The 31st Infantry Battalion Association was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Mme Marie Paule Demassiet.
Our Association President in Townsville, Col. (Retd) Greg Stokie expressed our thoughts in a letter to Marie Paule’s family. Our Honorary Member in France Pierre Seillier, has tells us how he heard the sad news himself:
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Pierre continues:
·Hello to all my Aussie friends, many of you know that Lambis Englezos my great friend is in France, I’m back from Fromelles where I caught up Lambis at Pheasant Wood… But I was surprised to see him with tears in his eyes… He told me the sad news and asked that I inform all our friends in France and Australia. It is with a great sadness that I must to inform all the friends of the great Fromelles’ Family that Ms Marie Paule Demassiet passed away this morning… Ms Marie Paule Demassiet was the great lady who gave the permission to do the researches for the mass graves at Pheasant Wood because she was the owner of the land, She was the lady who said after the discovery of the remains of our brave soldiers “I give my Land to Australia…”
We are all devastated, because we loved her so much, by a strange coincidence the funeral will take place on next Tuesday, 19th July at 10.30 am…gathering at the church of Fromelles at 10.15am. She will have been with her “beloved young soldiers” as she said always, until her last breath… If some of you want to send condolence message, they can do it on my email ( pierreseillier@hotmail.fr ) and I will pass it to Marie Paule’s daughter, Ms Annie Moreel and her family, who are my friends since a long time…
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Bonjour à tous mes amis Australiens et Français, vous êtes nombreux à savoir que Lambis Englezos mon grand ami est en France, je reviens de Fromelles où j’ai rejoins Lambis à Pheasant Wood… Mais j’ai été surpris de le voir les larmes aux yeux … Il m’a annoncé la triste nouvelle et m’a demandé de prévenir tous nos amis de France et d’Australie. C’est avec une grande tristesse que je dois prévenir tous les amis de la grande Famille Fromelles que Madame Marie Paule Demassiet est décédée ce matin… Madame Marie Paule Demassiet est la grande dame qui a donné l’autorisation de faire les recherches pour les fosses communes à Pheasant Wood parce qu’elle était la propriétaire de la terre, elle était la dame qui a dit après la découverte des restes de nos braves soldats “Je donne ma terre à l’Australie…”
Nous sommes tous dévastés, car nous l’aimions tant, par une étrange coïncidence les obsèques auront lieu le mardi 19 juillet prochain jour anniversaire de la Bataille de Fromelles à 10h30…rassemblement à l’église de Fromelles à 10h15. Elle aura été avec ses “jeunes soldats bien-aimés” comme elle le disait toujours, jusqu’à son dernier souffle… Si certains d’entre vous veulent envoyer un message de condoléances, ils peuvent le faire sur mon mail ( pierreseillier@hotmail.fr ) et je le transmettrai à la fille de Marie Paule, Mme Annie Moreel et sa famille, qui sont mes amis depuis longtemps…
Marie Paule nous t’aimons tellement, tu nous manque déjà…
Mme Demassiet with John Fielding (L) and Lambis Englezos AM (R)
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Mme Demassiet Signing the Official Documents to allow the Search for the Missing Diggers
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The start of the Pheasant Wood Cemetery
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Mme Demassiet with Pierre Seillier and her Family at the Pheasant Wood Cemetery
At a Service where another Australian Soldier has been Identified
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At Pheasant Wood Cemetery
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Mme Demassiet with a relative of one of the Soldiers who has now been Identified
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The story of Lambis Englezos AM and his search for the missing 200 diggers from the Fromelles Battle is in the archives of this website (see Archives of June and July 2021) The 31st Battalion association and indeed all Australians are indebted to this great and generous lady, Mme Marie Paule Demassiet for allowing the recovery and reburial of our missing diggers.
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