I thought the gents in the Milsurp area would enjoy this.
At the end of May, last year, I took a one week trip to Europe with my father to visit family and to explore some of the battlefields of WW1. Time was of the essence and the distance to travel to some of the sites took the better part of a day by drive. I wished I had more time at the sites when I arrived but that will be the subject of my next trip yet to be scheduled.
The places visited include: Vimy Ridge memorial, Warlencourt British cemetery, Fricourt German cemetery, Beaumont Hamel Newfoundland memorial, British Somme memorial, Adanac Canadian cemetery, "Trench of Bayonets", Fort Douaumont, Douaumont Ossuary, and Fort Vaux. With three days allotted to the areas of interest, we had our work cut out for us.
I have had the pictures now for a year and haven't shared them with anyone but I thought I would change that. For those that cannot make the journey, have no fear, as I will show you some very interesting yet powerful areas that still have the scars of war from more than a century ago.
Many areas of battle have been re-claimed by the farmers in France and Belgium. However, after a little while walking the sites and some of the fields, you can soon pick out certain features. A shell hole here, a mine crater there, some barb wire spools, and remains of old trenches. Shell fragments are littered everywhere, a constant reminder of the day to day struggles of enduring the seemingly endless bombardments. As you drive the roads, you also notice old rusty bits piled up at the sides of the road. I was told by a local that these are in fact live shells that were pulled up during the farming season and are left for the bomb squads to deal with.
For the soldiers that lay in the military cemeteries that dot almost every inch of the landscape, this post is dedicated to them, the ones that left our shores and have yet to return from their tour of duty. This post is also dedicated to soldiers of foreign nations who too have yet to return to their respective homelands.
May they find peace and have eternal rest.
VIMY RIDGE CANADIAN MEMORIAL
Day One
Traveling to Vimy took around four to five hours one way. The route we took was nearly identical to the route taken by the Germans in 1914 with the Schlieffen plan as we drove through Belgium to reach the site.
At the entrance to the memorial, the first stop of the trip.
The dedication plaque placed between the flag of Canada and the flag of France.
Approaching the memorial.
The landscape around the memorial. The area outside is roped off. You can however make out the shell holes that dot the landscape.
The memorial is very large, such that I was unable to get a full camera shot for perspective.
The base of the monument has the names inscribed with the Canadian dead from the battle in 1917.
Wonderfully sculpted statues are situated around the base of the monument.
A three part prospective shot looking northward towards Lens and the former German rear line area. This area on top of the ridge would have certainly given Canadians an advantage in seeing what the Germans were up to and you can understand the strategic importance of taking this position away from the Germans in the first place.
Heading now into the Canadian trenches. The trenches were reconstructed with stones and sand bags to preserve them. The sand bags have since rotted away along with the wood base planks. This area is of main observation trench used by the Canadians.
A forward look out position in the observation trench watching the German lines that are less than 50 yards away. I can't believe how close the positions were, the stories of soldiers tossing grenades by hand certainly makes you think about what life was like in these trenches a few days before the Canadian attack on April 9th, 1917.
Crossing over through no mans land, there is a very large mine crater immediately between the lines, a showing of the previous attempts possibly by the French and British to take the position.
A view from the German front observation trench towards the Canadian lines.
A damaged German trench mortar just behind the Observation trench and in it's own mortar pit.
Immediately behind the German observation trench, you can see the numerous shell holes that are everywhere.
The end of the restored trench, you can see where the former trench still snakes its way through the ground. The German trench system is very well constructed with plenty of enfilading incorporated into the defense. The Canadian trenches are rather plain by comparison.
A small concrete bunker as part of the German front line. I'm not sure what would have been in here, perhaps a Maxim MG08/15 but the position was very small that I couldn't even fit into it. Perhaps it was used as a look out spot ?
Going back through the Canadian trench, the possible name given to it is inscribed on the trench wall.
I was able to view the Canadian tunnels but my camera was unable to take any really good pictures due to the low light. Most of the tunnels were closed off due to possible collapse. The entrance for the tunnels is situation right in the Canadian front line, only 50 yards from the German front line in that area.
WARLENCOURT BRITISH CEMETERY
Upon leaving the Vimy site, we spot our first commonwealth cemetery and decide to pay our respects. The cemetery turns out to be Warlencourt with a large number of British soldiers along with a few Canadians and a New Zealand VC winner.
A fair number of the head stones resemble this one, nameless and country less.
We find one of the Canadians. The name reminded me of the title of the movie "Saving Private Ryan". Many of the head stones have similar dates relating to September and October 1916.
After a bit of searching, we find the Victoria Cross winner.
Our first day ended off rather well as we headed back home to rest, relax, and share our adventure with the family.
FRICOURT GERMAN CEMETERY
Day Two
The second day started early as the area of interest I wanted to see was the Somme region. Armed with some battle maps showing the former trench line positions, and with the help of Google maps, I planned the route to be taken. It would take roughly four hours to reach the former front line of July 1st, 1916 and the area first picked to be seen would be the German cemetery at Fricourt.
On a small road, leading to a small town, we find our target, Fricourt cemetery. Less than kilometer to the south would be where the front line would have been for the Germans in 1916.
Fricourt is a combination cemetery where the dead of many smaller cemeteries were brought together and re-buried in the 1920s.
The former battlefield landscape, now a farmer's field. How many more soldiers still lie in this field I wonder ?
Entering the cemetery.
The white head stones mark German soldiers who were Jewish.
A common repetition while examining the site, an unknown German soldier.
Two mass graves at the rear of the cemetery. The plaques list the names of the soldiers in the mass graves.
This site is also quite special as it was the burial place of Manfred Von Richthofen. His body, however, was moved back to Germany in the 1920s. I made it my mission to find his former burial place.
The plaque mentions where the "Baron" was buried.
Checking the registry, we find the record of Paustian Sebastian.
About ten minutes later, the former burial place of Manfred is found.
BEAUMONT HAMEL NEWFOUNDLAND MEMORIAL
After paying our respects at Fricourt, my father and I went to find the Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont Hamel. Referencing a new road map map of the area and a battlefield map from 1916, we were able to pinpoint where it would be.
We soon find the site.
A plaque listing information on the site.
As you enter the site, former communication and rear line trenches cut through the landscape.
Walking towards the Newfoundland memorial, we can see the French way of keeping the grass low and finding unexploded munitions.
We come up to the memorial with the Caribou on top. Around the base is vegetation native to Newfoundland.
Walking up the spiraling walk way, we now have a good view of the immediate area that shows communication trenches all over the place.
A four shot picture showing a section of the rear and front Canadian lines.
A reminder how far away home really is.
Right at the base of the memorial, a plaque for the Newfoundland soldiers lost on July 1st, 1916.
The mighty caribou as it points towards the former enemy lines.
Walking through a Canadian communication trench.
A ground level shot towards the German lines.
Walking through No mans land towards the German lines, we are shaded by a familiar sight: Maple trees.
The first cemetery.
Another small cemetery.
Finally, the German front lines of July 1st, 1916 that faced off against the Newfoundlanders. You can almost imagine the MGs that were once in these trenches as they poured fire down on the advancing Newfoundlanders that day.
A German reserve line.
As I reached the northern most point on the site, I am reminded that this area was and still is a battle ground.
There was one loan sheep on the northern part of the memorial site, makes you wonder if the other sheep found some munitions ?
A memorial cross as we approach the "Y Ravine".
Four pictures showcasing a section of the "Y Ravine". You can imagine the German soldiers that took cover in dugouts in this area as the shells from the British guns rained down on them for over a week. Imagining the frenzy of manning their positions on the morning of July 1st must have been quite a scene of panic and adrenaline.
As I head back to the German front lines, I came across a Scottish high landers division memorial.
Two more shots of the German front lines, you can see how well constructed these trenches are.
Some shots of the area around the German front lines.
My attention now turned to finding the Hawthorn ridge mine crater. I knew the position was just north of the German lines of the Memorial site and after examining the landscape, I found it.
The mine as it went off on July 1st, 1916 (shot from a different perspective though you can see the contour of the land and the two trees on the left).
The mine crater towards looking north from the German positions of the "Y Ravine".
Another shot as I attempted to get closer only to find my way blocked off by fences and ropes. The mine crater will have to wait for now.
Heading south towards the Canadian lines, we come across another small cemetery.
A look into No mans land and where the bulk of the Newfoundland regiment meant their end on July 1st, many of whom still lie in the fields.
The petrified tree marking the middle of No mans land and I believe the furthest point reached by the Newfoundlanders.
Barbed wire spools still lie in the ground.
The Canadian front lines and where the Newfoundlanders launched their attack.
Now the attention was again focused on the Hawthorn ridge mine crater. Finding it would not be easy by road, it was not marked on any new road map. A guide at Canadian site mentioned how to get there so my father and I started off. We were informed the crater is now part of a farmer's field so we had to be respectful once we arrived.
Atop the ridge, we come across yet another small cemetery (right where the two trees are on the left).
Further driving around finally leads up to the mine crater, the only marking being an old sign.
The view from the crater lip towards the Hawthorn ridge cemetery.
I was too tempted to go down into the crater and examine the site, now a mini forest. The size of the crater is simply enormous, the amount of explosives used must have been out of this world for 1916. You can imagine this area was once a rather large German dug out, what it must have been like to be resting and then having the floor become the ceiling in less than a second or two.
First hand reports from survivors stated that they dug themselves out after seven hours.
The crater wall.
Three shot perspective from the crater lip that would have been manned by surviving German soldiers and MG gunners back towards the Newfoundland memorial.
SOMME MEMORIAL
After leaving the powerful Beaumont hamel site, we moved towards the Somme Memorial that we witnessed from the road while finding Beaumont hamel.
The front gate for the memorial.
The monument, this one is very large.
The landscape as your approach.
At the rear of the monument are British and French cemeteries. Here is the British.
Here is the French.
As you walk up the stairs towards the monument, you can see it was constructed with lots of care and respect.
Each of the columns has areas of battle along with the dead recorded, here are three of those columns.
ADANAC CANADIAN CEMETERY
Leaving the Somme memorial and on our way back to place in Germany, we stumbled upon another cemetery while on the road back to the highway. Closer inspection revealed it to be a Canadian cemetery, Adanac. There is a good chance the Canadian dead in here came from the Battle of the Somme. I am also sure a number of these soldiers are Newfoundlanders that fell on the first day of the battle.
It makes me wonder how many of them are from my home city and that I can go back home in a week but they have yet to be able to return to their home soil.
This is something I did not expect to find. A possible British sailor killed at Jutland ?
We left the cemetery after paying our respects and head back home, the end of day two.
VERDUN AREA OF FRANCE
Day Three
The third and last day allotted to see some historical sites began with the area closest to where we were staying, Verdun. It was also the area where my great grandfather was stationed in 1914-1915.
The area focused on was the star ring fort system surrounding the city of Verdun, an area of extremely intense fighting between the Germans and French in 1915 and the battle that brought about the Somme offensive a year later.
While driving up the mountainous roads to reach Fort Douaumont, we come across the "Trench of bayonets". The story goes, the French soldiers manning this position were buried alive after a nearby heavy shell covered their position with dirt. Only their bayonets were seen poking through the surface.
A road sign points the way.
The entrance to the monument.
The path towards the French front line.
The inside of the monument.
The exterior. Though not as visually appealing as Beaumont hamel or Vimy, you still have to be both respectful and mindful as to area and its importance as a monument to the Battle of Verdun. It is said that every French soldier was rotated through Verdun atleast once and it would be the battle that would nearly break the French army in the process though that would occur two years later for other reasons.
Just in front of the monument in no mans land. Shell holes dot the landscape here. I was tempted to move forward in an attempt to find the German front lines but this area still likely has unexploded munitions so I chose not to proceed.
Driving up the road, we come across Fort Douaumont.
Immediately behind the Fort, while traveling a small path towards a memorial, you can find bits of shell fragments everywhere. This one happened to be laying right on the surface. Can you imagine being hit by one of these pieces ?
The path towards the small memorial. It is difficult to see but the area is basically all shell holes, a reminder of the furious battle that took place to capture this fort.
At the end of the path, we come across, I believe, to be a French pill box that was destroyed by a shell hit.
Heading back towards the fort, we come across what may have been an outside dug out.
Shots showing the exterior of the fort from the French side. It looks more like a Roman ruin than a once powerful star fort. The exterior shows the sheer pounding this fort sustained from the Germans and then the French once the Germans captured it.
Fort Douaumont would be the only fort in the ring that would fall to the Germans.
Period German aerial recon photos show the devastation better than any ground shot could.
January 1916.
Probably around October-November 1916.
The view from on top of the fort.
A battle damaged observation post on top of the fort.
One of the main batteries of the Fort with what looks like a damaged shell still stuck in a turret.
The view towards the German lines.
On the way to visit Fort Vaux, we came across the Douaumont Ossuary where many of the French dead from Verdun are buried.
DOUAUMONT OSSUARY
A view from atop the Ossuary.
The sheer number of buried dead is unimaginable.
Though difficult to see, these buried dead are French colonial troops, most likely from Morocco.
On to the last site for our historical trip, Fort Vaux.
FORT VAUX
Close to the southern portion of the defensive line of Verdun, the city on a direct road to Paris, lies Fort Vaux. It too received very heavy shelling attention from the Germans and it also does look more like a 2,000 year old Roman ruin.
The portion facing the French lines. The exterior looks very similar to Douaumont.
A view from atop the fort.
Here we can see actual damage from shell hits on the metal bits of the fort. I believe this piece was part of the main battery.
You can see the sheer marks on the metal. This piece is quite thick, much thicker than your own arm.
Hits from a shell that are still reflected in the metal.
A view towards the German line of advance.
Fort Vaux reveals how these forts were constructed. You can understand how they survived the beating they took.
A lone gun faces off towards the German line of advance.
After we left Fort Vaux, we headed back to my cousins place in Germany and returned to Canada a few days later.
I hope you all enjoyed these pictures. If you ever do have the chance to visit these or other sites, I highly recommend you make the trip as it is well worth the experience. After returning from this trip, I had a renewed respect for my milsurps and personal equipment that I have acquired in the collector markets. It makes me wonder if any of my rifles or carbines were at these places or if they took a life during their service. One thing is certain, the preservation of these historical sites and artifacts is clear that so future generations may understand what happened at these places rather then simply reading it in a book.
I ask for the interest of all that this thread be stickied for future reference and enjoyment.
At the end of May, last year, I took a one week trip to Europe with my father to visit family and to explore some of the battlefields of WW1. Time was of the essence and the distance to travel to some of the sites took the better part of a day by drive. I wished I had more time at the sites when I arrived but that will be the subject of my next trip yet to be scheduled.
The places visited include: Vimy Ridge memorial, Warlencourt British cemetery, Fricourt German cemetery, Beaumont Hamel Newfoundland memorial, British Somme memorial, Adanac Canadian cemetery, "Trench of Bayonets", Fort Douaumont, Douaumont Ossuary, and Fort Vaux. With three days allotted to the areas of interest, we had our work cut out for us.
I have had the pictures now for a year and haven't shared them with anyone but I thought I would change that. For those that cannot make the journey, have no fear, as I will show you some very interesting yet powerful areas that still have the scars of war from more than a century ago.
Many areas of battle have been re-claimed by the farmers in France and Belgium. However, after a little while walking the sites and some of the fields, you can soon pick out certain features. A shell hole here, a mine crater there, some barb wire spools, and remains of old trenches. Shell fragments are littered everywhere, a constant reminder of the day to day struggles of enduring the seemingly endless bombardments. As you drive the roads, you also notice old rusty bits piled up at the sides of the road. I was told by a local that these are in fact live shells that were pulled up during the farming season and are left for the bomb squads to deal with.
For the soldiers that lay in the military cemeteries that dot almost every inch of the landscape, this post is dedicated to them, the ones that left our shores and have yet to return from their tour of duty. This post is also dedicated to soldiers of foreign nations who too have yet to return to their respective homelands.
May they find peace and have eternal rest.
VIMY RIDGE CANADIAN MEMORIAL
Day One
Traveling to Vimy took around four to five hours one way. The route we took was nearly identical to the route taken by the Germans in 1914 with the Schlieffen plan as we drove through Belgium to reach the site.
At the entrance to the memorial, the first stop of the trip.
The dedication plaque placed between the flag of Canada and the flag of France.
Approaching the memorial.
The landscape around the memorial. The area outside is roped off. You can however make out the shell holes that dot the landscape.
The memorial is very large, such that I was unable to get a full camera shot for perspective.
The base of the monument has the names inscribed with the Canadian dead from the battle in 1917.
Wonderfully sculpted statues are situated around the base of the monument.
A three part prospective shot looking northward towards Lens and the former German rear line area. This area on top of the ridge would have certainly given Canadians an advantage in seeing what the Germans were up to and you can understand the strategic importance of taking this position away from the Germans in the first place.
Heading now into the Canadian trenches. The trenches were reconstructed with stones and sand bags to preserve them. The sand bags have since rotted away along with the wood base planks. This area is of main observation trench used by the Canadians.
A forward look out position in the observation trench watching the German lines that are less than 50 yards away. I can't believe how close the positions were, the stories of soldiers tossing grenades by hand certainly makes you think about what life was like in these trenches a few days before the Canadian attack on April 9th, 1917.
Crossing over through no mans land, there is a very large mine crater immediately between the lines, a showing of the previous attempts possibly by the French and British to take the position.
A view from the German front observation trench towards the Canadian lines.
A damaged German trench mortar just behind the Observation trench and in it's own mortar pit.
Immediately behind the German observation trench, you can see the numerous shell holes that are everywhere.
The end of the restored trench, you can see where the former trench still snakes its way through the ground. The German trench system is very well constructed with plenty of enfilading incorporated into the defense. The Canadian trenches are rather plain by comparison.
A small concrete bunker as part of the German front line. I'm not sure what would have been in here, perhaps a Maxim MG08/15 but the position was very small that I couldn't even fit into it. Perhaps it was used as a look out spot ?
Going back through the Canadian trench, the possible name given to it is inscribed on the trench wall.
I was able to view the Canadian tunnels but my camera was unable to take any really good pictures due to the low light. Most of the tunnels were closed off due to possible collapse. The entrance for the tunnels is situation right in the Canadian front line, only 50 yards from the German front line in that area.
WARLENCOURT BRITISH CEMETERY
Upon leaving the Vimy site, we spot our first commonwealth cemetery and decide to pay our respects. The cemetery turns out to be Warlencourt with a large number of British soldiers along with a few Canadians and a New Zealand VC winner.
A fair number of the head stones resemble this one, nameless and country less.
We find one of the Canadians. The name reminded me of the title of the movie "Saving Private Ryan". Many of the head stones have similar dates relating to September and October 1916.
After a bit of searching, we find the Victoria Cross winner.
Our first day ended off rather well as we headed back home to rest, relax, and share our adventure with the family.
FRICOURT GERMAN CEMETERY
Day Two
The second day started early as the area of interest I wanted to see was the Somme region. Armed with some battle maps showing the former trench line positions, and with the help of Google maps, I planned the route to be taken. It would take roughly four hours to reach the former front line of July 1st, 1916 and the area first picked to be seen would be the German cemetery at Fricourt.
On a small road, leading to a small town, we find our target, Fricourt cemetery. Less than kilometer to the south would be where the front line would have been for the Germans in 1916.
Fricourt is a combination cemetery where the dead of many smaller cemeteries were brought together and re-buried in the 1920s.
The former battlefield landscape, now a farmer's field. How many more soldiers still lie in this field I wonder ?
Entering the cemetery.
The white head stones mark German soldiers who were Jewish.
A common repetition while examining the site, an unknown German soldier.
Two mass graves at the rear of the cemetery. The plaques list the names of the soldiers in the mass graves.
This site is also quite special as it was the burial place of Manfred Von Richthofen. His body, however, was moved back to Germany in the 1920s. I made it my mission to find his former burial place.
The plaque mentions where the "Baron" was buried.
Checking the registry, we find the record of Paustian Sebastian.
About ten minutes later, the former burial place of Manfred is found.
BEAUMONT HAMEL NEWFOUNDLAND MEMORIAL
After paying our respects at Fricourt, my father and I went to find the Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont Hamel. Referencing a new road map map of the area and a battlefield map from 1916, we were able to pinpoint where it would be.
We soon find the site.
A plaque listing information on the site.
As you enter the site, former communication and rear line trenches cut through the landscape.
Walking towards the Newfoundland memorial, we can see the French way of keeping the grass low and finding unexploded munitions.
We come up to the memorial with the Caribou on top. Around the base is vegetation native to Newfoundland.
Walking up the spiraling walk way, we now have a good view of the immediate area that shows communication trenches all over the place.
A four shot picture showing a section of the rear and front Canadian lines.
A reminder how far away home really is.
Right at the base of the memorial, a plaque for the Newfoundland soldiers lost on July 1st, 1916.
The mighty caribou as it points towards the former enemy lines.
Walking through a Canadian communication trench.
A ground level shot towards the German lines.
Walking through No mans land towards the German lines, we are shaded by a familiar sight: Maple trees.
The first cemetery.
Another small cemetery.
Finally, the German front lines of July 1st, 1916 that faced off against the Newfoundlanders. You can almost imagine the MGs that were once in these trenches as they poured fire down on the advancing Newfoundlanders that day.
A German reserve line.
As I reached the northern most point on the site, I am reminded that this area was and still is a battle ground.
There was one loan sheep on the northern part of the memorial site, makes you wonder if the other sheep found some munitions ?
A memorial cross as we approach the "Y Ravine".
Four pictures showcasing a section of the "Y Ravine". You can imagine the German soldiers that took cover in dugouts in this area as the shells from the British guns rained down on them for over a week. Imagining the frenzy of manning their positions on the morning of July 1st must have been quite a scene of panic and adrenaline.
As I head back to the German front lines, I came across a Scottish high landers division memorial.
Two more shots of the German front lines, you can see how well constructed these trenches are.
Some shots of the area around the German front lines.
My attention now turned to finding the Hawthorn ridge mine crater. I knew the position was just north of the German lines of the Memorial site and after examining the landscape, I found it.
The mine as it went off on July 1st, 1916 (shot from a different perspective though you can see the contour of the land and the two trees on the left).
The mine crater towards looking north from the German positions of the "Y Ravine".
Another shot as I attempted to get closer only to find my way blocked off by fences and ropes. The mine crater will have to wait for now.
Heading south towards the Canadian lines, we come across another small cemetery.
A look into No mans land and where the bulk of the Newfoundland regiment meant their end on July 1st, many of whom still lie in the fields.
The petrified tree marking the middle of No mans land and I believe the furthest point reached by the Newfoundlanders.
Barbed wire spools still lie in the ground.
The Canadian front lines and where the Newfoundlanders launched their attack.
Now the attention was again focused on the Hawthorn ridge mine crater. Finding it would not be easy by road, it was not marked on any new road map. A guide at Canadian site mentioned how to get there so my father and I started off. We were informed the crater is now part of a farmer's field so we had to be respectful once we arrived.
Atop the ridge, we come across yet another small cemetery (right where the two trees are on the left).
Further driving around finally leads up to the mine crater, the only marking being an old sign.
The view from the crater lip towards the Hawthorn ridge cemetery.
I was too tempted to go down into the crater and examine the site, now a mini forest. The size of the crater is simply enormous, the amount of explosives used must have been out of this world for 1916. You can imagine this area was once a rather large German dug out, what it must have been like to be resting and then having the floor become the ceiling in less than a second or two.
First hand reports from survivors stated that they dug themselves out after seven hours.
The crater wall.
Three shot perspective from the crater lip that would have been manned by surviving German soldiers and MG gunners back towards the Newfoundland memorial.
SOMME MEMORIAL
After leaving the powerful Beaumont hamel site, we moved towards the Somme Memorial that we witnessed from the road while finding Beaumont hamel.
The front gate for the memorial.
The monument, this one is very large.
The landscape as your approach.
At the rear of the monument are British and French cemeteries. Here is the British.
Here is the French.
As you walk up the stairs towards the monument, you can see it was constructed with lots of care and respect.
Each of the columns has areas of battle along with the dead recorded, here are three of those columns.
ADANAC CANADIAN CEMETERY
Leaving the Somme memorial and on our way back to place in Germany, we stumbled upon another cemetery while on the road back to the highway. Closer inspection revealed it to be a Canadian cemetery, Adanac. There is a good chance the Canadian dead in here came from the Battle of the Somme. I am also sure a number of these soldiers are Newfoundlanders that fell on the first day of the battle.
It makes me wonder how many of them are from my home city and that I can go back home in a week but they have yet to be able to return to their home soil.
This is something I did not expect to find. A possible British sailor killed at Jutland ?
We left the cemetery after paying our respects and head back home, the end of day two.
VERDUN AREA OF FRANCE
Day Three
The third and last day allotted to see some historical sites began with the area closest to where we were staying, Verdun. It was also the area where my great grandfather was stationed in 1914-1915.
The area focused on was the star ring fort system surrounding the city of Verdun, an area of extremely intense fighting between the Germans and French in 1915 and the battle that brought about the Somme offensive a year later.
While driving up the mountainous roads to reach Fort Douaumont, we come across the "Trench of bayonets". The story goes, the French soldiers manning this position were buried alive after a nearby heavy shell covered their position with dirt. Only their bayonets were seen poking through the surface.
A road sign points the way.
The entrance to the monument.
The path towards the French front line.
The inside of the monument.
The exterior. Though not as visually appealing as Beaumont hamel or Vimy, you still have to be both respectful and mindful as to area and its importance as a monument to the Battle of Verdun. It is said that every French soldier was rotated through Verdun atleast once and it would be the battle that would nearly break the French army in the process though that would occur two years later for other reasons.
Just in front of the monument in no mans land. Shell holes dot the landscape here. I was tempted to move forward in an attempt to find the German front lines but this area still likely has unexploded munitions so I chose not to proceed.
Driving up the road, we come across Fort Douaumont.
Immediately behind the Fort, while traveling a small path towards a memorial, you can find bits of shell fragments everywhere. This one happened to be laying right on the surface. Can you imagine being hit by one of these pieces ?
The path towards the small memorial. It is difficult to see but the area is basically all shell holes, a reminder of the furious battle that took place to capture this fort.
At the end of the path, we come across, I believe, to be a French pill box that was destroyed by a shell hit.
Heading back towards the fort, we come across what may have been an outside dug out.
Shots showing the exterior of the fort from the French side. It looks more like a Roman ruin than a once powerful star fort. The exterior shows the sheer pounding this fort sustained from the Germans and then the French once the Germans captured it.
Fort Douaumont would be the only fort in the ring that would fall to the Germans.
Period German aerial recon photos show the devastation better than any ground shot could.
January 1916.
Probably around October-November 1916.
The view from on top of the fort.
A battle damaged observation post on top of the fort.
One of the main batteries of the Fort with what looks like a damaged shell still stuck in a turret.
The view towards the German lines.
On the way to visit Fort Vaux, we came across the Douaumont Ossuary where many of the French dead from Verdun are buried.
DOUAUMONT OSSUARY
A view from atop the Ossuary.
The sheer number of buried dead is unimaginable.
Though difficult to see, these buried dead are French colonial troops, most likely from Morocco.
On to the last site for our historical trip, Fort Vaux.
FORT VAUX
Close to the southern portion of the defensive line of Verdun, the city on a direct road to Paris, lies Fort Vaux. It too received very heavy shelling attention from the Germans and it also does look more like a 2,000 year old Roman ruin.
The portion facing the French lines. The exterior looks very similar to Douaumont.
A view from atop the fort.
Here we can see actual damage from shell hits on the metal bits of the fort. I believe this piece was part of the main battery.
You can see the sheer marks on the metal. This piece is quite thick, much thicker than your own arm.
Hits from a shell that are still reflected in the metal.
A view towards the German line of advance.
Fort Vaux reveals how these forts were constructed. You can understand how they survived the beating they took.
A lone gun faces off towards the German line of advance.
After we left Fort Vaux, we headed back to my cousins place in Germany and returned to Canada a few days later.
I hope you all enjoyed these pictures. If you ever do have the chance to visit these or other sites, I highly recommend you make the trip as it is well worth the experience. After returning from this trip, I had a renewed respect for my milsurps and personal equipment that I have acquired in the collector markets. It makes me wonder if any of my rifles or carbines were at these places or if they took a life during their service. One thing is certain, the preservation of these historical sites and artifacts is clear that so future generations may understand what happened at these places rather then simply reading it in a book.
I ask for the interest of all that this thread be stickied for future reference and enjoyment.
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