Esquelbecq carries the memory of one of the most shameful massacres committed by the nazis during their advance towards Dunkirk.
On 28 May 1940, the Germans attacked the crossroads at Wormhout, a strategic spot that the British forces staunchly defended. During the confrontation, 95 soldiers from the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, the Cheshire Regiment, and the Royal Artillery, and 1 French soldier, taken prisoner and held in a barn in La Plaine au Bois.
A few hours later, most of them were cold-bloodedly assassinated by members of the SS Adolf Hitler division, the Führer’s personal guard, as punishment for their resistance.
The site of this carnage has become a site of remembrance, thanks to a great deal of support from the British press and television. An exact replica of the barn was built, and 80 beech trees were symbolically planted along the path leading to it.
In addition, a stele serves as a reminder of the 300 Allied and French soldiers and civilians who fell in Wormhout, Ledringhem, and Esquelbecq during these tragic days.
A glazed lava viewpoint indicator also provides information about the battle that took place here.
La Plaine Au Bois2