angelab Posted 20 November , 2005 Share Posted 20 November , 2005 Driving SE from Pas-en-Artois on the D25 last week, en route to Albert, I could not resist stopping at the sight of some huge white letters on a wall on the southern outskirts of the village of Couin (roughly 20km NW of Albert). WATER CARTS BOTTLE FILLER 100 YDS it says, and is accompanied by a cluster of flags, some poppy wreaths and a few shiny black marble plaques. This turned out to be a rather moving memorial to animals and birds that died during war service. I'll try and post a pic. From one inscription, I gather the plaque was put up in July 2004 by the Comité d'Arras et Environs of the Souvenir Français. One says "Ne les oublions pas" (Let us not forget them). Another says (in French and in English) : "To the innumerable God's humble creatures who suffered and perished in the last wars. With love, faith and loyalty they endured much and died for us. May all remember them with gratitude, and in the future commemorate their suffering and death by showing kindness to living animals." The use of horses and mules I am familiar with, and also of pigeons. What were dogs used for? (Just wondering how on earth you could train them to take messages from A to B unaccompanied...) A portion of the wall appears in "Before Endeavours Fade" page 131; it seems to have been repaired since then, as today it forms the boundary to a house. Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzie Posted 21 November , 2005 Share Posted 21 November , 2005 Thanks for this post. If you do a search for messenger dogs WW1 on Google or try the Australian War Memorial site there is lots of info. Cheers Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 22 December , 2005 Share Posted 22 December , 2005 Angela I hate to disagree but I see this as a total desecration of an original WW1 site. The 'renovation' of the wall is a joke and the placement of the Animal memorials inappropriate. What connection do they have to this original sign? It was a rare gem. In the UK this wall would have been a listed monument and could not have been touched. I would have thought a more appropriate place for the animal memorial would have been at the roadside on one of the main 'popular' battlefileds, say Beaumont Hamel. I attach a photo as the wall was before it was, in my opinon - ruined. I have nothing against animal memorials but this has been so badly done, and it has ruined a original piece of Somme history forever. Gunner Bailey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marco Posted 22 December , 2005 Share Posted 22 December , 2005 attach a photo as the wall was before it was, in my opinon - ruined. I don't do this often, so it should weigh heavily: "hear, hear!" I'm fortunate enough also to have an 'original' picture in my collection before this. Regards, Marco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelab Posted 22 December , 2005 Author Share Posted 22 December , 2005 Actually, having seen the photograph of the wall in its previous condition in "Before Endeavours Fade", I have to totally agree with you all about the desecration to this site. It looks as if the people who own the adjacent house have built a garage or something behind the wall. Certainly the right-hand section of wall that looked pretty ruined in Rose Coombs' book has now been rebuilt, and today supports their letterbox (to L of street sign) and electricity meter (below street sign). I wonder why they were allowed to do that. Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 22 December , 2005 Share Posted 22 December , 2005 I wonder why they were allowed to do that. Probably because it is their private property. Also, regarding the 'original' pictures. Is there anything to indicate that the white lettering was the orginal left from the Great War? I don't want to disagree with you point, but my guess is it is not. My point being there has to be some maintenance of the site in order to preserve its historic quality. Having said that, what appears to be a massive overhaul seems to be the extreme opposite of preservation bordering on re creation. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 22 December , 2005 Share Posted 22 December , 2005 Probably because it is their private property. Also, regarding the 'original' pictures. Is there anything to indicate that the white lettering was the orginal left from the Great War? I don't want to disagree with you point, but my guess is it is not. My point being there has to be some maintenance of the site in order to preserve its historic quality. Having said that, what appears to be a massive overhaul seems to be the extreme opposite of preservation bordering on re creation. Andy Hi Andy I visited the site twice in the early 80s and the early 90's. I didn't do any 'forensic' investigation but it looked to me to be unchanged from when Rose Coombes first photographed it. So my guess is no to previous maintenance. Now the French have woken up to their 'Great War Heritage' they are flogging it to death. I think this is a semi private initiative. Had the Regional Council for the Somme seen what was being done I'm sure they would have intervened. I think it would have been preserved under a glass screen. This was always one of my favourite sites on the Somme, because it was so 'everyday' and unspoilt. I was gutted when I went there again in October this year. Gunner Bailey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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