Home Creation Organization Campaigns The Names In Memoriam Monuments Testimonies Contact Links fr nl

The Piron Brigade

Monuments and Museums

1. Normandy

Arromanches

Museum of Arromanches
Showcase Brigade Piron

Area dedicated to the Belgian Brigade
   
Courseulles
Avenue de la Combattante
Memorial stone
Memorial stone to the Belgians volonteers
       
         
Sallenelles
Place on the entry of the village
Memorial stone

In Memory of René DE QUEKER, Henri DUCHESNES, Edouard GERARD, Petrus HARBOORT, Julius LEYSEN and Raymond VANREMOORTELE
   
Rue André-Pierre Marie
Memorial stone

Memorial stone dedicated where was killed the first Belgian : Private Edouard GERARD.
   
Bunker situated on the way from Sallenelles and Franceville-Merville
Stone on the wall of the bunker of Moulin du Buisson
   
Ranville
Cemetery
Left side of the cemetery

Sdt Edouard Gérard's grave
   
Opposite the cemetery
Memorial stone on the door of the mill

In Memory of the Belgian fighters of the Piron Brigade
   
Church Ranville
Memorial stone in the Church

In memory of Edouard Gerard, first Belgian killed in Normandy
   
Franceville
Av. A. de Lavergne
Memorial stone

In Memory of Zenon BOON, François RAQUET, Guy PONCELET and Raymond DE RIDDER
   
Merville
Batteries de Merville
Museum

Casemate n°4 - Area dedicated to the 6th Abn Div and the Belgian Brigade
   
Le Hôme-Varaville
Place Brigade Piron
Memorial stone

Belgian Brigade's Memorial stone
         
Cabourg
Le Hôme Varaville / Cabourg. Avenue des Devises
Plate in Memory of Henri Van der Plas, Marcel Massonnet en Edouard Claessens
   
   
Monument aux Morts
Memorial stone

Stèle en reconnaissance des libérateurs de Cabourg
  Dives sur Mer
Rue General de Gaulle
Plate on the bridge crossing the river Dives between Cabourg and Dives-sur-Mer
Houlgate
Dead Monument
Memorial stone

In Memory of François BEKAERT, Marcel BETBEZE, Hyppolite DE GROOTE, Pierre GURHEM and Lucien JADON
   
Auberville
Av. Brigade Piron
Monument

Monument in honnour of the Belgian Brigade and François BEKAERT, Marcel BETBEZE, Hyppolite DE GROOTE, Pierre GURHEM, Lucien JADON and Jean-Baptiste DE BOECK
         
  Villers-sur-Mer
Near the Church
Monument Brigade Piron
   
Blonville
Av. Brigade Piron
Memorial stone

Memorial stone to the Belgians and Luxemburgers
         
  Tourgeville
Cemetery
Stone Brigade Piron
         
  Benerville
Main Place
Stone Brigade Piron
   
Saint-Arnoudt
Bridge on the Touques
Memorial stone

In Memory of Benjamin PINKOUS et Marcel FOURNER
   
Deauville
Front the bridge Deauville-Trouville
Memorial stone

In Memory of Marcel FOURNER and Simon ROUCHE
   
On the bridge
Memorial stone

Hommage to the Belgians and Luxemburgers soldiers
     
Trouville
Square Brigade Piron
Memorial stone

Square Brigade Piron, Trouville-sur-Mer city's liberator
   
Pennedepie
Cemetery
Next the Church

Private VandenAbeele's grave
   
Honfleur
Quai de la Quarantaine
Memorial stone

Memorial stone in honour of Allied soldiers
   
Conteville
Cemetery
New cemetery

Private Mouchet's grave
   
Next the Church
Dead Monument

Memorial stone for Francis MOUCHET
   
Elementary school of Conteville
On August, 25, 2014, the school was renamed "Ecole Francis Mouchet"
         
         
   
Pont-Audemer
Dead Monument
Memorial stone

Memorial stone to the Liberators
   
Mairie
New monument
         
  Pont l'Evêque    
         
  Montivilliers (Dept 76)    
       

2. Belgium

The National Monument "To the Glory of the Piron Brigade" is located in the "Parc des Muses" in Molenbeek-St-Jean (Brussels)

 

The first stone of the National Monument « To the Glory of the Piron Brigade » was raised on Saturday,  May, 9, 1964  by Mayor MACHTENS in the park “The Rose Garden” (now Parc des Muses). This Memorial was designed by the artist Paul BOEDTS, First Prize at the Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels.
The Monument was inaugurated in the presence of General Jean PIRON on Sunday September 6, 1964, during the commemorations of the XXth Anniversary of the Liberation of Brussels. A parade made up by military detachments (British, Dutch, Canadian, American, French and Luxembourg), followed by a company of the Belgian “Liberation Battalion”.  The Belgian Air Force Military Band and several foreign bands accompanying the troops. Scottish soldiers with kilts and pipes so the nickel parade helmets of the US troops delight the very large crowd.

It was General PIRON unveiling the Monument a simple architecture with the quotes “Normandie” and “Kanaal van Wessem”, opposed to the insignia of the Brigade. Flowers are placed by General DANLOY, representing the King, MM MACHTENS, Mayor and MOOS, President of the National Veterans of the Piron Brigade Association as well as representatives of foreign delegations.
The ceremony was enhanced by the presence of General DEROISY, representing the Ministry of Defence, the ambassadors of Israel, China Luxembourg the military attaches of Great-Britain, the Netherlands, Canada, USA, USSR, France and Czechoslovakia.
Two speeches were delivered. Mr MOOS discusses over the hours of joy of the liberation of Brussels, the end of the “endless nights of despair and humiliation”. He defines the commitment of the soldiers of the Brigade “from all over the country, they were all fond of the cult of the freedom and had sworn that they would rest when they have broken the chains of ensavlement”.
The Mayor M. MACHTENS said the signification of the Liberation, one of the best dates in our history. “I am proud that my city, after the General PIRON’s native city was the first. When on September, 3, 1944, a Sunday afternoon, I took possession of the City Hall of Molenbeek-St-Jean, accompanied by some friends, we knew the importance of this act and how we were indebted to these men coming from England, wearing the Belgian Flag on their jackets, to be able to do…"

44 years after the inauguration, on September, 4, 2008, the Monument was decorated with engraved plates with the names of 116 victims of the Brigade.

  Couvin
City Hall
Museum Jean-Baptiste PIRON

Exposition General Piron's objects
   
   
Place Général Piron
Monument

Monument to Lt Gen PIRON and his Brigade
   
  Beauwelz
Place St Quirin
Canon 25 pdr

Artillery piece.
         
  Orbais
Opposite the Church
Canon 25 pdr

Artillery piece.
   
  Rongy
Rue de la Brigade Piron
Memorial Stone

Memorial Stone to remember that the Piron Brigade crossed the border on Sep, 3, 1944

Bronze statue of a Piron Brigade' soldier inaugurated on the 70th anniversary

   
  Jumet
Rue Ledoux, 23
Memorial Stone

Memorial Stone Brigade Piron
   
  Malines
Cathedral
Memorial Stone

Memorial Stone 1940-1945 Belgian Forces in United Kingdom
         
  Visé
Rue de Jupille

Memorial Stone

Memorial Stone for Pvt Guillaume DEBEFVE (2nd Unit)
   
  Saint-Nicolas
H. Heimanplein
Memorial Stone

Memorial Stone to the Sint-Niklaas's veterans
         
  Oostende
Cemetery

Stone

 

In honour of the Piron Brigade's Members
   
Bourg-Léopold
Antwerpsesteenweg
Memorial Stone

In Memory of Marcel BENOOT, Lucien SIMOEN, Jozef VAN OPPENS, Louis GOETZ and Carlos MARTIN, killed for the Liberation of Leopoldsburg and Heppen
   
Memorial Stone

In honour of Sgt Louis GOETZ
   
Barracks
Monument

Monument Belgian Forces in United Kingdom
         
Bree
Bridge between Bree and Kinrooi
Memorial Stone

Brussels Bridge. Bridge built by the Engineers Company.

3. Holland

Stramproy
Julianastraat
Memorial Stone

Memorial Stone. To the Piron Brigade, liberator of Stramproy
         
Hunsel
Kraakstraat, 2. Opposite the City Hall
Monument

Monument Piron Brigade
         
Thorn
Kerkberg
Monument

Monument in honour of the 27 Belgians of the Piron Brigade killed for the Liberation of Thorn
         
 
Sprang-Capelle
Fall Braun
Memorial Stone

Memorial Stone to Joseph BIESMANS, Arthur COOPMAN, Pierre HAUZEUR, Charles MARTENS, Philippe SPETH and Jean VAN GOETHEM killed in Capelle
  Leerdam
Generaal Pironstraat

Mosaïque commémorative

Ecusson de la Fédération de la Brigade Piron.
 

Opheusden

(Neder-Betuwe)

Burgemeester Lodderstraat

Monument

Monument in honour of the 1st Belgian Brigade

 

4. Luxemburg

 

 

Diekirch

 

National Museum of military history

10, Bamertal
L-9209 Diekirch

Museum

 

www.mnhm.lu