Liberation of Le Quesnoy

Kiwis come to the rescue in their last major attack of the war.

The New Zealand Division’s last major attack of the war aims to isolate the old French town of Le Quesnoy, while advancing into the nearby Mormal Forest.

The people of Le Quesnoy are terrified their town will be destroyed, and them with it. If the German garrison do not surrender after their four-year occupation, the town’s ancient walls will be blasted into oblivion by British heavy artillery.

But the Kiwis have another idea. Led by 21-year-old 2nd Lieutenant Leslie Averill, they use a pilfered ladder to storm the 18m-high ramparts. Taken completely by surprise, the Germans on the wall panic and abandon their positions. The Kiwis seize control of the main gate shortly afterwards, and the stunned garrison surrenders.

The grateful people of Le Quesnoy will never forget the bravery and daring of Averill and his men. This creates a connection between Kiwis and the townspeople that is still honoured today.

Photos & objects

The scaling of the walls of Le Quesnoy, 1920. — *The scaling of the walls of Le Quesnoy*, 1920.George Edmund Butler, Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga: AAAC 898 NCWA 535

Le Quesnoy: Captured by New Zealand Division, 4 November 1918.AWMM: PH-RESOS-136

One of the guns of 2nd New Zealand Machine Gun Company firing barrage into the main street of Le Quesnoy, France, 4 October 1918.Arthur John Lloyd, AWMM: PD 182 2

Bronze commemorative medal, 1993.AWMM: 1994.58. © Auckland Museum CC BY