Martha Bryon
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 11/12/1904 |
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Place of birth: Zonnebeke, Belgium |
General information
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Last known residence: Zonnebeke, Belgium |
Army information
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Country: Belgium |
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Force: Civilian casualty |
Information about death
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Date of death: 16/02/1985 |
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Place of death: H. Hartkliniek, Roeselare, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Death post-war (unrelated) |
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Age: 80 |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Martha Bryon was the daughter of Hector Isidore Bryon and Maria Theresia Brouckaert. She was born on 11 December 1904. Martha lived with her parents, brother Omer, sister Anna, grandparents and foster son Gaston Masschelein on a farm in Zonnebeke along the Ypres-Roeselare railway line. On 20 October 1914, the family decided not to leave their home, despite the evacuation order. Although they eventually decided that staying in Zonnebeke was too dangerous, they were unable to flee in time.
On 29 April 1915, disaster struck. A shell hit the farmhouse. Hector, Maria, Omer and Anna were killed. Their foster son Gaston survived the attack but died in 1917 from the psychological effects. Martha was seriously injured in her left thigh. After she had been stabilised, the then 11-year-old girl was transferred to ‘La Chartreuse’, a Belgian hospital in Neuville-sous-Montreuil (Pas-de-Calais). She would remain there until her injuries had healed.
Martha stayed at ‘La Chartreuse’ for about fourteen months. In July 1916, she was able to walk again with crutches and travelled to her grandparents, who were also refugees in France. She spent the following years with them in Perthes-en-Gâtinais (Seine-et-Marne).
In 1920, Martha and her grandparents returned to Zonnebeke. Upon her return home, she sought refuge at Our Lady of Distress. After her recovery, she fulfilled the promise she had made upon her return: the now 16-year-old Martha hung up her crutches in the Koortskapel (Chapel of Fever) in the Frezenbergstraat in Zonnebeke out of gratitude.
On 29 April 1915, disaster struck. A shell hit the farmhouse. Hector, Maria, Omer and Anna were killed. Their foster son Gaston survived the attack but died in 1917 from the psychological effects. Martha was seriously injured in her left thigh. After she had been stabilised, the then 11-year-old girl was transferred to ‘La Chartreuse’, a Belgian hospital in Neuville-sous-Montreuil (Pas-de-Calais). She would remain there until her injuries had healed.
Martha stayed at ‘La Chartreuse’ for about fourteen months. In July 1916, she was able to walk again with crutches and travelled to her grandparents, who were also refugees in France. She spent the following years with them in Perthes-en-Gâtinais (Seine-et-Marne).
In 1920, Martha and her grandparents returned to Zonnebeke. Upon her return home, she sought refuge at Our Lady of Distress. After her recovery, she fulfilled the promise she had made upon her return: the now 16-year-old Martha hung up her crutches in the Koortskapel (Chapel of Fever) in the Frezenbergstraat in Zonnebeke out of gratitude.
Sources 1
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Vermeulen, Etienne. “Martha Brion: zeventig jaar leven als burgerlijke oorlogsinvalide”, in Het Zonneheem, red. door Dirk Ooghe e.a. (Zonnebeke: De Zonnebeekse Heemvrienden v.z.w., 2015). Sources used |
More information 1
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=024cf2b7-a2b4-48dc-80db-945a6d0fff94 |