Obrecheuil

Obourg (French pronunciation: [ɔbuʁ]; Walloon: Obour) is a sub-municipality of the city of Mons located in the province of Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium. It was a separate municipality until 1972. In 1964, Saint-Denis was merged into Obourg. On 1 January 1972, Obourg was merged into Mons.

The Battle of Saint-Denis was the last major action of the Franco-Dutch War (1672-78). It took place on 14 August 1678, four days after Louis XIV of France had agreed the Treaty of Nijmegen with the Dutch Republic, but before he finalised terms with Spain. The battle was initiated by the Dutch and Spanish forces to prevent the French capturing the Spanish-held town of Mons, then on the border between France and the Spanish Netherlands. The result was disputed, as both sides claimed victory. Leaving a small force to maintain the siege of Mons, French commander Luxembourg concentrated 40,000 to 50,000 men around the nearby villages of Saint-Dénis and Casteau, where they were attacked by a combined Dutch-Spanish army of 35,000 to 45,000 men led by William of Orange. In the early stages, the Allies overran the French flanks and forced Luxembourg out of his headquarters in the abbey of Saint-Dénis, but were then pushed back by a series of counter attacks, with many positions changing hands several times. Fighting continued late into the evening, when William pulled his troops back to regroup, leaving the French occupying most of their original lines. The exception was Saint-Denis, whose loss left the French position untenable. When the Allies resumed their attack early next morning, they found Luxembourg had withdrawn overnight and abandoned the siege of Mons. As a result, the town remained Spanish under the treaty agreed with Louis XIV on 17 September.

UCLouvain FUCaM Mons is a satellite campus of the University of Louvain (UCLouvain) in Mons, Wallonia, Belgium founded in 1896. Until 2011, it was an independent institution known as the Catholic university of Mons (French name: Facultés universitaires catholique de Mons, abbreviation: FUCaM). Its official language is French.UCLouvain FUCaM Mons is one of the two universities in the city Mons, the other being the University of Mons, and the main implementation of the UCLouvain in the province of Hainaut, along with UCLouvain Charleroi and UCLouvain Tournai. Before the merger of 2011, the FUCaM were one of the 9 Belgian French-speaking universities,.

Saint-Denis (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ dəni] ; Walloon: Sint-Dnis) is a sub-municipality of the city of Mons located in the province of Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium. It was a separate municipality until 1964. In 1964, it was merged into Obourg. On 1 January 1972, Obourg was merged into Mons.

Saint-Symphorien (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ sɛ̃fɔʁjɛ̃]; Walloon: Sint-Symforyin) is a sub-municipality of the city of Mons located in the province of Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium. It was a separate municipality until 1977. On 1 January 1977, it was merged into Mons.

The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) was one of two supreme commanders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the other being the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). The SACLANT led Allied Command Atlantic was based at Norfolk, Virginia. The entire command was routinely referred to as 'SACLANT'. In 1981 SACLANT's wartime task was listed as being to provide for the security of the area by guarding sea lanes to deny their use to an enemy and to safeguard them for the reinforcement and resupply of NATO Europe with personnel and materiel.The command's area of responsibility extended from the North Pole to the Tropic of Cancer as well as extending from the east coast of North America to the west coast of Africa and Europe, including Portugal but not the English Channel, the British Isles, and the Canary Islands.Allied Command Atlantic was redesignated as Allied Command Transformation (ACT) on 19 June 2003. ACT was to be headed by the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT), up to 2009 an American four-star admiral or general who was dual-hatted as commander, United States Joint Forces Command (COMUSJFCOM). SACLANT's former military missions were folded into NATO's Allied Command Operations (ACO).

Allied Command Transformation (ACT) (French: Commandement allié Transformation) is a military command of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), formed in 2003 after restructuring. It was intended to lead military transformation of alliance forces and capabilities, using new concepts such as the NATO Response Force and new doctrines in order to improve the alliance's military effectiveness. When France rejoined the NATO Military Command Structure in mid-2009, a significant change took place where the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) became a French officer. The first French officer to serve as SACT was French Air Force General Stephane Abrial (2009–2012).

The first shot memorial is the common name of a monument in Casteau, Belgium, marking the first British engagement on the Western Front of the First World War. The monument stands near to the start of a charge made by elements of C Squadron of the 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards, commanded by Captain Charles Beck Hornby, against cavalry scouts from the German 9th Cavalry Division on 22 August 1914. A number of Germans were sabred and captured before the unit came under fire from a larger German force. The British dismounted and returned fire, with Drummer Edward Thomas firing the first shot by British troops on this front of the war, before withdrawing. The monument was designed by an architect from nearby Mons, Mr. Bertiaux, and was unveiled on 20 August 1939, just prior to the 25th anniversary of the action and the outbreak of the Second World War. The monument stands opposite one commemorating the furthest advance by the Canadian 116th Infantry Battalion at the end of the war, 11 November 1918.

The Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) is the military headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO) that commands all NATO operations worldwide. SHAPE is situated in the village of Casteau, near Mons, Belgium.ACO's and SHAPE's commander is titled Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), and is always a U.S. four-star general officer or flag officer who also serves as Commander, U.S. European Command. From 1951 to 2003, SHAPE was the headquarters of Allied Command Europe (ACE). Since 2003 SHAPE has been the headquarters of ACO, controlling NATO also outside Europe. Even though the geographical scope of its activities was extended, SHAPE retained its traditional name with reference to Europe.

Havré Castle (French: Château d'Havré) is a ruined castle in the village of Havré in the town of Mons, province of Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium.

The St Symphorien Military Cemetery is a First World War Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground in Saint-Symphorien, Belgium. It contains the graves of 284 German and 229 Commonwealth soldiers, principally those killed during the Battle of Mons. The cemetery was established by the German Army on land donated by Jean Houzeau de Lehaie. It was initially designed as a woodland cemetery before being redesigned by William Harrison Cowlishaw after the Imperial War Graves Commission took over maintenance of the cemetery after the war. Notable Commonwealth burials in the cemetery include John Parr and George Lawrence Price, traditionally believed to be the first and last Commonwealth soldiers killed in action during the First World War, and Maurice Dease, the first posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross of World War I. Notable German burials include Oskar Niemeyer, the first Iron Cross recipient of World War I.

Musketier Oskar Niemeyer (n.d. – 23 August 1914) was a German soldier. He is recognized as the first recipient (posthumous) of the Iron Cross during the First World War.