housed at the Château Saint-Aignan while
the men from different units were lodged in the camps or by one of the local inhabitants.
The main camp was located in the community of Noyers-sur-Cher, but the group of com-
munities in the Cher Valley all received the order to lodge the troops.
In total, 259,668 soldiers were trained for combat units specialized in infantry, cavalry,
machine guns or the signals corps. Graffiti carved into the stone walls of houses and barns
serve as witness to the Expeditionary Corps’s presence. The soldiers had the habit of noting
their hometowns, and one can count 20 American states : New Jersey ; Massachusetts ;
Wisconsin ; Ohio ; California ; Washington... which shows the extent of the draft.
December 26, 1918, the “1st Replacement Depot” was closed with the order that the re-
composed 41st Division would be divided. Starting January 24, 1919, 16,000 men left
Noyers-sur-Cher for Brest to board a homeward ship. The rest of the Division would return
the United States by other ports. The graffiti left by the soldiers shows that up until June
1919, units were still present in Noyers. Their great diversity seems to show that the 41st
Division Camp was used as a halt during the wait to return home. The last issue of the
camp newspaper “The Saint-Aignan Windmill”, printed June 13, 1919, bore the headline,
“Everybody’s going Home, Toot Sweet!”
14
Th e A m er i c ain ar my als o pos s es sed a large number of automobiles and moto rcy cl e s. Th e a rri va l o f so l d i e rs i n m o t o r ve h i cle s o n th e ro a d s o f t h e Ch e r V a l l e y a n d S o l o g n e g r e a tl y
su rp r i s ed t h e local populat ion, w hich rarely saw such means of transpor t be f o re t h e wa r ! ( A E F S ig n a l Co rp . NA R A . Co l l e ct io n Mu sé e d e S o lo g n e )
D H 4 a i rp l a n e a sse m b l e d i n t he a i rb a se a t R o m o ra n t i n . 1 91 8 ( W a l te r J . B l i n d e r s )
The GISD and its Branch Offices
The first officers of the 15th Regiment of Engineers arrived in Gièvres in August 1917. In
a few months, using colossal human and mechanical means, they set up an immense wa-
rehouse in the open fields and forests, in a polygon bounded by Route N76 and the Tours
– Vierzon railway. Thus was born the Gièvres Camp, charged with supplying the American
Army during the campaign, from the French front to Italy. Other logistics camps would
also be built in the Indre (in Issoudun) and the Cher (in Mehun-sur-Yèvre).
The GISD (General Intermediate Supply Depot) extended across the Gièvres community
from east to west, as far as Pruniers-en-Sologne and Villefranche. It included:
- Warehouses : more than 200 supply depots of diverse material and products over 222
acres of depots in cleared fields, either covered or open air
- An automobile park for thousands of vehicles, both civil and military in the Pruniers-en-
Sologne community
- 4 cisterns with a capacity of almost 600,000 gallons of gas fuel
- A giant cold storage facility nearly 1000 feet long and 130 feet wide. At the time, it was
the largest in the world after Chicago and allowed for 8,000 tons of meat to be frozen and
kept.
- A health service centre complete with immense stocks of medical and surgical supplies
- A hospital heavily stocked with pharmaceutical products and equipped with radiology
devices. The local population had access to care by the American doctors, free of charge.
- The railway with its stations and shunting yard to bring in needed material to the front,
- Enormous engineering work studios
- An artillery park, where diverse equipment was mounted and stocked
- A broadcast and weather station
- A veterinary hospital built east of Gièvres
- Quarters for the soldiers and personnel : 430 barracks
- Reception and social services for the soldiers : the Red Cross and the YMCA (Young
Men’s Christian Association)
-The American cemetery, at the junction of route N76 and the D124, where 254 soldiers
were buried, the community cemetery, 48. The bodies were exhumed and repatriated to
the U.S. after the war
More than 80,000 men served in this camp, well as thousands of workers : French, Chinese,
Spanish, Portuguese and German prisoners.
In addition to the logistics camp was an aviation and automobile camp. The Air Service
Production Centre extended from Gièvres and Pruniers-en-Sologne to Romorantin. More
than 14,000 people worked there. Three take off and landing strips were built.
An assembly and maintenance camp for motorbikes, automobiles and trucks was installed
in the Romorantin community, extending the aviation camp.
13
The American Army in the Cher Valley and Sologne
In 1917, the First World War entered into its third year of conflict. France was battle weary
and in spite of having stopped the German advancement at Verdun, the British offensive
of the Battle of the Somme was a failure. General Nivelle’s troops suffered heavy losses at
the Chemin des Dames, which included mutinies. On the German side, the armistice signed
in December with the then newly Communist Russia provoked the transfer of seasoned
troops from the east front to the west.
In the spring of 1917, Woodrow Wilson, the President of the United States, refused to en-
gage the country in the war, in spite of the American victims of a German submarine war-
fare attack. Two events would change the situation : Germany decided to engage in
unrestricted submarine warfare by sinking merchant ships in international waters without
warning. In addition, to prepare against an American military response to these acts, Ger-
many was aiming to bring financial aid to Mexico in order to help them take back Texas,
Arizona and New Mexico.
The American reaction was swift. After the sinking of three merchant ships March 15, Pre-
sident Wilson asked Congress on April 2 “to accept the statute of the belligerent that was
thus imposed upon him”. The 6th of April, Congress officially declared war on Germany.
The United States then commenced an enormous war effort.
At this time, the Army, having been reduced in size, had no real combat experience and
only possessed machine guns as modern military equipment. But the conscription voted,
millions of men were enlisted. The General John Pershing came to France in June. The first
soldiers of the First Division marched in Paris July 4th, American Independence Day.
The industrial and man power of the United States was mobilized with all its force. More
than 24 million men were enlisted into the military between 1917 and 1918. In total, the
United States Expedition Army Forces numbered 4 million. This providential arrival was
welcomed with renewed hope by allied populations and armies, sorely tested for three
years.
In less than 18 months, over more than 2 million soldiers, tons of material, arms, ammu-
nition, supplies and provisions were shipped; the Americans built ports, camps and trans-
port stations. The General Pershing chose Saint-Nazaire in the Loire-Atlantic region as its
landing base. August 9, a second base was built in at Bassens in the Gironde ; then in Sep-
tember, a port town started to be built near Brest. For every man that was brought over, 1
ton of material also arrived in France. Soon, each port and camp was linked by railways
that went as far as Is-sur-Tille (Côte d’Or), going through Bourges and Tours. Thanks to
the geographical position and their rail and road infrastructures, the Centre of France and
South of the Loire and Cher became a key military factor.
12
The End of the Conflict and Posterity
The camps were built in record time but the Armistice came when construction was not
yet finished ; the Americans had made provisions for a five year war.
In 1919, the American troops were progressively sent home and the enormous facilities di-
sappeared as quickly as they had appeared. In Gièvres, the cold storage facility was dis-
mantled and sold to Mexico. The troops sold off part of their immense stock to the local
population. The French Air Force Army took possession of part of the aeronautics base
built in Pruniers-en-Sologne and Gièvres. The rest of the land was given back to its owners
who received an indemnity in case of depreciation. But some elements still remain visible
(vestiges of the cold storage facility, the horse training pools in the veterinary hospital),
now covered in vegetation. The camps of the 41st Division, made up of light structures,
also disappeared.
The American arrival in the region has nevertheless left its posterity, because there were
marriages between locals and the soldiers. Children were born of these unions. There were
also a certain number of illegitimate births. Some soldiers, having been lodged in the homes
of local inhabitants, continued to correspond after the war with the families that had given
them shelter.
To recall this historical moment, memorial markers were installed in Gièvres; at the aero-
nautics base in Pruniers-sur-Cher ; on the Saint Aignan Bridge ; and at the Notre Dame la
Blanche Church in Selles-sur-Cher. The Gièvres Memorial Heritage and Culture Society
created a museum dedicated to local history. The American camp plays a large role in this.
On the 90th anniversary of World War 1, the town of Romorantin – Lanthenay, in partner-
ship with the Sologne museum, mounted an exhibition on this history with a model of the
Gièvres Camp, which was given to the community to be on exhibit in its museum. In
Noyers-sur-Cher, a history and geography professor at the Saint-Aignan high school led a
research project with his students. The results of this work were published, dedicated to
the Noyers-sur-Cher Camp as well as a monument built by the students showing moulds
taken from graffiti left by the soldiers. The professor also published (Nathan, publisher) a
youth audience novel titled : Un Frère d’Amérique (A Brother from America). The arrival,
life, and departure of the 41st Division are told through the eyes of a young local boy. The
Friends of Old Selles also published a work called Les Américains à Selles-sur-Cher (The
Americans in Selles-sur-Cher) in 1998.
For the centennial of the American military’s engagement and presence in the Cher Valley
and Romorantin region, the local communities and organizations joined together to offer
large scale commemorations to the public. The two main reasons for this being to introduce
a relatively little understood episode of the First World War to the local inhabitants and
the French public ; and to produce an international event in association with the American
population, to retighten the bonds that the Doughboys had made with the local populace.
16
Lectures and Visit
Selles - s u r - C h e r
Speakers : Annie and Philippe Zwang*, his- Pasteur’s Genius to the Poilus’ Rescue (Poi-
torians and former professors of the IUFM lus, name for French W.W.1 soldiers)
(teacher training university) Paris and spe- October 10, 2017, 6:30 p.m.
cialists in American History during World Conference given by Maxime Schwartz and
War 1. Annick Perrot on the publishing of their
Organization : Compagnons of Philippe de book, Le genie de Pasteur au secours des
Béthune Poilus (in French)
Lieu : château of Selles-sur-Cher
Speakers : Charles Tobermann
The Americans Before the War Organization : Multimedia Library
July 22, 2017, 5 p.m. Place : Fabrique Normant Manufactory
Presentation of the foundations of American (auditorium)
democracy and the circumstances leading to Conference – Concert
the United State’s entry into war in 1917 December 5, 2017, 6:30 p.m.
French and American music before and du-
Women and Children During the War
ring the war
August 20, 2017, 5 p.m.
How women and children on the home Noy ers - s u r- Cher
front were implicated in the first “Total
War” of history Speakers : Gilles Thomas and
Gilles Chauwin
R o m o r a nt i n- L an the n ay Organization : The community of Noyers-
sur-Cher
Speakers : Annick Perrot and the Friends of Place : Community Hall (Salle Polyvalente)
the Sologne Museum November 10, 2017, 6 p.m.
Organization : Friends of the Sologne Mu- Am erican G raf f it i in t h e Aisne
seum and the Romorantin – Lanthenay Qu arries
Town Hall Between Combats, French, German and
Place : Fabrique Normant Manufactory the American soldiers of the 26th Division
(auditorium) covered the surfaces of the Aisne quarries
with graffiti. The conference will be the oc-
Musicians of the Great War, Luc Durosoir: casion to compare this graffiti to those by
“My Violin Saved My Life” American soldiers on the tufa limestone fa-
September 19, 2017, 6:30 p.m. cades of homes in the Cher Valley and the
Speakers: Annick Perrot and Luc Durosoir quarries on Noyers-sur-Cher
Luc Durosoir, former director of the Pasteur
Institute International Network tells the
story of his father, Lucien Durosoir, and his
deeply changed destiny as a renowned violi-
nist who founded the “General Mangin’s
Quintet” on the front.
24Johnny got his gun
(1971)
Dalton Trumbo. US.
During World War 1, a young
soldier is wounded by a mine
explosion, losing his arms, his
legs and part of his face.
Showings
July 10, 2017, 9 p.m.
Cinema Le Palace
9 rue de la Résistance
41 200 Romorantin-Lanthenay
August 3, 2017, 6 p.m.
Cinema Le Régent
Boulevard Philippe-Auguste
41 400 Montrichard
August 10, 2017, 8:30 p.m.
Cinema Le Studio
35 rue Jules Ferry
41110 Selles-sur-Cher
Marie Curie, Woman on the
Front (2014)
Alain Brunard. France-Belgium.
Starring : Dominique Reymond,
Fanny Dumont...
In 1914, Marie Curie, armed with her ra-
diology equipment, leaves by car for the
battle of the Marne.
Followed by discussion with Marie-
Noëlle Himbert, co- scriptwriter of the
film and author of “Marie Curie. Portait
d’une femme engagée”, Actes Sud.
Showing
October 3, 2017, 6:30 p.m.
La Fabrique Normant - Auditorium
Avenue François Mitterand
41200 Romorantin-Lanthenay
23Films
Wings (1927)
The First World War was the first filmed By William Wellmann
conflict. Barely over, movies were made of (silent film) U.S.A.
it. Directors having been present in the Jack Powell is a young Ame-
combats (Abel Gance, William Wellmann) rican who dreams of only
captured with great intensity the atrocities one thing: to fly.
of war. Sometimes they included footage
from the front, filmed by the soldiers them- Showing
selves. The Cher Valley and Romorantin re-
gion cinemas will render homage to June 26, 2017, 9 p.m.
American films on the Great War, starting Cinema Le Petit Casino
with the very first works (Shoulder Arms, 18, Place Wilson
Wings). A German film has also been inclu- 41110 Saint-Aignan
ded to fully illustrate the extent of the atro-
city.
West Front (1930)
Shoulder Arms By G.W. Pabst, Germany
Life on the front of four
(1918)* German infantry soldiers.
By Charlie Chaplin (silent
film) U.S.A. Showing
Charlie goes to war against
the Germans, where he will July 27, 2017, 6 p.m.
become a hero, or almost… Cinema Le Régent
Boulevard Philippe Auguste
Showings 41400 Montrichard
April 10, 2017, 9 p.m.
Cinema Le Palace All Quiet on the
9, rue de la Résistance Western Front (1930)
41200 Romorantin - Lanthenay By Lewis Milestone U.S.A.
Young German soldiers face
May 4, 2017, 8:30 p.m. the horrors of the First World
Cinema Le Studio War.
35 rue Jules Ferry
41130 Selles-sur-Cher Showings
May 11, 2017, 8:30 p.m. July 27, 2017, 8:30 p.m.
Cinema Le Regent Cinema Le Studio
Boulevard Philippe Auguste 35, rue Jules Ferry
41400 Montrichard 41110 Selles-sur-Cher
August 21, à 9 p.m.
Cinema Le Palace
9, rue de la Résistance
41200 Romorantin - Lanthenay
22Performances and Concerts A cultural season dedicated to historical
events and the arts will be offered to the
Selles-sur-Cher public.
Organization : Compagnons of Philippe
de Béthune Organization : Multimedia Library
Place : Château of Selles-sur-Cher Place: Fabrique Normant Manufactory
Title : Weekend Commemorative Festival (auditorium)
Dates : July 8 -9, 2017 Title : the Bearded Heart by Erik Satie –
In addition to the exhibition on loan from Reading and Concert
the Sologne Museum, the Compagnons de Date : March 21, 2017 6:30 p.m.
Philippe de Béthune will commemorate the Readings form Erik Satie; musical works
presence of the American Remount Calvary transposed for harp; performance by a dan-
Camp with a festive weekend. The festivi- cer who will evoke the memory of Suzanne
ties will be held in an open air historical Valadin, and the voice of Roland Bertin,
place, the Château of Selles-sur-Cher whose honorary member of the Comédie Fran-
origins go back to the tenth century, and çaise.
was partially rebuilt by Philippe de Bé-
thune, brother of the Duke of Sully. The Organization : Multimedia Library
history of the château is also linked to the Title : War and Music: Survival 1914 –
American Army’s presence: it had housed a 1920. Reading and Concert
military hospital. Graffiti and inscriptions, Place : Multimedia Library
sometimes comical, conserved on its walls Date : March 25, 2017, 3:30 p.m.
show this history. Reading and concert on the music of the
Program : Great War to the 1920’s.
- Reconstitution of an American military
camp Organization : Musical Union
- Equestrian demonstration in American Title : American Music (during the natio-
military uniforms of the period (Remount nal annual Music Festival)
Calvary drills, “quadrille” dressage), per- Place : Town Hall Park
formed by the Ecuries d’Arcadia Date : June 17, 2017, 3 p.m.
- Simulation of a training firing session, as
a game Organization : Jazz in the Cher Valley and
- Musical interludes of jazz and period the Romorantin – Lanthenay community
music and songs Titre : Concert
- Festive military ambiance meal Lieu : Île de la Motte (in the event of rain,
the concert will be held at either the Pyra-
A representative of the American Embassy mid or the Fabrique Normant Manufac-
will be present at the festivities Saturday tory auditorium)
July 8, 2017. Date : July 23, 2017, 6 p.m.
Romorantin-Lanthenay Organization : Romorantin – Lanthenay
Music School
The community of Romorantin – Lanthe- Title : Erik Satie Parade - Concert
nay will participate in the commemora- Place : Fabrique Normant Manufactory
tions by enlarging the theme of the year Date : October 2017
1917 in its entirety.
21Community : Pruniers-en-Sologne Community : Montrichard
Organization : Air 273 Detachment, “Lieu- Organization : Friends of Old Montrichard
tenant – Colonel Mailfert” and Airborne Place : Hôtel Effiat
Army 602 Depot Title : The Americans at Montrichard
Place : Municipal Library, 1st floor Dates : September 11 – 23, 2017
Titre : Historical Museum of the Air 273 The Sologne Museum’s exhibition will
Detachment - Exhibition Outside the Walls continue with explicative panels and images
Dates : September 1 – 30, 2017 dedicated to the presence of the American
The American Air Base of Pruniers-en-So- troops in Montrichard.
logne occupied a place of great influence in
the building and repair of the fleet of the Community : Noyers-sur-Cher
American Army’s aero-naval force. It took Organization : the Community of Noyers-
the logistics vocation of the GISD for aero- sur-Cher
nautics material and was placed under the Place : Community Centre (Salle polyva-
direction of Lieutenant-Colonel Mailfert lente)
from 1920 – 1932. This base is one of the Title : the Great War Exhibition
first historical witnesses to the emergence Dates : 11 novembre 2017
of modern warfare and still shows vestiges Simultaneous with the opening of the per-
of this past. A museum recalling the Base’s manent collection dedicated to the 41st Di-
history has been established. vision and local inhabitants engaged in the
Because of the antiterrorist plan and the war effort, the Noyers-sur-Cher Town Hall
state of emergency declared after the No- will present Mr. Alvara’s exhibition the
vember 13, 2015 attacks, access to the base weekend of November 11. This will allow
was limited. Not wishing to disrupt the the visitor to see the 41st Division in the
exhibition, the museum’s collections have context of the Cher Valley during the mili-
been mounted in a community space acces- tary operations of the First World War.
sible to the public. This exhibition will be
an occasion to further understanding of the
Base’s history, particularly the period bet-
ween the two wars, in consulting the ar-
chives conserved at the National Archives
of the Ministry of Defence, in Vincennes.
Community : Romorantin-Lanthenay
Organization : Multimedia Library and the
Human Rights League
Place : not yet announced, please consult
page 7 for organization contact
Title : Arms and Art – Creativity and the
Great War
Dates : September 1 – 30, 2017
A panorama of artworks (films, books,
paintings) on the First World War. Exhibi-
tion by Gregory Picart of the Human
Rights League of Lens – Liévan
20horses (Friends of Old Selles) It is of particular interest for this Region
- A model of the Remount Calvary Camp of Art and History to exhibit these images
(Model Making Club) in the communities where the camps were.
- Retrospective on the troops’ armament on The selected photographs look to show the
French soil (Selles Shooting Club) enormity of these two camps, both in terms
- Artworks and portraits of American sol- of material for the GISD, and human for
diers by elementary school children (private the Noyers-sur-Cher Camp. They also look
and public) in Selles-sur-Cher. to show the technical achievement that the
construction of the second largest cold sto-
Community : Selles-sur-Cher rage facility in the world after Chicago was
Organization : Compagnons of Philippe de at the time.
Béthune and the Selles-sur-Cher Arts and In order to reach a larger public, this Re-
Crafts Club gion of Art and History chose not to exhibit
Place : Galerie Vagabonde them in a closed space but in open air pu-
Title : Art - Another Look – 1917 blic space. They will be reproduced on large
Dates : June 27 – July 9, 2017 panels and will form a visual voyage across
The members of the Selles-sur-Cher Arts the communities of Gièvres and Noyers-
and Crafts Club will share their vision of sur-Cher, with the aim to raise the two com-
the art of 1917 in reaction against the war. munities’ consciousness as well as the
visiting public to the shared history lived
Communities : Gièvres and Noyers-sur- here, exactly 100 years ago.
Cher
Organization : The Cher Valley and Romo- Community : Selles-sur-Cher
rantin Region of Art and History Organization : the Community of Selles-
Places : sur-Cher
Gièvres. the Church Plaza, the Ville- Place : Community centre (Salle des fêtes)
franche-sur-Cher Route, and the play- Title : the Great War Exhibition
ground Dates : September 1- 15, 2017
Noyers-sur-Cher. the Town Hall cour- The community of Selles-sur-Cher com-
tyard and park pletes the Sologne Museum’s exhibition of
Title : The American Army in the Cher the American camps by a more general
Valley and Sologne, 1917 – 1919 - the Ge- exhibition on the Great War selected from
neral Intermediate Supply Depot of Giè- the collection of Mr. Alvara, a private col-
vres/ the 41st Division in Noyers-sur-Cher lector. Impassioned by this historic period,
Date : July 1 - December 31, 2017 Mr. Alvara assembled an important number
The Region of Art and History wished to of uniforms and personal or military ob-
highlight a photography collection from jects used during the conflict.
Washington brought back by a member of
the Gièvres Remembrance Heritage and
Culture Society. He photographed docu-
mentary photographs taken by American
military personnel between 1917 – 1919.
The originals are conserved in the American
National Archives and are unpublished at
this time. The subjects are mostly the GISD
in Gièvres and the camp in Noyers-sur-
Cher.
19A Season of Commemorative Community : Romorantin – Lanthenay
Organization : Tourism Office “Sologne
Cultural Events côté sud”
Place : The Fabrique Normant Manufac-
The events are listed by theme and date tory
Title : The Spring of Photography
Temporary Exhibitions Dates : May 20 – June 5, 2017
The 2017 edition of the Spring of Photo-
Community : Romorantin-Lanthenay. graphy will participate in the events with
Organization : Town of Romorantin – notably an exhibition of photographs by
Lanthenay / Musée Matra Mitch Dobrowner, American photographer,
Place : musée Matra and Mike St-Maur Sheil, as well as photo-
Title : It’s America at the Matra Museum! graphs from the Sologne Museum’s collec-
Dates : April 6 – November 11, 2017 tion reserves, dedicated to the American
Homage to American automotive vehicles Army and their sports. An art project on
from the early 20th century to the 1970’s: sports was made by the high school stu-
Model T Fords and a Harley Davidson, dents of the Lycée Professionnel de Saint-
from 1917 will be on exhibit. Photos and Aignan will also be on exhibit.
witness accounts of the local inhabitants of
the Cher Valley and Romorantin explain Community : Pontlevoy.
how the vehicles were used by the American Organization : Friends of the Museum and
soldiers. The exhibition’s scenography will Heritage of Pontlevoy Society
show the link between them and the Ame- Place : Reception Hall (Foyer Rural)
rican troops’ presence in the region. Title : The American camps in Sologne and
the Cher Valley, 1917 – 1919
Communities : Gièvres / Pruniers-en- Dates : June 30 – July 9, 2017
Sologne This exhibit, created by the Sologne Mu-
Organization : Air 273 Detachment, “Lieu- seum in 2014, will be extended by additio-
tenant – Colonel Mailfert” and Airborne nal elements that illustrate the American
Army 602 Depot troops’ presence in Pontlevoy.
Title : Photography exhibition
Dates : April 6 – September 1, 2017 Community : Selles-sur-Cher
The American military took photographs of Organization : Compagnons of Philippe de
the aviation camps as well as specially des- Béthune
igned and equipped automobiles in the Place : Château of Selles-sur-Cher
communities of Pruniers-en-Sologne, Giè- Title : The American Camps in Sologne and
vres and Romorantin – Lanthenay. Repro- the Cher Valley, 1917 – 1919
ductions of these documents were acquired Dates : June 15 – August 31, 2017
by the Sologne Museum and by the Memo- This exhibit, created by the Sologne Mu-
rial Heritage and Culture Society of Giè- seum in 2014, will be extended by additio-
vres. The Air 273 Detachment selected nal elements that illustrate the American
images of the aviation camp to be reprodu- troops’ presence in Selles-sur-Cher, inclu-
ced in large format on PVC tarpaulin. ding :
These will be mounted on roadside fences - Information and image panels of the
from Romorantin – Lanthenay to Selles- Army Remount Calvary Camp’s history.
sur-Cher in order to be seen by the passing The American Army took possession of a
traffic. French Remount Camp for their Calvary
18Disco ve r y V i si t 41st Division Memorial. The exhibit will
present the history of Noyers during the
Gièvr e s - N o yer s - s u r - C he r Great War and the soldiers of the 41st Di-
vision in the community between 1917 and
Speakers : Claude Chavanol and Nicolas 1919. In addition, there will be a walking
Xavier trail and a digital application that will per-
Organization : Gièvres Remembrance mit the discovery of the Doughboys’ carved
Heritage and Culture Society graffiti on the local houses.
Place : Gièvres - Noyers-sur-Cher
Meeting Place : Gièvres Church
Date : October 8, 2017, 9 a.m.
The Gièvres Remembrance Heritage and
Culture Society invite you to visit the re-
maining vestiges of the American camps of
Gièvres and Noyers-sur-Cher
Day long visit ; reservation required
* Annie Zwang : Les États-Unis et le monde,
rapports de puissance (1898-1998), Ellipse Publi-
sher, 2000 ;
Philippe Zwang : Le général Nivelle et la commis-
sion Brugère (Paris I, 1972).
Permanent Exhibitions
Community : Gièvres
Organization : Gièvres Town Hall – Giè-
vres Remembrance Heritage and Culture
Society
Place : Library – Exhibition Hall
Date : Inauguration October 7, 2017
In the autumn of 2017, the municipal li-
brary and Gièvres Museum will move into
their new homes. The Gièvres Remem-
brance Heritage and Culture Society will
present the GISD’s history in a renewed
permanent exhibit;
Community : Noyers-sur-Cher
Organization : mairie de Noyers-sur-Cher
Place : Espace d’exposition – aire de repos
des Trois Provinces
Date : à partir du 11 novembre 2017
On November 11, 2017, the community of
Noyers-sur-Cher will inaugurate a perma-
nent exhibition space in proximity to the
25Practical Information
Acces
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Tours Montrichard Lassay-
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vers gare et aéroport en-Touraine sur-Cher
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76 A85
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24
100 km D7
Faverolles- Saint-Romain-
Thésée Méhers
sur-Cher Angé sur-Cher Gy-
Saint-Georges en-Sologne
Saint-Julien-
-sur-Cher de- A85 Billy A85
Chédon Pouillé Villefranche-
Châtillon- sur-Cher Châtres-
Noyers- sur-Cher Langon sur-Cher
sur-Cher 6
D97
D976 Mennetou-
Mareuil- sur-Cher
sur-Cher Chapelle-
Selles- Gièvres
Le Cher
Montmartin
sur-Cher
Saint-Julien-
Seigy
Vierzon
Gare SNCF (railway station) Saint- 67
5
Couffy
sur-Cher
Saint-
D
Aignan Meusnes Loup
Péage (highway toll)
Maray vers gare
Châteauvieux
voies ferrées (railway track)
35 km
Autoroute (highway)
Axe principal (main road)
ĂƌƚĞĚĞƐŝƚƵĂƟŽŶ
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27 78 92 77
A 12 Paris
A 86 94
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D 715
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D 923
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72
20
D
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1
A1
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RENNES A 19
Loiret
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D 357 N Montargis LYON
ITALIE
S Orléans
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52
AN AN
A 71
D
21
N Vendôme D Mer 95
2
D
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D
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Romorantin-
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ANGERS 58
NANTES Tours
A 85 D 976
52 A 85 Cher
D9
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D 956
Indre- 5 Bourges Nevers
67
N 10
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51
D9 D9
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Châteauroux
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A2
D 951
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RD NE
A7
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L'I MO
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Fond de carte IGN
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Le Cher
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0 10 km LIMOGES IT ISSE 03
87 ESPAGNE 23 SU
Observatoire de lEconomie et des Territoires - Novembre 2016
autoroute (highway) ligne TGV (high-speed line)
2 x 2 voies (divided highway) Pays de la Vallée du Cher ligne SNCF classique (railway track)
routes principales et du Romorantinais
( m a i n r o a d ) ligne Interloire et classique
( ) (railway track)
échangeur autoroutier
desservant le Loir-et-Cher Aéroport (airport)
(highway interchange)
plate-forme aéroportuaire
(transport hub)
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