Saint-Leu-d'Esserent

Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Commune
The town hall and abbey in Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Coat of arms
Location of Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent Show map of France Saint-Leu-d'Esserent Show map of Hauts-de-France
Coordinates: 49°13′05″N 2°25′22″E
Country	France
Region	Hauts-de-France
Department	Oise
Arrondissement	Senlis
Canton	Montataire
Intercommunality	CA Creil Sud Oise
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Frédéric Besset[1]
Area ^1	13.08 km^2 (5.05 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]	4,606
• Density	350/km^2 (910/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	60584 /60340
Elevation	25–137 m (82–449 ft) (avg. 29 m or 95 ft)
^1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km^2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Saint-Leu-d'Esserent (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ lø dɛsʁɑ̃]) is a commune in the Oise department in northern France.^[3]

Saint Leu is notable for 3,000 square metres (32,000 sq ft) of mushroom caves under the Thiverny plateau.^[4]

History

During World War II, the caves were one of three major underground V-1 flying bomb storage depots. In addition to the caves, the facility included blockhouses, bunkers, flak emplacements and railway links. Allied intelligence firmly identified late in June 1944 that Saint-Leu-d'Esserent and Nucourt were V-1 storage depots.^[5] On 27 June 1944, Saint-Leu-d'Esserent was initially bombed by the US Army Air Force,^[6][7] then on 4/5 July 1944 by two RAF forces (the first unsuccessfully used Tallboy bombs in an attempt to collapse the limestone roof of the caves).^[5][8] Finally on 7 July 1944, an evening RAF raid successfully blocked the tunnels.^[9]

The storage dump at Thiverny was bombed in 1944 on 5 May,^[10] 11 July,^[11] 12 July^[12][13] and 19 July.^{[14][15][16][17]}

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	3,587	—
1975	4,462	+3.17%
1982	4,459	−0.01%
1990	4,288	−0.49%
1999	4,867	+1.42%
2007	4,724	−0.37%
2012	4,667	−0.24%
2017	4,688	+0.09%
Source: INSEE[18]

See also

• Communes of the Oise department
• V-1 flying bomb (facilities)

References

1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
2. "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
3. "INSEE commune file". Retrieved 24 September 2024.
4. Couderchon, Philippe. "The quarries of Saint Leu Esserent". Archived from the original on 3 February 2010. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
5. Collier, Basil (1976) [1964]. The Battle of the V-Weapons, 1944-1945. Yorkshire: The Emfield Press. pp. 68, 82, 84. ISBN 0-7057-0070-4.
6. "8th Air Force 1944 Chronicles". Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2007.
7. Taylor, Graham. "Leopold". Archived from the original on 19 January 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2007.
8. Irving, David (1964). The Mare's Nest. London: William Kimber and Co. pp. 168, 220, 245, 246.
9. Richards, Denis (1994) [1964]. The Hardest Victory - RAF Bomber Command in the Second World War. p. 241. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 10 May 2007.
10. "tbd". tbd. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
11. "tbd". tbd. Archived from the original on 10 October 2006. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
12. "July 1944". Bomber Command 60th Anniversary. RAF. Archived from the original on 11 June 2007.
13. "tbd". tbd. Archived from the original on 10 October 2006. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
14. "tbd". tbd. Archived from the original on 14 April 2008. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
15. "tbd". tbd. Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
16. "tbd". tbd. Archived from the original on 2 March 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
17. "tbd". tbd. Archived from the original on 30 May 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
18. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE