Lestrem
Encyclopedia
Lestrem is a commune
in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France
.
and 19 miles (30.6 km) west of Lille
, on the D122, D178 and D975 roads, by the banks of the Lawe River.
In 1940, the small hamlet of Le Paradis
, on the south side of the commune, was the scene of a massacre
of British troops of the BEF
, during the Battle of France
. The town is twinned with swanland
in the East Riding of Yorkshire
, England.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
A small farming and light industrial town, situated some 8 miles (12.9 km) north of BéthuneBéthune
Béthune is a city in northern France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department.-Geography:Béthune is located in the former province of Artois. It is situated South-East of Calais, West of Lille, and North of Paris.-Landmarks:...
and 19 miles (30.6 km) west of Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
, on the D122, D178 and D975 roads, by the banks of the Lawe River.
History
The town was all but destroyed during the First World War.In 1940, the small hamlet of Le Paradis
Le Paradis massacre
The Le Paradis massacre was a war crime committed by members of the 14th Company, SS Division Totenkopf, under the command of Hauptsturmführer Fritz Knöchlein...
, on the south side of the commune, was the scene of a massacre
Le Paradis massacre
The Le Paradis massacre was a war crime committed by members of the 14th Company, SS Division Totenkopf, under the command of Hauptsturmführer Fritz Knöchlein...
of British troops of the BEF
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
, during the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
. The town is twinned with swanland
Swanland
Swanland is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire in England. The village is about to the west of Kingston upon Hull city centre and north of the Humber Estuary on the B1231 road. To the east lies West Ella, to the west, separated by farmland, lies Melton and to the south...
in the East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
, England.
Population
| 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2643 | 2662 | 2727 | 3044 | 2753 | 3789 | 4006 |
| Census count starting from 1962: Population without duplicates | ||||||
Places of interest
- The church of St. Amé, dating from the sixteenth century.
- Two other churches at the hamlets of La Fosse and Le Paradis.
- The Commonwealth War Graves CommissionCommonwealth War Graves CommissionThe Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...
cemetery.