Le Portel translates as "the little port." The original Le Portel was a hamlet east of the town of
Outreau. It became an independent municipality on 13 June 1856 by an imperial decree of
Napoleon III. In the 19th century,
flint tools were discovered in the centre of the village, by the river near the Hamel Bridge, evidence of the long occupation of the site. A
Gallo-Roman cemetery has been excavated in the hamlet of Châtillon. Of agricultural origin, it grew rapidly during the 19th century because of fishing, along with the nearby port of
Boulogne-sur-Mer. Sailors of Portel were as numerous as those of Boulogne before World War I. In 1841, two Le Portel sailors were on the ship
Belle Poule, that brought back the remains of
Napoleon. During the
Second World War, on 8 and 9 September 1943, Le Portel suffered as part of
Operation Cockade, a diversionary manoeuvre by the
Allies to fool the
Germans into believing the possibility of a landing on the English Channel. The bombings, which destroyed 93% of the village, also killed 376 civilians. On 12 August 1944,
Charles de Gaulle was at Le Portel for its liberation. The town received the
Croix de guerre with silver star for its sacrifice. ==Population==