Mons, the First & the Last

The First World War was particularly bloody, causing millions of casualties. Mons did not escape the destructive wave of events and, against its will, played host to major and tragic events.

Mons has a special resonance for the British and Canadians, as it was on its territory that their first and last involvement in the First World War took place.

Mons 14-18 : the First & the Last

On 23 August 1914, the British met the Germans at Mons, and on 11 November 1918, with substantial involvement of the Canadians, they liberated the city after 50 months of occupation. Thus Mons became the resting place for soldiers Parr and Ellison, the first and last British men to fall during the conflict, and it was also here that Canadian soldier Georges Lawrence Price collapsed on 11 November 1918, two minutes before the Armistice took effect, forever becoming the last soldier killed in the Great War... "Mons, the First & the Last" !

From legend to reality, Mons offers an authentic memorial journey strongly focused on symbolism. As in the military cemetery of Saint-Symphorien, a true haven of peace, where Commonwealth and German graves are now united for eternity.