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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Fromelles Blockhouse


BlackSeptember1918

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In the book, " Fields of Memory " a testimony to the Great War by Anne Roze , it shows on page 88 a blockhouse near Fromelles , the caption is " Adolf Hitler stayed in this blockhouse near Fromelles before the battle of Aubers Ridge in May 1915 ".

Does anyone know of this blockhouse ? , and if so can they explain how to find this site . I think there are a few blockhouses around the area , some near the Aussie memorial , but I'm planning a trip to the battlefields next year and would like to find this exact site .

Thankyou .

Phil.

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Phil,

It on the road Fromelles - Aubers (D 141).

About 3/4 miles (1/2 mile), on the right.

and this is how it looked like in July 2002.

Aurel

post-12-1081338724.jpg

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Aurel

Thankyou very much for that information . I also look forward to seeing the Yorkshire Trench , perhaps you will be there and I will have the pleasure of saying Hi .

Thankyou again .

Phil.

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It's a terrible place and tourism should be avoided . You can imagine what has been painted over on the pic above. Some yesterday people paint swastikas and from time to time the community has to overpaint them. It's just a stupid "KKK" location

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Hate to contradict my old pal Aurel, but that is not the bunker Hitler sheltered in during WW1; it was built after he was there. He was, however, photographed in front of it in 1940 and it is known locally as the 'Hitler Bunker'. I understand there is another bunker near Fromelles he did use, but personally I have not seen it. Try contacting the Fromelles Museum via their website:

http://www.asbf14-18.org/

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Hate to contradict my old pal Aurel,

Paul,

You can contradict me as often as you want to, for calling me your "old pal Aurel" largely makes up for it ! ;)

Actually in contradicting me of course you also contradict others. (As you no doubt know.) Such as Rose Coombs. (From whose 'Before Endeavours Fade' I had taken my information (p 66).)

"On the D 141, and in 3/4 km, on the right is a German concrete shelter where it is reputed Adolf Hitler spent part of his front-line service with the Bavarian Infanterie-Regiment List."

Of course, "where it is reputed"... That says it all.

Somebody should warn Phil BlackSeptember1918 ! Hope he hasn't left for Fromelles yet !

Aurel

post-12-1081372913.jpg

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Thankyou for that information gentlemen . It seems that once again fact, myth and legend have got a little mixed up . I will be in the area during my trip , visiting the Aussie memorials there, so I will still visit the site , I don't see why some lazy thugs calling themselves Nazi's should put me off visiting historical sites . Don't be concerned Aurel , I won't be visiting until next year , but being from Australia and only haveing one or two chances to visit the battlefields in my life , I want to make sure I have the trip well planned . I will get maybe 6 or 7 days to visit the Salient , the Somme area and Verdun before I have to take my wife of to Venice and Rome and those other romantic places .

Thankyou .

Phil.

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As a sequel to the above, could some one please tell me if the latter part of the following account written by a man from my home village took place at Fromelles.

He was in the 1st Bn., Notts & Derbys, 8th Division, -" first in the trenches 5th March 1915, at Neuve Chappel, 10 days later the Battle of Neuve Chappel, over the top with the Indian troops, next to them. We run among the Prussian Guard but only advanced about 1/2 a mile with terrible casualties. Out and in the line further on the front through April, we had 400 fresh men to fill the gaps up.

IN MAY 1915, a battle worse than the last at Aubers near La Bassee, we never entered the German Front Line, GENERAL COLE was killed, I hid in a shell hole with another Tommy 20 yards from the Germans one day and one night, posted as missing. I did not find the Battalion for 2 weeks and wished I never had, me and my chum slept anywhere at night and strolled the the lanes and ruined hamlets by day given plenty of food by the gunners and transport men"

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