​Commemorative plaque of the Abbeville massacre of 31 August 1944​

​​In the night of 26 to 27 August 1944, two Resistance fighters were caught by German troops whilst placing homemade tyre crushers on the road near Saint-Léger-lès-Domart. In retaliation, the Abbeville Feldgendarmerie (the German military police), carried out repressive actions in the surrounding villages on 27 and 29 August 1944.

Several dozen men were rounded up and taken to the Château of Ville-le-Marclet. After being subjected to interrogations, they were interned in Abbeville prison on 29 August.

On 31 August 1944, in view of the Allied advance on Abbeville - the troops of General Maczek's 1st Polish Division were near the river Bresle, some thirty kilometres from Abbeville - the Feldgendarmes decided to eliminate the Resistance fighters confined in the prison. They collected a first group of five men and took them to the Coulombel property, their headquarters since July 1944, at 6 Place Victor Hugo in Abbeville. They were then all shot in the back of the head. During the night, another six prisoners were taken to the same place to be executed as well.

On 8 September, the bodies buried in the garden behind the building were discovered by Canadian troops.

The eleven men shot on 31 August 1944 were: Danel René, Delcourt René, Delommel André, Duprez Raphaël, Henocque Léon, James Emile, James Florent, Lannoye Jean, Morin Gaston, Philippe Louis and Soudet Léon.

​The names of these 11 victims are inscribed on a commemorative plaque on the Place du Général de Gaulle (formerly Place Victor Hugo), as well as on the monument commemorating the Resistance and the deportation, Place du Pilori in Abbeville, which was unveiled in 1948. Most of them have a street named after them in their respective communes (municipalities).