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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

French war monuments


margaretdufay

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This is a fascinating thread.....so many different patterns of memorials.

Thanks for posting them.

Bruce

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Hi Mags,

I know the polychrome ones aren't to Marco's taste but in my recent trip I noticed that several seemed to have been repainted ready for the centenary, like this one at Lissey:post-48281-0-18519400-1365070744_thumb.j

I haven't actually heard anyone say that, but that's the impression I'm getting, if I hear anything or read anything I will post the info.

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It's surprising how these monuments can be discovered just by a turn of the head, that's what happened here,, so I decided to stop because it looked quite interesting.

it's at bully-grenay. It looked quite quaint from a distance and I wasn't disappointed.

onebis.jpg

onegk.jpg

http://chgrenay.cana...6/26660823.html

the above is a link to a local website, hope it will be of interest.

Mags

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I have some more pictures of this and I have translated a part of the text, that explains its function.

threep.jpg1914 The First World Hope you like it.War has broken out. German and English and French are fighting each other. Soon a front line was established in the sector of Grenay commanded by British units. As was in the case in the seventeenth century, the location called the Tree of Condé was an excellent observation post. The Germans soon realized this, and they opened fire on a soldier who dared venture towards the monument. The lime tree was cut down in 1915 by the French, in order for it not be a landmark for the enemy.The situation made the English to replace it in 1915 by a thick circular body armour en all matters of appearance identical.

The dome is formed of a hollow rotating dome and loop holes with rear site, allowing a man to slip and observe the enemy at leisure.This detachment is different, the 3rd French engineers. (according to M CHOQUET engineer at the mines of Douai. Commanded by Lieutenant LAISNE, former student at the the Horticultural College of Versailles, who for many years was responsible for the substitution. And when the day came on the plain of Lens, the Germans did not notice anything. For them, the landscape has not changed. The ancient monument was buried there. In reality they dug a big hole against all in which the namecalling will continue.

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Hi Mags

Thought I would add this to the thread.

This was a memorial to the victims of the first gas attack and it was located, I believe, at Steenstraat. This photo was taken C1938, on one side of the memorial part of the inscription said'killed by barbarians' the German army of 1942 took exception to this and blew the monument up!

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Just come back from a few days in central France and spotted these ones, first in Bourges, one of the nicest small French cities I know, and then in Aubusson, once famous for its carpets but the industry's days must now be numbered.

cheers Martin B

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post-15158-0-15192600-1375450165_thumb.j

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The mass grave containing the remains of French writer Charles Peguy, killed in September 1914 just west of Meaux.

post-15158-0-56722400-1375650924_thumb.j

cheers Martin B

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At Rebais, south of Laferté sous Jouarre, a local peasant boy offers the fruits of the earth to a soldier

post-15158-0-24020300-1375651331_thumb.j

cheers Martin B

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La Chapelle d'Abondance - French Alps

He also seems to be a popular model. Here he is at Saint Simeon in the Seine et Marne west of Paris.

post-15158-0-47617900-1375684641_thumb.j

cheers Martin B

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Martin

Interesting. I wonder who modelled for the sculptor.

Here is another memorial from Larche. It is the only surviving structure in this village which was destroyed during WW2 following the Resistance's activity in the area.

post-38-0-22895700-1379342775_thumb.jpg

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Seen on my holidays this summer in Lorraine:

Another painted Poilu, in Ecouviez, right on the Belgian border, with the inscription "passer-by, whoever you are, doff your hat for those who died for you"

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and a charging French soldier in Dun-sur-Meuse, taken with the sun not quite in the right place

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with a plaque honouring the US 5th Division on the side of the memorial

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And a bridge railing in memory of the same division close by

post-15158-0-02952900-1379622888_thumb.j

cheers Martin B

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