AndrewThornton Posted 29 July , 2003 Share Posted 29 July , 2003 Just saw this on the BBC News website. Yet another example of what the world has come to: "British war graves vandalised The police have not established any leads in their hunt for the vandals Vandals have damaged the graves of British and Commonwealth soldiers at a World War I cemetery in northern France. Gravestones of British, Canadian and New Zealand soldiers were found to have been kicked over at the St Aubert cemetery, near Cambrai, on Monday. Authorities in France said they believed the destruction was motiveless. Peter Francis, spokesman for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, said: "It looks like a completely mindless act of vandalism." This is an inexcusable attack on the memory of British, Canadian and New Zealand soldiers who should rest in peace on our soil Hamlaoui Mekachera, French Minister for War Veterans A St Aubert police spokesman said: "We do not believe the vandals were motivated by any religious, racial or nationalistic feeling. "It could have been done by a single person or a group. An investigation has been launched but we do not have any leads as yet." The vandals also burned the visitors book at the entrance to the cemetery. The St Aubert cemetery contains the graves of 435 Commonwealth soldiers killed in battle between 1917 and 1918. The French Minister for War Veterans, Hamlaoui Mekachera, said: "This is an inexcusable attack on the memory of British, Canadian and New Zealand soldiers who fought in France in the First World War and should rest in peace on our soil." Mr Mekachera said he hoped the police investigation "would swiftly identify the culprits, so they can answer for their acts". In April, the graves of British soldiers in the Etaples cemetery in northern France were defaced with swastikas and slogans denouncing the war in Iraq, prompting President Jacques Chirac to send a letter of apology to the UK. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will O'Brien Posted 29 July , 2003 Share Posted 29 July , 2003 Sickening. The complete lack of respect shown is deeply hurtful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Coulson Posted 29 July , 2003 Share Posted 29 July , 2003 This is very very sad but I fear ultimately a sign of the times we live in. Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hill 60 Posted 29 July , 2003 Share Posted 29 July , 2003 Shameful and sickening. I sincerely hope that not only are the culprits brought to book but suitably punished by the French authorities. Although this might be a sign of the times it is still a degrading and sinful act committed by people with low or no morals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain mchenry Posted 29 July , 2003 Share Posted 29 July , 2003 Totally disgusting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 30 July , 2003 Share Posted 30 July , 2003 That is very sad news. Unfortunately this type of vandalism in not just endemic to France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 30 July , 2003 Share Posted 30 July , 2003 Words fail me! I would be interested in meeting these 'people' face to face for some edification Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 30 July , 2003 Share Posted 30 July , 2003 I presume as yet there is no evidence that the vandals were French nationals and whilst this is a pathetic and cowardly act I would just like to say I have managed to get to the Western Front several times in the past year and have received nothing but friendliness from the local French populations, who I am sure are equally sickened by stories of vandalism of wargraves in France, or anywhere for that matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 30 July , 2003 Share Posted 30 July , 2003 It likely has nothing to do with France though odds are the vandals were French since it happened there. I think the experience of all of us who visit battlefields in France, Belgium Turkey, Italy or USA or anywhere is local people are pleased we are interested. Yes I know we run into an occasional farmer who is unhappy to see us on what is marked on the map as a public road going through his farm but must say I have also seen British schoolchildren with their teachers present tromping their fields during growing season, once in sight of Thiepval Mamorial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Birch Posted 30 July , 2003 Share Posted 30 July , 2003 Defacing a cemetery is a mindless and despicable act, on a par with the news today that the forest fires in Southern France were started deliberately. There are low life individuals in every society who have no sense of social conscience. I think, however, that Paul makes a good point when it comes to the behaviour of visitors to the battlefields. I have also seen people walking through growing crops searching for battlefield debris, or taking short cuts. I have seen a frustrated farmer trying to locate the occupants of a parked British car which was blocking a farm track. With the growth of interest and increasing numbers of visitors such behaviour is in danger of putting a strain on the relationship with the locals. This is the downside in the upsurge of interest in the battlefields and it would be a pity if such thoughtlessness leads to local resentment against visitors. Some groups need reminding that a battlefield visit is a pilgrimage rather than a jaunt, and that they are visitors to another country which has shown the greatest repect to the British war dead in allowing the thousands of cemeteries to remain where they are. I do accept however that there is a world of difference between thoughtless behaviour and the deliberate vandalism of a cemetery. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 30 July , 2003 Share Posted 30 July , 2003 Sad, sad news, but characteristic of how France is changing - often for the worse. A French friend from Peronne today told me there have been several cases in French civillian cemeteries recently where headstones and crosses were smashed flat - by local kids drugged up to the eyeballs. Crime is rising in France - a drunk driver ran rampage in Albert yesterday until Police shot him and his car to a standstill! I think this is probably the first time there have been gunshots in Albert since the last war! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 30 July , 2003 Share Posted 30 July , 2003 Yes, this type of vandalism has also led to the restricted access to Chatham Naval memorial. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevew Posted 30 July , 2003 Share Posted 30 July , 2003 It saddens me to hear of this mindless vandalism. I think there is currently a lot of disrespect between the French people and the English people, and Vice Versa for that matter (although I have never experienced this on any of my trips to France) - personally I think the Sun didn't help matters when it whipped up the storm over President Chirac. What the Sun tends to forget is that it doesn't represent every single person in this country, but unfortunately in the eyes of your average Frenchman we are probably all the same!! Just my opinion, and I'll get off of my soap box. It still disgusts me and I can't really understand the mentality of these people. When I have been to the cemeteries, regardles of whose they are, I have the utmost respect for those who gave their life fighting for what they believed was right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Lines Posted 30 July , 2003 Share Posted 30 July , 2003 Very sad but personally I don't read too much into it. I suspect it was just a bunch of bored kids on their school holidays who didn't realise (or care) how much they were likely to upset people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Thompson Posted 30 July , 2003 Share Posted 30 July , 2003 There is a report and picture on the CWGC site here which states that two cemeteries were vandalised: St Aubert British Cemetery and Le Quesnel Communal Cemetery Extension, near Amiens. Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedley Malloch Posted 31 July , 2003 Share Posted 31 July , 2003 It's a fact of modern French urban life. Many cemeteries in or around urban connurbations are vandalised without any comment. This year I have seen coping stones torn off the cemetery wall and used as a battering ram in an attempt to break down the door to the equipment shed; explicit sexual graffiti in a cemetery register; graffiti on memorials; German headstones in a CWGC cemetery torn down. And many of the porches of CWGC cemeteries in or near villages or towns are littered with fag-ends and booze cans; this is so common now that it passes without comment. The CWGC just get on with it. I don't think it is anti-British; France Telecom boxes and train carriages receive the same treatment. It's a question of what is convenient and what can be done without fear of detection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewThornton Posted 1 August , 2003 Author Share Posted 1 August , 2003 This a report from today's Daily Telegraph regarding the vandalism: "Six held over war graves raids By Henry Samuel in Paris (Filed: 01/08/2003) French police yesterday arrested six youths suspected of desecrating First World War graves of British soldiers. Three 15-year-old boys were questioned by a youth magistrate after admitting stealing and burning a visitors' book at a war cemetery in Saint-Aubert, near Cambrai, northern France, on Monday. Forty-five gravestones of soldiers from Britain, Canada and New Zealand were turned over or broken. Police disclosed that a further 12 gravestones of British soldiers had been smashed last week in Quesnel. Three youths, aged 16, 17 and 18, have been arrested. They will appear in court in Amiens and could face a year in prison and a £10,600 fine. The French authorities have apologised to Britain for the desecrations." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 2 August , 2003 Share Posted 2 August , 2003 Bad news is that cemeteries at Quesnel and Aix-Noulette have also this week suffered 'copy-cat' damage, although not to the extent as at Cambrai... there was a brief report today in the local Somme newspaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Coulson Posted 2 August , 2003 Share Posted 2 August , 2003 Today's Mirror has an article about these latest incidents. In the photo published it looked like French commerative crosses that had been uprooted. Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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