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Doha – Belgium paid solemn tribute Sunday to Moroccan soldiers who died in the Battle of Gembloux. The ceremonies marked the 85th anniversary of the WWII battle that took place Gembloux and Chastre, about 40 kilometers from Brussels.
The events honored one of the first major resistances against the German invasion in May 1940. Ceremonies were held at the symbolic sites of the IV Army Corps obelisk in Gembloux and the French military necropolis in Chastre, where hundreds of Moroccan tirailleurs (sharpshooters) are buried.
Notable attendees included Mustapha El Ktiri, High Commissioner for Former Resistance Fighters; Brigadier General Youssef El Mehdi, head of the FAR Military History Directorate; and Morocco’s Ambassador to Belgium, Mohamed Ameur.
They were joined by Belgian civil and military authorities, including Minister of State André Flahaut, who participated in the ceremonies.
“The Battle of Gembloux is an epic that embodies the courage of Moroccan soldiers who responded to the call of the late Sovereign Mohammed V to defend people’s rights to freedom,” Mustapha El Ktiri told MAP.
Speakers talked about the need to pass this memory to future generations. They stressed the importance of honoring the dead and promoting the values of humanity and coexistence.
For André Flahaut, this commemoration shows Morocco’s essential role in Europe’s liberation. “We must remember the soldiers who came from afar to defend our freedom and pay them the tribute they deserve,” he stated.
The Battle of Gembloux, fought between French and German forces from May 14-15, 1940, stands as the only tactical victory of the French army during the German offensive of May 1940. The French 1st Army under General Blanchard was ordered to defend the Gembloux-Wavre axis to halt the German tanks’ advance.
At the time, Morocco was under French protectorate. Approximately 4,500 Moroccan tirailleurs were deployed to the region as part of the Allied forces. These were not ordinary conscripts but elite volunteer troops – far from being considered “cannon fodder.” Many Moroccan tirailleurs had over 10 years of military service experience.
The battle began with three battalions of tirailleurs arriving in Walloon Brabant on May 13, 1940. They had marched 100 kilometers over three days and were exhausted. Their critical mission was to block the Gembloux gap, preventing Germans from bypassing the Namur stronghold.
“The role assigned to the Moroccan Division was clear: to hold the French position between Beuzet and Ernage, with a central point at Gembloux, with no intention of retreat,” explains historian Hervé Legros. “This means these men had to fight in place and could not withdraw—regardless of their losses—without orders.”
On May 14, the 7th Regiment of Moroccan Tirailleurs confronted the German war machine despite their exhaustion. For two days, the 1st Moroccan Division bore the brunt of the German offensive. They engaged in fierce resistance, sometimes in hand-to-hand combat, until German troops withdrew. Their determined stand succeeded where the French high command had expected only retreat.
This heroic resistance proved strategically vital. The hours gained by the Moroccan soldiers’ stand provided crucial time for the evacuation operations at Dunkirk. This ultimately enabled nearly 338,000 Allied troops to reach England safely.
The human cost was severe. Between combat deaths, wounds, and those missing in action, casualties were high. Historian Hervé Legros estimates about 400 Moroccan soldiers perished during the fighting. Many never saw their homeland again.
Today, the French military necropolis in Chastre serves as their final resting place. The cemetery contains 253 men from the 1st Moroccan Division, including 173 Moroccans and 57 French soldiers who resided in Morocco.
They rest alongside 182 Algerians from the 2nd Algerian Division, 550 soldiers from metropolitan France, and 158 French soldiers who died during the First World War, including 12 Senegalese.
The bodies of these heroes remain in Chastre, where history and memory converge to remind visitors that freedom often demands the ultimate sacrifice.
