Between 1921 and 1927, on the initiative of the French Touring Club and its Belgian counterpart, 118 monuments were erected (96 in France, 22 in Belgium) to mark the important sites of the Great War. In France, they were to mark the limit of the German advances during the great offensive of 18 July 1918.

The monuments, which stand 1.25 m high, are made from pink granite and were designed by the Parisian sculptor Paul Moreau-Vauthier. Although there are three versions in Belgium, bearing French, British and Belgian soldier helmets, in France only the French version was used. The sides of the demarcation stones bear items of personal military equipment (gas mask, water bottle, and so on) and the inscription: "Here the invader was brought to a standstill, 18 July 1918" plus a reference to the place where the monument is situated. The task of choosing the sites was entrusted to Marshal Pétain.

Some of the demarcation stones were destroyed during the Second World War or by road accidents but ninety-four stones remain standing today. There is one on the road between Arras and Cambrai, in Tilloy-les-Mofflaines.

Yves LE MANER,
Director of La Coupole
History and Remembrance Centre of Northern France