Rue Eugène Jacquet

On Rue Eugène Jacquet, time seems to echo. This street, once known as Rue des Guinguettes, holds a poignant story. Lille-Fives, after 1918, captured images of this street. One postcard shows Rue Eugène Jacquet looking towards Lille intra-muros, with Rue Saint-Gabriel branching off to the right. A narrow passage, barely visible behind playing children, marks the entrance to Rue du Repos, leading to Place Madeleine Caulier. The name Eugène Jacquet resonates with another story. Eugène Jacquet wasn’t just a street name. He was a man of courage, a wine merchant who led the Comité Jacquet during World War I. This committee, including Georges Maertens, Ernest Deconninck, and Sylvère Verhulst, helped British soldiers escape from occupied Lille and spied on the German forces. Their bravery is immortalized in the “Lille à ses Fusillés” monument near the Citadel. The monument depicts the four members of the Comité Jacquet standing defiantly. The figure lying on the ground represents Léon Trulin, a young Belgian resistance fighter also executed at the Citadel. The Comité’s work began after Lille’s surrender in October 1914. Their mission was to help the 1,500 hidden soldiers escape. Their secret work unraveled when a captured escapee revealed their names and activities to the Germans. In September 1915, the four members were condemned to death. Eugène Jacquet pleaded for his companions’ lives, accepting his fate but hoping they would be spared. His plea was ignored. On September 22, 1915, they were executed at the Citadel, refusing blindfolds and shouting “Vive la France!”, “Vive la République!”, “Vive la Liberté!”, and “Vive la Belgique!”. Their defiance echoes down Rue Eugène Jacquet, a reminder of their sacrifice. Their names live on, not just on this street but also in others throughout Lille, a tribute to their heroism.