On the north side of the junction.

Monument

A gray obelisk monument written in English and French in gold lettering. The monument reflects on the history of a military depot used by American forces during the war. The text emphasizes both the logistical importance of the depot in supporting American military efforts and its role as a site of significant loss. The American base was a behind-the-lines hospital and supply station for troops fighting in northeastern France. As the legend on the war memorial says, "Half a million American soldiers passed through the supply depot at Saint-Aignan, and 853 died in the region."

During World War I, there was a substantial American replacement troop camp in Noyers-sur-Cher (a commune about 3.6 km northeast of Saint-Agnan or 2.4 km east of the memorial site). The camp described was a self-contained community with various facilities, including a cinema, shops, and a hospital. It served as a staging area for American troops to acclimate before being sent to the front lines in northeastern France and as a mustering point for repatriation after the war.

One key facility was Camp Hospital 26, located near the camp cemetery. Officially designed for 1,500 patients, it could expand to 2,200 during emergencies and handled medical, surgical, and dental cases, including specialist treatments. Initially, there were 73,000 American hospital beds in France, but by the end of the war, this number had increased to 238,917, with Camp Hospitals like the one at Noyers-sur-Cher being crucial in this system. Camp Hospitals were intermediate medical facilities, positioned between Field Hospitals and Base Hospitals, and were typically located in the Intermediate Zone between the front line and base areas.

Source of photos and information: ckenb.blogspot.com, daysontheclaise.blogspot.com

NOYERS ST. AIGNAN

OCCUPIED BY THE 

1ST DEPOT DIV U.S.A 

24 JAN 1918 - 27 DECEMBER 1918 

AND BY THE 

1ST REPLACEMENT DEPOT 

27 DEC. 1918 TO JULY 1919

____________________

A HALF MILLION AMERICAN SOLDIERS 

PASSED THROUGH THIS DEPOT 

ERECTED IN MEMORY 

OF THE 853 AMERICAN SOLDIERS 

WHO DIED IN THIS AREA

OCCVPÉ PAR LE

1ER DEPOT DIV V.S.A

24 JAN 1918 - 27 DECEMB 1918

ET PAR LE

1ER REPLACEMENT DÉPOT

27 DECEMB. 1918 TO JVILLET 1919

­­­­­­­­­­­______________________

VNDEMIMILLION DE SOLDATS AMERICANS

ONT PASSÉ PAR CE DÉPOT

ÉRIGÉ EN MEMOIRE

DES 853 SOLDATS AMERICAINS

MORTS DANS CETTE RÉGION