No go areas due to munitions

[Steviebullsatatter]

I understand there are places where it is deemed a danger to human life where there were once ww1 battlefields .

I was wondering just how many there are and if they are recorded somewhere 

[ForeignGong]

This was sent to me in 2016 just before I went to F & F. How accurate it is I do not know.

Peter

I did a google search just now on Red Zone and came up with this

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-i/this-red-zone-in-france-is-so-dangerous-100-years-after-wwi-it-is-still-a-no-go-area.html

Edited 1 September , 2019 by ForeignGong

[chaz]

we spend many hours visiting cemeteries between Lens and Albert. there is always large munitions lying around. from hand grenades to the lollypop seen this year. the farmers plough up and normaly if spent leave in a pile and if live usually have fluorescent paint sprayed on. Ive reported grenades and shells that have been left against cemetery walls due to the prominence of the structure but also being a place visited by relatives. cemeteries and signs are prominent fixed places which make collection points easy to find as opposed to those left in grass verges.

the thought is that they could still be ploughing up for another 500 years. this generally accounts for larger munitions easily found , as for bullets which fall back in the earth who knows.

 

as for no go areas, treat all woods in the area as no go areas and everywhere else as a danger. Ive pulled over on a road to let a car pass and been inches from an unexploded shell unmarked.

[Guest Ricard 51]

 Bonsoir Chaz.... unfortunately the remnants of five years of the biggest and most industrialised warfare the world had seen at that time was surely going to leave a few bits and bobs kicking around.The  bulk of the ordnance recovered now and left alone until dealt with by the demineurs is safe unless meddled with by the untrained. As I have alluded to before, think of darwinism!!. If our local pikey types or over eager battlefield visitors wish to  mess with these shells and grenades etc. as they often do,then surely we won't miss them when they go bang. Hammering off the copper drive bands of shrapnel shells or putting four live and very unstable gas shells into the boot of the GB  registered land rover discovery as souvenirs of a somme visit just wasn't the brightest thing to do. Telling the gendarmerie patrol who stopped them at  longueval, to take a hike, was even less bright. Trust me, two of the car occupants were members of this forum. No names, no pack drill..!!!

Edited 2 September , 2019 by Ricard 51
Spelling

[Marilyne]

I think most of the really dangerous zones are marked… like at Vimy Ridge, where the gras area is cordonned off and only sheep are allowed on. And some places in the zone Rouge in Verdun are also marked.  Of course there is always a chance to stumble upon some unexploded ordnance but then as said hereabove, the word is "do not touch" … as simple as that. But saying battlefield touring is a life-threatening hobby… nopes!

 

PS: would have loved to be a fly on that gendarmerie-encounter Ricard51 tells about…

 

M.

 

Edited 3 September , 2019 by Marilyne

[Guest Ricard 51]

Bonjour Marilyne.....it was game, set and match to us!!.

[Matlock1418]

On 01/09/2019 at 08:16, chaz said:

Ive pulled over on a road to let a car pass and been inches from an unexploded shell unmarked.

 

Not that uncommon!

Went on a recent (great) trip and the coach dirver pulled over for us to get out - front wheel inches away from an unmarked mortar bomb - likewise our feet!  :-/

Oops!

Would be so much nicer if they were better marked!!!