_At the end of The Promenades take the G.C. 10, on the right._ The road passes through the villages of =Thilloy= and =Ligny-Thilloy=--a single "_commune_," which likewise includes the village of =Barque=. It was at and around Ligny-Thilloy that on January 3, 1871, was fought the battle of Bapaume. This unavailing victory of General Faidherbe's forced the Germans to evacuate Bapaume and begin their retreat towards the Somme. In October, 1914, during the fighting which took place near Thilloy, the Germans "compelled a group of some ten women and children to stand before them and face the French positions, then, kneeling behind them, they opened fire on the French troops" _(Report of the Commission of Enquiry)_. In 1917, the fighting in this region was again in favour of the Allies, as on February 27-28, after a feeble resistance, the villages of Barque, Ligny and Thilloy were captured by the British. The industrial and agricultural "_Commune_" of Ligny-Thilloy, which had already suffered severely during the war of 1871, was completely ruined by the late War. _One kilometre beyond Ligny, there is a mine-crater on the right of the road._ At the crossing with the Gueudecourt road stands a large cross, erected to the memory of the New Zealanders who fell around there. _Keep straight on to =Flers=_--completely ruined. In May, 1919, two damaged tanks were still to be seen at the entrance to the village. [Illustration: BRITISH CROSS. _See above sketch-map._] This was one of the villages captured by the British during their offensive of September 15, 1916. _The Report of the Commission of Enquiry contains the following_:-- [Illustration: RUINS OF FLERS VILLAGE.] [Illustration: BRITISH TANKS AT ENTRANCE TO FLERS VILLAGE, MAY, 1919.] "During the first month of the German occupation, M. Delmotte, baker, was ordered to supply the enemy with bread. He complied with their demands, without, however, receiving anything in exchange, except requisition forms. Some time afterwards, his stock of flour having run out, he was forced to procure some from Bapaume at his own expense. The Germans having meanwhile taken possession of the mill, it was they who sold him the flour. Finding this arrangement unsatisfactory, he subsequently refused to work any longer for the German soldiers unless at least the flour which he had to buy were paid for. The Germans, displeased at this, sought an opportunity to revenge themselves. On October 14, they ordered Delmotte to hand over his fowling-piece, which he did without protesting. Two days later they directed him to deliver up his ammunition. Again complying with their request, he handed over a box containing a few cartridges, shell splinters, and two cartridge clips which his son had picked up in the fields. He was immediately arrested for detaining arms and locked up in his cellar, where he was closely watched. The next day he was shot in his garden, beside a grave which his murderers had dug beforehand."