withcall Posted 8 January , 2006 Share Posted 8 January , 2006 When we went round the museum at Fort de la Pompelle (Reims) last year, there was a display of photographs about a group of French veterans who formed a group (post-war) to help each other out with the awful problems faced by ex-soldiers trying to make their way in peacetime with terrible facial disfigurement. Can anyone give me any more information about this, please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIGEL Posted 8 January , 2006 Share Posted 8 January , 2006 There was a thread on this or similar but i think the pics were of French fellas. Try searching for disfigured soldiers on the forum and you may find it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelab Posted 9 January , 2006 Share Posted 9 January , 2006 Presumably this is the group known as "les gueules cassées" ? Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadawwi Posted 9 January , 2006 Share Posted 9 January , 2006 I would also be interested in knowing about this French group. I think that there was mention of such a group in the Lyn Macdonald book - Roses of No Man's Land. I believe she wrote something about a group of French veterans with disfiguring injuries who were staying at a location far from possible visitors. I wrote an article about facial injuries and advances in plastic surgery as a result of the first World War. It can be read - here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yves Le Cuziat, MBE Posted 9 January , 2006 Share Posted 9 January , 2006 Good Day If I remeber well these four broken faces were those selected by French authorities to attend the signing of Versailles treaty on 28 june 1919. German delegation had to pass by them and to face them. I have somewhere in my archibves and files their identities. Regards Yves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle bill Posted 9 January , 2006 Share Posted 9 January , 2006 Les gueules cassées became a very powerful lobby after the war and nobody could really argue with them. From memory a colonel set up a home for those who couldn't face the world. They were also responsible for the setting up of the lottery system and are still shareholders in the national lottery to this day and have a role ( albeit lower profile) similar to that of the British Legion although help is now extended to anyone who suffers disfiguration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yves Le Cuziat, MBE Posted 9 January , 2006 Share Posted 9 January , 2006 Good day I have just found the names of these 5 men : They were choosed by Doctor H..Morestin Albert Jugon 1st R.I.C. Eugène Hébert 315e RI died 1957 Henri Agogé 4th BCP died in 1935. Pierre Richard 102nd BCP died 1965 André Cavalier 2nd Zouave Regt died 1976 Hope taht this info will help you Regards Yves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yves Le Cuziat, MBE Posted 9 January , 2006 Share Posted 9 January , 2006 Good day In fact German delegation at Versailles had to pass by them ( and obviously was obliged to look at them )then to turn and signed the Treaty. So the French delegation of broken faces was just behing them when Germans signed the treaty. Regards Yves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
withcall Posted 9 January , 2006 Author Share Posted 9 January , 2006 Many thanks for these replies - they've given me a good starting point for my research Withcall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 9 January , 2006 Share Posted 9 January , 2006 I wrote an article about facial injuries and advances in plastic surgery as a result of the first World War. It can be read - here. Very interresting article, Canada. Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadawwi Posted 9 January , 2006 Share Posted 9 January , 2006 I think you will find this web site very fascinating. Included are full case studies showing photographs of facial reconstruction in progress. Medical details are provided. Profiles of actual first world war soldiers are included - see the left index to choose a soldier to look into. Project Facade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J T Gray Posted 9 January , 2006 Share Posted 9 January , 2006 IIRC there is also a chapter in here. Worth trying the library for? Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelab Posted 9 January , 2006 Share Posted 9 January , 2006 A Google on "gueules cassees" brought up an interesting French site http://www.bium.univ-paris5.fr/1418/ Click on the image of the deformed face to go to the "exhibition". Then a sequence of stills and French texts appears (you can skip this by clicking on an arrow at bottom right). Then you arrive at a "summary" page and can select different topics (clicking on "La delegation des cinq" takes you to a pic of the five facially-disfigured who were present (apparently on the initiative of Clemenceau) at the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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