On Thursday 20th August 1914, the town of Fosses saw the French troops march by, returning to the Sambre river to halt the Germans there. We can therefore surmise that this photo was taken on that day. Many people from Fosses came to the market square to welcome and celebrate these brave French liberators. Everyone is in their Sunday best.
Behind three women, we can see a large tarpaulin-covered military lorry in front of which stand four soldiers, one of whom is an officer and another a commissioned officer; another, legs crossed, stands on the left in front of another vehicle, and the flat-topped cap of a sixth soldier can be seen to the far left; another military lorry can be seen behind some men and children on the right. Could this be the arrival of a consignment of general staff? We know that General Bonnier moved into Fosses on Thursday 20th with the 19th Infantry Division.
It is very likely that this snapshot was taken by Emile Pochet, a professional photographer who created countless scenes of this period. On the back of the original, the names of Armand Denis, Arthur Masson, Victor Croisier, Félix Massinon, Arthur Piéfort, the bell-ringer Michel, Marina Cassa, Augusta Michiels and Olga Bernard appear.
© Photo taken from 'The Messenger', the weekly newspaper of the Fosses-la-Ville region (No. 5, of Friday 31st January 1997).
Another hypothesis: we have accepted that it's a Thursday but the Sunday dress might make you think more of 15th August, when Fosses saw thousands of French soldiers and their convoy pass by.
