Ors () is a
commune in the
Nord department in northern France.
It is located on the
Sambre–Oise Canal, in a small wood called Bois l'Évêque.
History
The commune was an area of intense fighting in November 1918 for control of the canal. Second Lieutenant
Wilfred Owen
Wilfred Edward Salter Owen Military Cross, MC (18 March 1893 – 4 November 1918) was an English poet and soldier. He was one of the leading poets of the First World War. His war poetry on the horrors of Trench warfare, trenches and Chemi ...
was
killed in action
Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, ...
there, a week before the
Armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...
, and is buried at the
Communal Cemetery beside many of his men. The village's new (2014) primary school is named for Owen.
Ors is famous for its yearly
water jousting competition on the canal every August 15.
Heraldry
Monuments
The church, ''Église de l'Assomption'', was built from 1851 to 1872.
Image:Ors communal cemetery.jpg, Ors Communal Cemetery
The Ors Communal Cemetery is also the burial place of Wilfred Owen
Wilfred Edward Salter Owen Military Cross, MC (18 March 1893 – 4 November 1918) was an English poet and soldier. He was one of the leading poets of the First World War. His war poetry on the horrors of Trench warfare, trenches and Chemi ...
, the British war poet. There is also a memorial to Owen.
Image:Ors maison wilfred owen.jpg, The Wilfred Owen Memorial in Ors
See also
*
Communes of the Nord department
The following is a list of the 647 communes of the Nord department of the French Republic.
The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2025):
References
External links
''Ors Communal Cemetery'' on the website "Remembrance Trails of the Great War in Northern France"Société des Jouteurs Sauveteurs d'Ors
Communes of Nord (French department)
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