An overview of the “War Journal of the Lille-East Community (1914-1918)
In 1914, there were two communities of Little Sisters of the Assumption in Lille: Lille South, founded in 1897, and Lille East, founded in 1906. The sisters of the Lille-East community kept a war journal. It began just days before the war started, at the end of July 1914, and ended on the day Lille was liberated. This journal provides insight into how the people of Lille, in general, and the Little Sisters of the Assumption (LSA), in particular, experienced the occupation and how the Germans behaved. The content of this journal is highly interesting and the archives service wishes to share it but its fragile state prevents direct access. Another notable feature of the journal is its numerous illustrations, including both drawings and paintings(1).
(1). Read a more detailed version of this article (in french).
Chronological Landmarks:
August 1-2, 1914: Germany declares war on Russia and invades Belgium.
August 3-4, 1914: Germany declares war on France, and then Great Britain declares war on Germany.
Mid-October 1914: Fall of Lille after several days of siege and intense bombardments, causing numerous casualties and destruction. Parts of northern and eastern France are occupied.
April 2, 1917: The USA enters the war.
October 17, 1918: Lille is liberated by the British.
November 11, 1918: Armistice
The mission of the Little Sisters during the occupation
The journal recounts how the sisters continued their mission of caring for the population and providing moral and spiritual support. In December 1915, they were offered evacuation but refused, believing it was their duty to stay and care for the poor. Several sisters fell ill while tending to the sick and lost their lives as a result
Restrictions
As the journal vividly describes, the primary concern of the people of Lille was securing food, heating, clothing, shoes, and other necessities. Severe shortages were reported as early as 1914. By 1916, rice —the staple wartime food of the time— had nearly disappeared. “People give each other one or two potatoes, just as they used to share a rare fruit”
How did German authority operate? How did the people of Lille react?
Between October 1914 and March 1915, the German occupiers issued a series of increasingly strict ordinances. In 1915, they took hostages, including local dignitaries and priests. In 1916, the first posters appeared announcing the forced deportation of men, women, and children over the age of 16 to work in the fields in occupied zones.
The journal documents the resilience of both the local population and the sisters. This resistance took many forms, including humour. The sisters noted: “The Germans are trying to make life less monotonous for the people of Lille. For example, this week, they posted signs all over the city: ‘Final victory achieved over the Russians’”.
In 1915, to evade the curfew, the sisters climbed over a wall to move between the two houses of their community. A photograph bears witness to this act. The journal also records a strike by French workers in 1915, protesting against manufacturing canvas for the Germans to use in their trenches.
Despite these small acts of defiance, despair quickly spread among the population, particularly after the forced evacuation of the poorest residents to non-occupied zones in 1915. The Germans sought to reduce the number of mouths to feed, cruelly separating families in the process
Difficult communication with the outside World
The Lille sisters were almost entirely cut off from other communities in non-occupied zones and from the Motherhouse. Most news arrived through individuals leaving or entering the city, and by the time messages were received, they were often weeks or months old.
Sending letters became increasingly difficult. In September, the journal reports that travellers were searched on public transport to ensure they were not carrying mail.
Throughout the journal, it is evident that the warring sides engaged in a battle of propaganda. The Germans used posters and newspapers, while the Allies dropped leaflets from their planes. In 1914, an Allied aircraft flew over Lille and dropped a message: “Stay strong, we have not forgotten you.”
Lille’s occupation should not overshadow the ongoing War
The journal also describes the devastating impact of the war.
In January 1916, the sisters were abruptly awakened at 3:30 a.m. by what felt like an earthquake: their beds shook violently, windows burst open, glass shattered, furniture was overturned, and gaping holes appeared in the walls. It was later revealed that the cause was the explosion of a gunpowder depot.
The journal frequently notes that the thought of death was ever-present, as people risked their lives at every moment. With no way to truly protect themselves, they entrusted their fate to God.
Sister M. St. Marc had a particularly close brush with death while returning from a patient’s house. A bomb, dropped by an airplane, struck the railway tracks she was walking on. Though she reached the community unharmed, she was deeply shaken
Conclusion
In summary, the journal highlights that despite the immense suffering endured by the people of Lille during the occupation —the constant fear, the isolation from unoccupied France— they never lost hope of liberation. They maintained their sense of humour and carried out numerous acts of resistance. The sisters, for their part, remained steadfast in their mission, caring for the sick and providing spiritual support. Despite the hardships, both Lille communities did everything possible to stay connected, even if only sporadically, with the Motherhouse and other communities. Keeping a war journal reflects the sisters’ determination to preserve the memory of their experiences —not only to bear witness for their fellow sisters at the time but also for future generations
Catherine HAMOT
Archives Service of the Little Sisters of the Assumption
(21st of February 2025)