Dave1418 Posted 22 May , 2016 Share Posted 22 May , 2016 Hello all, The village of Mailly Maillet is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Somme between the 29th June and the 2nd July. The village was a rear area for units moving into the line on the 1st July and has the only surviving to 14th century church which during the war was famously fully sandbagged to protect it. The event will include a period WW1 encampment, field hospital tent and around 60 very well turned out living historians who will be conducting various training activities throughout the course of each day. The camp is open to the public during the day from 0900 to 1700 with various guests scheduled to visit the site including the mayors of Accrington and Bradford as part of their city commemorations. On the 1st July the units may be found at Serre and Gommecourt from 0700hrs when the individual units portrayed went over the top. If anyone is on the Somme they are very welcome to come along to Mailly Maillet, the village sits just outside of the exclusion zone and road closures so is reasonably easy to get to. If anyone needs anymore information please let me know. Best regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 22 May , 2016 Share Posted 22 May , 2016 Sounds great, just sorry I cannot make it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horrocks Posted 22 May , 2016 Share Posted 22 May , 2016 I wondered how the church had survived. It has a good covering of spang marks in places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick D Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 Spang marks ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigelcave Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 It was sandbagged inside and out - there is a pix somewhere - with bags running from the top of the church and then the base of them extending well into the street; the same on the inside. Similar measures were taken with the Cathedral in Amiens and also for the fascinating mortuary chapel at the edge of the village, a hundred metres or so off the Mesnil/Englebelmer road. The carving on the west side is, I think, sixteenth century (and also is tied in, IIRC, with the flamboyant architecture and decoration of the hotel de ville in Arras and the church at Ablain St Nazaire). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithfazzani Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 Does anyone know if/when/how, one can visit the church, it is always firmly locked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 An image from the IWM: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205308325 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave1418 Posted 23 May , 2016 Author Share Posted 23 May , 2016 Hi Keith if you contact the marie they should be able to give you the opening times as they are usually helpful. cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithfazzani Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 Hi Keith if you contact the marie they should be able to give you the opening times as they are usually helpful. cheers Thanks Dave, I'll try that next time I am over Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigelcave Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 An image from the IWM: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205308325 Interesting - tho' it is of the east end of the Church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 Interesting - tho' it is of the east end of the Church. Curious. I tried to post this image earlier, but it wouldn't show anything apart from a very small thumbnail: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205308327 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithfazzani Posted 23 May , 2016 Share Posted 23 May , 2016 A fair amount of work went into that sandbagging. When I see the West End of this church I wonder what similar medieval masterpieces were lost in the destruction of churches in the other villages on the Somme. I wonder whether any photographs were taken before their destruction. Doubtful as that part of France was pretty much a backwater until the war. Interesting to know however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyoz777 Posted 25 May , 2016 Share Posted 25 May , 2016 I stayed in Mailly last year whilst over for the 1st July commemorations its a very beautiful, typical village of the area. Sounds like a fantastic event, unfortunately I'm not visiting this year but if I was would definitely pay a visit. Hope all goes well and its well supported. As an aside, the Chateau in Mailly is the site of the execution of young James Crozier who is buried at the Sucrerie. I always pay a visit to show my respects when in the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horrocks Posted 28 May , 2016 Share Posted 28 May , 2016 Spang marks ? These things... It doesn't seem to be a term that has survived into the internet age. Interesting to compare with the IWM. Part of the roof has been remodelled, and the spire dressed with flutes in the fashion prevalent amongst the rebuilt churches of the villages in the devasted zones. I once read, I think in 20 Years After, that the architects who designed the post-war churches seem to have been engaged in a competition to see who could achieve the ugliest design. I think in the Somme Lesboeufs probably pips it for me, it is quite hideous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horrocks Posted 28 May , 2016 Share Posted 28 May , 2016 The rather elegant property opposite the chateau wall seems to have suffered as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mva Posted 31 May , 2016 Share Posted 31 May , 2016 Thanks Dave, I'll try that next time I am over could be interesting to know before you are there : http://www.paysducoquelicot.com/mailly-maillet.htm : the e-mail of the Mairie .... and opening times : Heures d'ouverture : Lundi de 09h00 à 12h00 Mardi de 09h00 à 12h00 Jeudi de 09h00 à 12h00 Vendredi de 09h00 à 12h00 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithfazzani Posted 31 May , 2016 Share Posted 31 May , 2016 Thanks - won't be till September am avoiding the next few months Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigelcave Posted 31 May , 2016 Share Posted 31 May , 2016 A fair amount of work went into that sandbagging. When I see the West End of this church I wonder what similar medieval masterpieces were lost in the destruction of churches in the other villages on the Somme. I wonder whether any photographs were taken before their destruction. Doubtful as that part of France was pretty much a backwater until the war. Interesting to know however. I am of the impression that it is/was the finest of its type on this part of the Somme. There is also the family mausoleum to visit as well - restored to a considerable extent (at least to make it fairly secure against the elements) about fifteen or so years ago, also well worth a visit. I suspect that that must have been similarly protected during the war. IIRC correctly it was a very grand chateau - whether extant in 1914 I am not so sure. Not all damage relates to WWI; some would be from WWII, I think. The Somme was liberated by elements of the Guards Division in 1944 - I think I read this in one of Martin Middlebrook's guides - and they trundled along the Mailly Maillet to Serre and beyond road. Maison Blanche, at the corner of the church road with the main road through MM, appears in Blunden - the Doctor's House, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mills-bomb Posted 31 May , 2016 Share Posted 31 May , 2016 Used to know an English guy who lived in M-M, owned a German field kitchen, cant remember his name but a real diamond. Anyone know who I mean? is he still there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mva Posted 1 June , 2016 Share Posted 1 June , 2016 as I am not far away, should I phone there to find out ? martine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigelcave Posted 1 June , 2016 Share Posted 1 June , 2016 Used to know an English guy who lived in M-M, owned a German field kitchen, cant remember his name but a real diamond. Anyone know who I mean? is he still there? Was it Norman Brookes (?Sp)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithfazzani Posted 1 June , 2016 Share Posted 1 June , 2016 Thanks for the further information above Nigel, it is definitely on my "to do" list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 1 June , 2016 Share Posted 1 June , 2016 Was it Norman Brookes (?Sp)? The White House? Fantastically nice man but alas poor business model and then shenanigans put paid to him??? TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyoz777 Posted 30 June , 2016 Share Posted 30 June , 2016 Just thought I'd give this a bump - I've seen a couple of mentions on FB the past few days and think it deserves some support - sounds like a lot of effort has gone in to this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelab Posted 30 June , 2016 Share Posted 30 June , 2016 Since I don't think anyone has posted pix of the wonderful sculptures on the west front of Mailly Maillet church (that were being protected in the wonderful sandbagging photo) I have found a couple on my computer and will try and attach them here. Angela EDIT Just found a shot of the whole west front, to put the details in context. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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