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Vermelles

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox French commune

|name = Vermelles

|commune status = Commune

|image = Vermelles - Hôtel de ville.JPG

|caption = The town hall of Vermelles

|image coat of arms = Blason Vermelles.svg

|arrondissement = Béthune

|canton = Douvrin

|INSEE = 62846

|postal code = 62980

|mayor = Alain de Carrion{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=13 September 2022|language=fr}}

|term = 2020–2026

|intercommunality = CA Béthune-Bruay, Artois-Lys Romane

|coordinates = {{coord|50.4889|2.7467|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

|elevation m = 43

|elevation min m = 23

|elevation max m = 50

|area km2 = 10.39

|population = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}

|population date = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}

|population footnotes = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}

}}

Vermelles ({{IPA|fr|vɛʁmɛl}}) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.[https://www.insee.fr/fr/metadonnees/geographie/commune/62846-vermelles INSEE commune file]

Geography

Vermelles is situated {{convert|6|mi|km}} southeast of Béthune and {{convert|20|mi|km}} southwest of Lille, at the junction of the D39, D75 and D943 roads and by the banks of the river Surgeon.

Coal mining

Vermelles was the second extraction site used by the Compagnie des mines de Béthune.

Excavation of Mine 3 in Vermelles began in January 1857, reaching a rugged, steeply inclined deposit of coal at {{convert|147|m}}.

Extraction started in July 1860.

Air compressors were installed in Mine 3 1877.

This proved the company's most productive mine, with a total of 1,525,000 tons.

Excavation of Mine 4 at Vermelles started in October 1865 and reached coal at {{convert|149|m}}. Extraction started in 1867.

Mine 4 was abandoned in 1876 because the very irregular deposit at {{convert|250|m}} seemed unusable.

There was a lot of firedamp compared to other mines.

Mine 4 was reopened and extraction resumed at {{convert|387|m}} in 1911. The main shaft reached {{convert|389|m}}.{{sfn|Compagnie de Béthune – Association MINING}}

During World War I (1914–18) the Germans were stopped just to the east of Vermelles.{{sfn|Laforgerie|2013}}

Mine 4 was recovered in December 1914.{{sfn|La compagnie des mines ... Archives}}

Barricades were built as early as 1916 along the main axes of the mine complex so it could be defended while allowing ventilation and the passage of men.

Mines 3 and 4 in Vermelles were isolated from the rest of the mines by watertight doors.{{sfn|Laforgerie|2013}}

After the war, Shaft 4bis was opened to the north of Shaft 4 in 1925 for ventilation, {{convert|301|m}} deep.

Mine 4 was closed in 1965, and Mine 3 was closed in 1977.{{sfn|Compagnie de Béthune – Association MINING}}

Population

{{Historical populations

|source = INSEE[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-62846#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE

|percentages = pagr

|align = none

|1968 |4518

|1975 |4299

|1982 |4339

|1990 |4584

|1999 |4487

|2007 |4308

|2012 |4518

|2017 |4726

}}

Places of interest

File:Château de Vermelles ruins - Wyndham Bolling Blanton scrapbook (1915), who served during World War I with the American Ambulance Corps at the hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France - 17 0653 038 (cropped).jpg

  • The church of St. Pierre, rebuilt, along with most of the village, after the First World War.
  • The war memorials.
  • The modern church of Notre-Dame.
  • The Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries.[https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/4003820/quarry-cemetery-vermelles/ Quarry Cemetery] and [https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/2000089/vermelles-british-cemetery/ Vermelles British Cemetery]

Twin town

  • {{Flagicon|GER}} Glauchau, in Germany.

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

Sources

{{refbegin}}

  • {{citation|language=fr|ref={{harvid|Compagnie de Béthune – Association MINING}}

|title=Compagnie de Béthune|publisher=Association MINING

|url=http://mining-bullylesmines.fr/compagnie-de-bethune/|access-date=2017-07-31}}

  • {{citation|language=fr|access-date=2017-08-01|ref={{harvid|La compagnie des mines ... Archives}}

|title=La compagnie des mines de Béthune pendant la Première Guerre mondiale|publisher=Archives du Pas-de-Calais

|url=http://www.archivespasdecalais.fr/Activites-culturelles/Chroniques-de-la-Grande-Guerre/La-compagnie-des-mines-de-Bethune-pendant-la-Premiere-Guerre-mondiale}}

  • {{citation|language=fr |chapter=Une attaque par gaz dans les mines de Bethune|title=Les souterrains de la grande guerre

|last=Laforgerie |first=Eric|publisher=Ysec Editions |year=2013|isbn=978-2846731652

|url=http://souterrains.vestiges.free.fr/spip.php?article46|access-date=2017-08-01}}

{{refend}}

External links

{{commons category}}

  • [http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/2000089 The CWGC British cemetery]
  • [http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/62306 The CWGC graves in the commune's cemetery]
  • [http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/4003820 CWGC Quarry Cemetery at Vermelles]

{{Pas-de-Calais communes}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Communes of Pas-de-Calais

{{PasdeCalais-geo-stub}}