It is a rare testimony to the start of the First World War. Manuscripts, carefully documented and incredibly illustrated, belonging to Captain Pierre Alfred Nougarède. These notes served as the basis for a book led by Thierry Hardierprofessor of History at Paul Éluard college in Noyonin collaboration with… his students. The work of nearly 350 pages was given the title: “Pierre Alfred Nougarède – Hurtebise 1914”.
“These notes, these manuscripts, in fact loose sheets, had been offered during his lifetime by Pierre Alfred Nougarède to the Montauban library (Tarn-et-Garonne),” says the professor surrounded by his students on the day of the official release of the work. Originally from Tarbes (Hautes-Pyrénées) enlisted at the age of 19 in the 12th infantry regiment, the captain was demobilized in November 1914 due to illness. But before that, he took part in a piece of history on the Chemin des dames.
Collective work, specialists, student teachers
Thierry Hardier had read these notes from the captain many years before. And he kept in mind the idea of exploiting them. What he did with last year's 3rd grade Lyre class. Now high school students, the co-authors joined their teachers at their former establishment before the Christmas holidays to receive a copy of the work, which was printed in a thousand copies. “There is your name at the end of the book,” insists the professor. The students hurry to check. “We wrote a bit of a book,” one of them commented afterwards, not without pride.
Agnès Guillaume, French professor and long-time associate of Thierry Hardier (they co-wrote eleven works together), focused on the writing part, while her colleague Hardier ensured the historical content of the whole. “The students sometimes had a little difficulty with French that seemed old-fashioned to them, words or expressions that they were not used to or had never heard of,” she emphasizes. Anxious to promote the work of her students, the teacher tells them: “You have made a strong impression on the publisher.” The students show their contentment.
In the footsteps of the captain
But what is special about these sheets of Captain Nougarède whose students have patiently transcribed each line, which had never been done? “The daily life of the soldier, details on their uniforms, on what they eat, how they sleep, and above all the descriptions of the battles”, continues Thierry Hardier Captain Nougarède's regiment focused on the capture and defense of a stronghold, the Hurtebise farm, located on the Chemin des Dames. “It was a bottleneck on the plateau, the tightest place: the one who ran the farm had a view of the position of the others,” underlines the historian. A farm taken, then lost then recaptured by French troops…
This writing and research work “at a demanding level with academics and specialists” was carried out equally by “sixteen adults, sixteen students”, underline the teachers. It was carried out largely with the collaboration of the CRID, International Research and Debate Collective on the War of 1914–1918 (CRID 14–18) and one of its members Marie Llosa who co-directed the work with Thierry Hardier . Note that it also presents the German point of view of these battles, thanks to the translation carried out by the principal of the college, Susanne Trabaud, a former German teacher. The work was supplemented with numerous photos from private collections.
The students, in what was the work of a school year, even went to the Hurtebise farm to meet indirect witnesses to the history of the place, on the Chemin des Dames, visited Craonne… Everything gave place in a video to be found on the college's YouTube account.
In good bookstores
The book is available for sale at the Cultura store in Compiègne, in Chauny, Soissons, Reims, at the Signes de Compiègne and Dlongeville bookstores in Noyon and from January at Auchan Noyon.
The book was also presented at the Caverne du Dragon, a museum space located on the Chemin des Dames where it is also on sale. The Dragon's Cave which is currently presenting a temporary exhibition around the release of the book. There are also reasons to be proud.
