Refugees

From the first days of the war, civilians began fleeing from areas which had become dangerous due to the advancing German army. Belgians and French took to the road in a mass exodus. Evacuated by the army and fleeing through fear of the enemy, they attempted to escape the turmoil of war in total disorder and complete destitution. Pervasive lawlessness reigned in the Nord department and the military and civilian authorities strove to find ways to preserve the smooth conduct of military operations and the life of civilians, who were often the victims of the fighting. The refugees were first evacuated to the neighbouring Pas-de-Calais and later to Seine, Seine-Maritime, Oise, Seine-et-Oise and then to the rest of France. A desire to return home came very quickly.

In September 1914, The Prefecture carried out a survey to determine how many Austro-German individuals were living in the department, notably men who could be drafted or public figures who could be considered as hostages. The Austro-German individuals were evacuated to Tatihou Island (near Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue). An Austro-German community had been present in the Nord department for many years and was composed of several hundred people. Some men had married and started families. The Austro-German individuals worked in industry, catering, teaching, trade and hospitality.