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French Resistance Monument Zillebeke WWII

French Resistance Monument Zillebeke WWII

Highlight • Monument

French Resistance Monument Zillebeke WWII

Name: French Resistance Monument Zillebeke WWII
Rating: 2

Recommended by 29 cyclists

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Location: Ypres, Ieper, West Flanders, Flanders, Belgium

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Top cycling routes to French Resistance Monument Zillebeke WWII

4.7

(45)

418

riders

1. Stroroute Passendale – Tyne Cot Cemetery loop from Moorslede

57.6km

03:20

240m

Expert bike ride. Good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.

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Expert

4.6

(31)

185

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2. Hill 60 Memorial – Ypres–Comines Canal loop from Ieper

35.4km

02:07

130m

Intermediate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

4.8

(22)

183

riders

3. Hill 60 Memorial – Cloth Hall (Lakenhalle) Ypres loop from Zandvoorde

40.3km

02:22

170m

Intermediate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

Tips

🇧🇪 Herwig Aertbeliën

September 4, 2022

During the Second World War, something horrific happened on the Ypres-Kortrijk railway near Hill 60. The German troops were stationed in Ypres and Poperinge. Prisoners and materials were transported by train from Kortrijk to Poperinge. The train came to a halt at Hill 60, on the Zillebeke-Hollebeke border, and had to wait as usual for a second locomotive that could provide extra pulling power.

Two French soldiers trapped in one of the freight cars were shot by the Germans. Local residents heard a few shots and two lifeless bodies lay 200 meters away. It concerned Pierre Marchant and Lucien Olivier, who later turned out to belong to the French resistance. Both Frenchmen had been arrested at the station in their hometown of La Madeleine, when a train with SS men drove into the station. Presumably suspected of an attack, they were surrounded and captured and transported by train to Belgium, to Ypres.

Were they dragged off the train and executed or had they escaped and fled when the train was waiting and shot? What happened that day will probably always remain a mystery. The two Frenchmen were provisionally buried in the village of Zillebeke. Later they were reburied in their hometown. In 1969, at the suggestion of Imosphinx Academy Belgium, a memorial stone was unveiled to commemorate this event at the Hill 60 site.

Source: tracesofwar.nl/sights/2950/Monument-Frans-Verzet-Hill-60.htm

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Willem VS

June 11, 2025

The French Resistance Monument at Hill 60 commemorates two French resistance fighters, Pierre Marchant and Lucien Olivier, who were executed by German troops during World War II. On September 2, 1944, they were captured in their hometown of La Madeleine, near Lille, and taken by train to Belgium. They were taken from the train at Hill 60 and shot.

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Willem VS

June 11, 2025

An interesting anecdote concerns the circumstances of their death. While the train was stationary, residents heard several shots and found the bodies of Marchant and Olivier about 200 meters away. It is still a mystery whether they tried to escape or whether they were executed. In 1969, a memorial stone was unveiled to commemorate their courage and sacrifice.

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 100 m

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Friday 31 October

15°C

13°C

100 %

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Max wind speed: 18.0 km/h

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Location: Ypres, Ieper, West Flanders, Flanders, Belgium

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French Resistance Monument Zillebeke WWII

1. Stroroute Passendale – Tyne Cot Cemetery loop from Moorslede

2. Hill 60 Memorial – Ypres–Comines Canal loop from Ieper

3. Hill 60 Memorial – Cloth Hall (Lakenhalle) Ypres loop from Zandvoorde

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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