So went out to Bois le Pretre today...because its a somber place from WW1 (and not because of the snow and forests... ). The forest is near Metz and just on the outer limit of the Verdun area. It was occupied by the Germans within days of the war starting as the country borders were different in 1914. It was forested trench warfare for 4 years...not that there was any forest left at the end...
We started at "Maison Pere Hilarion" - an old forester's house in the middle of the forest. There is a water source here. There are remains of taps that the French laid to run pipes to their trenches. This fountain changed hands numerous times in the war. The house was eventually destroyed but rebuilt. When we arrived, one of the "guardians" was there and took us inside and gave us a talk on the history of the immediate area 8) (amazing and horrifying...)
The water source that cost the lives of 300 French soldiers in one day as they tried to get water...
Maison Pere Hilarion when we arrived (note that the weather isn't that bad...)
One hour later...snow...It took the French 4 (FOUR !) days to advance down this road...only to find a heavily defended hill at the end, overlooking the house...
Then further into the forest to the monument La Croix des Carmes
In the forest are the remains of trenches with all the usual trimmings of barbed wire...
Filled in entrance to underground quarters in the French trenches (Germans built with concrete as they were there to stay...)
The snow was getting worse...
So we went on to a destroyed village - Village Disparu de Fey-en-Heye.
This is the cross-roads that was "important". And was the center of the village...once...
And this is all that is left...
The only thing that survived the fighting was the grave yard - everything else was leveled.
It is an eerie place. The snow was falling, the wind blowing...but all you could hear was the creaking of old trees...nothing else...
The drive was amazing - through snow covered forest tracks, across open tracks, through snow drifts...
And there was so much more to see and so much history in such a small area. I wanted to get to the two cemetaries (where there is a rare Russian memorial from prisoners of war that ended up fighting) but the weather was against us... I'll be going back very soon...The next American ex-pat that calls it a "truck" is going to find out what 2.7 tons feels like on their foot...
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20th Dec 2009 10:43 pm
ronp
Member Since: 29 Nov 2006
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 15214
JF, these two pics are really stunning IMO.
To me they reflect the closenes, yet the gulf between War & Nature.
The angled spear-rod in parrallel unison with the tree branch/shoot.
The barbed wire intermingled with the briar.
Great stuff from such a sad area.
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20th Dec 2009 11:16 pm
NJF
Member Since: 05 Oct 2007
Location: Gone
Posts: 2466
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). The forest is near Metz and just on the outer limit of the Verdun area. It was occupied by the Germans within days of the war starting as the country borders were different in 1914. It was forested trench warfare for 4 years...not that there was any forest left at the end...
I'll be going back very soon...
