PRL Posted 20 March Share Posted 20 March La Main De Massiges reconstructed trenches are an incredibly sobering stop. Not close to the Somme but worth the drive. I was there last week. They have been excavated and restored by a local association. Does anyone know the significance of the bottles upside down in front of the headstones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 20 March Share Posted 20 March The bottles contained a paper with the details of the burial. It was a very common practice during the First World War as wooden crosses could be destroyed by artillery fire or by the weather. A sealed bottle could still reveal the identity of the burial. A lot of German burials were identified by this bottle in the 1950s during the concentrations in Flanders. Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 20 March Admin Share Posted 20 March I visited the Main when I was staying near Reims last year, a remarkable experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 20 March Share Posted 20 March Welcome to the forum PRL and thanks for the photographs. The Main is definitely on my list having been highly recommended in the past by some of our French forum friends. If it gets the Michelle seal of approval that makes me want to get a new passport photo. Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 20 March Admin Share Posted 20 March Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 20 March Share Posted 20 March Excellent Michelle (and happy birthday). I think @Sly posted one of the Main which looked like a snow scene because the chalk was so white; it was the post that piqued my interest. Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRL Posted 21 March Author Share Posted 21 March It is open 24 -7 as well. Free entry. Nigh-time would be incredible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander McLean Posted 29 March Share Posted 29 March The Main de Massiges is my favorite site to visit on the Western Front; I visited it a number of times until my annual trips to France stopped in 2015. I should add that it is very close to the Argonne Forest and relatively close to Verdun. In my opinion, it is well worth a trip to that area. Torrey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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