Complex sentence: Abbal was a natural choice having been born in the region and it possibly helped that he had himself seen service in that war: the committee organising the monument's erection would have consisted of several ex-soldiers and the mayor of Moissec.
Split into simpler sentences: Abbal was a natural choice having been born in the region and it possibly helped that hIe had himself seen service in that war. The committee organising the monument's erection would have consisted of several ex-soldiers and the mayor of Moissec.