View largeDouaumont Ossuary
I have visited many of the battlefields and cemeteries of the Western Front over the last ten years, but Verdun is 'special'.
I believe the most moving of the cemeteries are without doubt the British and Commonwealth cemeteries where as far as possible each of the fallen soldiers gets his own headstone with his name his regiment and his 'cap badge' insignia on the stone. That is not the way it is done for the French, German or even the American. But the most moving of the battlefields is Verdun; it's a 'dark' place. Few of the battlefields have the physical scars in such evidence after all these years.
Prominent is the Ossuary in the main cemetery. The Ossuary is a French tradition which we don't really have in Britain, certainly not in our modern wars; an ossuary is a 'bone house'. The Ossuary at Verdun, is big and the architecture is in a 'massive' style. Visible through small windows all round the base of the building are the bones, not skeletons, dismembered bones and skulls. 140,000 soldiers are there, German and French, all mixed together. It's a sobering place.
I cannot for the life of me remember which camera I used, but it was 35mm on old style black and white film.
21 comments:
Terrifying.
Lucy
Scary.
That's a fantastic shot. Very interesting post. It must be moving to visit there. So much loss.
Beatyful picture, but a bit scaring story, and sad also...
A fascinating post! Verdun must be a very moving place to visit! Great photo!
Somewhere I've never been. It must really make you think...
What a place and thoughts to go with it. I love history, this would be something to see. Nice b&w.
An amazing building.
How very very intersting.
nice shot
Unspeakable waste. I used to read a great deal of First War history - Verdun stands out a lesson in futility.
I have updated my B&W entry.
An incredible and sobering place. Also, a very fine photo.
At least together after death and after the war. A sobering thought and a thought-provoking post.
Interesting text this AM.
A really good photo of a sad place.
Great shot of a very moving place!
I live at one km from a small war cemetery but never went inside! That's too sad a place to visit.
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Have a beautiful weekend****
What an amazing building. I looked at the photograph for some time trying to imagine what it was before reading the text. However long I had looked, I don't think I would have guessed - maybe that's a good thing. Happy Christmas John.
Great shot. I didn't know the French had an Ossuary at Verdun. Amazing they would mix their bones with the German soldiers, but what an anti-war statement that makes.
A great photo and a poignant bit of history.
What a powerful message as to the cost of war.
A powerful image of a powerful building!
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