Monument of the assasinated nurses

Hotel Gaiemet served as a hospital during the Second World War. The entire family Gaiemet was arrested on 2 March 1944. The father and daughter were deported; the mother who was seriously ill was released and returned to the hotel to help the wounded and the ill.

Ferrières was an important centre of the resistance. The resistance fighters against forced labour, resistance fighters and other people that were wanted had set up a camp of about 400 people at the entrance to the village of Grand-Trixhe, more precisely in the forest called "Heid des Gades".

After the landings of the allied, the Germans returned to their country of origin in large columns. For some unknown reason, a German column, travelling from Ville-Ferrières to Werbomont, arrived in the camp and began a deadly battle with the resistance fighters. It was Saturday, September 2,1944, the day before the liberation.

Those who were armed went to the border of the forest to defend the camp. Those who were unarmed were grouped into small units of 5-10 men led by a soldier who knew the area well. The order was given to escape and gather in the forest of Saint Anthony, opposite to the church.

During their escape, they arrived by the woods at Sainte-Barbe chapel. From the edge of the forest, they see a second German military column in Burnontige, heading from Izier-Bomal towards Werbomont. Part of this column was at the Colin Hotel, while the soldiers of the other part were at the Gaiemet Hotel.

There were 3 nurses, the mother and Omer Sellier and Huguette Moise. The soldiers assassinated the three nurses (Suzanne Boscheron, Josette Petit and Hortense Swinne) and locked the mother in the cellar. Then they set the building on fire. Omer Sellier and Huguette Moise (at the time of Miss Jamotte's release) were released after 5 hours of interrogation.

Willem Vandenameele