Desecration of WW1 Graves in France

[Seadog]

This article today on the Daily Mail web site. The photos say it all.

Click for article:

Norman

[burlington]

This is terrible.

I was there last month!

[532SQN]

I would only love to be there when one of these guys decided to do their art work!!! this is horrible thanks for sharing Norman.

Cheers

Rick

[Michelle Young]

The article seems to imply both Loos British and Dud Corner were targeted, unless I am misenterpreting something. Very sad news.

Michelle

[dycer]

I totally condemn this slight.

But during the actual War both civilian and war graves were desecrated,by shell fire and necessarily,at the time,through military operations.

We also have a situation,in UK,where Local Councils are toppling headstones, for health and safety reasons and lack of interest by descendants,which may assist future researchers.Another thing I should add about old headstones,weathering takes its toll.

CWGC headstones and surrounds are kept pristinely abroad but not necessarily in the UK.

It would appear,to me, that some disaffected,bored French youths may have through alcohol,etc sought to bring attention to themselves,or at the behest of their girl compatriots done it as a dare.

We live in difficult financial times.The CWGC's funding could be under scrutiny because of its efforts to maintain its Charter but to be honest if "they" are caught their penance should be a course of instruction in understanding what the headstones they defaced and those of their Countrymen mean.A visit to a German Cemetery would assist as well.

Locking them up and throwing away the key would,in my mind,be counter productive.

I'm sure the President's letter to the Queen came from the heart.

George

[Paul Reed]

There is another article with a photo here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/...r-cemetery.html

The same happened in Normandy in the lead up to 6th June last week, a local mayor was telling me, but the damage was repaired by the local commune along with CWGC very quickly.

[egbert]

It seems to be that Mr Sarkozy needs to write a lot of regret letters for damaged foreign graves to the Queen and to the German President during May/June 2010 .............

[1690philip]

Totally disguising act shame on them who Desecrate the Graves of our Fallen.

Phil

[Pighills]

Such a shame, my great uncle is commemorated at Loos - do we know if any of the commemoration panels are affected?

[Martin Bennitt]

Althoughb this is to be deplored, I think Seadog's subtitle 'About as bad as it gets' is a bit OTT. There were about ten graves spraypainted, plus the memorial stone. None of the commemoration panels. There has been far worse in French

cemeteries, particularly those with Muslim graves, while in Alsace recently German gravestones were demolished with a sledgehammer. The CWGC said they were sending a team today to repair the damage.

Sarkozy has been crawling to Merkel and the Queen in his own interests, in my opinion

cheers Martin B

[At Home Dad]

my Great Grandad is buried in Loos British

[Peter Bennett]

Looking at the photos, this is not Dud Corner & Loos Memorial. It looks more like Loos British Cemeterty which is in the town centre. Well done to the Daily Mail !!

Still outrageous wherever it is...................

[Martin Bennitt]

Looking at the photos, this is not Dud Corner & Loos Memorial. It looks more like Loos British Cemeterty which is in the town centre. Well done to the Daily Mail !!

..................

So I understand, though the local paper saw fit to record that John Kipling's headstone, which is of course in St Mary's ADS cemetery (though his grave may not be), was spared

cheers Martin B

[Moriaty]

I believe that Fergus Bowes Lyon has no known grave and is commemorated at Dud Corner.

[Seadog]

Although this is to be deplored, I think Seadog's subtitle 'About as bad as it gets' is a bit OTT. There were about ten graves spraypainted, plus the memorial stone. None of the commemoration panels. There has been far worse in French

cemeteries, particularly those with Muslim graves, while in Alsace recently German gravestones were demolished with a sledgehammer. The CWGC said they were sending a team today to repair the damage.

Sarkozy has been crawling to Merkel and the Queen in his own interests, in my opinion

cheers Martin B

An interesting post Martin, so what exactly in your view would constitute "as bad as it can get". You see I think that this desecration is absolutely disgusting and an insult to the memory of our soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice. What do you think?.

Regards

Norman

[John_Hartley]

so what exactly in your view would constitute "as bad as it can get".

Dunno about Martin but, assuming the example he quoted is his view of "as bad as it can get" ( i.e. the total destruction of a headstone) , then it's one I would share.

But then we often see on this forum remarks from folk who think that graffitti is (literally) a flogging offence. Funny old world.

[JimSmithson]

Living partly in France and visiting quite a lot of cemeteries each year I am constantly amazed at how few problems there are, especially in those within a town. I rarely see much litter or rubbish (unlike some other open areas) and it seems such vandalism as seen here is rare. Unfortunately I think we have to come to terms with something like this occurring every now and then, we are in a changing world. Personally I think it very it good that Sarkozy felt he had to comment - at least that will have impressed upon others the gravity of the offence.

Jim

[Rockdoc]

We may feel insulted on the dead's behalf but is it truly an insult if it is mindless vandalism? What I mean is I'd see it as an insult if there was intent behind it, like I was by the Muslim who scrawled jihadist slogans on Burton on Trent War Memorial last year. A few drunken yobs doing this as a prank may be distasteful but are they insulting the dead or making themselves look moronic? Either way I want them caught and I want them punished but I want the punishment to reflect the intent.

Keith

[andalucia]

Such a shame. They do not deserve this.

[LesCroft]

Although all this type of vandalism is awful but the student from Macclesfield urinating on the memorial in Sheffield and the theft of the name plates from Phillips Park Cemetery in Manchester rate worse in my opinions.

Cut one hand off the French and both hands of the people who did the above.

[SiegeGunner]

Although all this type of vandalism is awful but the student from Macclesfield urinating on the memorial in Sheffield and the theft of the name plates from Phillips Park Cemetery in Manchester rate worse in my opinions.

Both those incidents were despicable, but they were not 'hate crimes' and I can't agree that they were worse than the recent smashing and daubing of German headstones in Alsace - or the spray-painting of British headstones with Nazi symbols, which I find particularly distressing as it implies that the sacrifice of the men buried beneath those headstones was in vain.

[gilles]

I live in france in Loos en gohelle ....

it is a unforgivable to dirty a grave in cemetery with a "tag nazi"....all population are sad with this "profanation" ...

but in France is very often this "profanation" ....why ??

gilles

[Seadog]

That this obscene symbol should deface the graves of our countrymen and that this has taken place in France of all places beggars belief. One only has to consider the appalling events that this evil sign has overseen such as Drancy, The round-up and transportation of the Jews and others, Oradour-sur-Glane and the countless reprisals against the French people to understand that this act insults them as well. I am not implying that these mindless desecrations were committed by French nationals; I just hope that the perpetrators will be found and properly and justly punished.

Regards

Norman

[SiegeGunner]

It's ironic to think that if an SS soldier had done this during the German occupation, he would most likely have been given a one-way ticket to the Russian Front.

[Martin Bennitt]

An interesting post Martin, so what exactly in your view would constitute "as bad as it can get".

Regards

Norman

How far do you want to go, Norman? Digging up the remains and scattering them about to me would be about as bad as it gets. I said it's deplorable, but there has been a lot worse, if not to British graves . I doubt if the people who sprayed swastikas on the headstones were really aware of what it meant, apart from being a bit provocative. Swastikas still have a funny sort of appeal and they probably got some strange kick out of it, but I doubt if there was much reasoning behind itl. We need to keep some sense of proportion. I'm prepared to be corrected if there's a rash of such incidents, or if arrests are made and something different comes out at the trial. Your later remark that you're not implying it was done by French nationals also puzzles me. By whom, then?

cheers Martin B