The drama of rue Ferrer

From there, it was easy to reach the Meuse valley, and from there to Germany, or to cross the Ardennes massif under cover. But in the late afternoon of September 2, the sector between Frameries and Cheval Blanc became a mousetrap. Leading Combat Command B (CCB) up from the Avesnes-sur-Helpe region, Task Force Lovelady reached Frameries shortly after 5pm.

At the same time, Combat Command A (CCA) moved up through the Bois Bourdon and Cheval Blanc crossroads. The tip of the Bavay-Ciply-Maubeuge triangle came under American control, and crossing it became increasingly perilous.

A dozen German ammunition trucks and ambulances were trapped at the southern exit of Frameries, at the bottom of Rue Ferrer, just before the Berger bridge.

Momentarily sheltered behind houses, the column would come under fire from American tanks if it set off again.Around 9.30pm, the Germans prepare to destroy their vehicles. On foot, they will have a better chance of going unnoticed as night falls.Around 10 p.m., a tremendous explosion blows down Rue Ferrer. Seventeen houses were destroyed, and a dozen more were damaged.

Some thirty bodies were found among the Germans, most of them untransportable wounded left to their fate in ambulances. Many of the local residents, holed up in the shelter of their cellars, lost everything, but miraculously only seven were injured. The people of Frameris are busy putting out the fires and taking care of the victims.