French Front: Verdun Remembered
Today is the 96th Anniversary of the start of the Battle of Verdun. This defining Great War campaign cost France and German more than 700,000 casualties in 1916 and for the French Poilu it became the notorious ‘mincing machine’ as seemingly regiment after regiment was thrown into the fighting here to stem the German advance and make sure that ‘They Shall Not Pass‘.
This image from a wartime set of French stereo-cards shows French soldiers in the quarries near Verdun at the site of a ‘Poste de Secours‘ or Dressing Station. French stretcher-bearers are seen towards the rear in the area where sandbagged dugouts line the quarry. The men at the front do not look wounded but appear to have just been fed, so there could have been a supply point here or field kitchen as well.
Verdun remains the by-word for the Great War in France and today ceremonies will be taking place at various sites on the Verdun Battlefield.
Great War Photos 
I may be wrong but I think there are at least two German soldiers (prisoners?) in this group, one of them could be the one who helps a French soldier to walk to the dressing station. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to locate precisely this location (Carrière St Vaast). The “Ouvrage Saint Waast” was close to the “Ouvrage Liévin”, near cote 312.
A very interesting pic, as usual.
21/02/2012 at 21:28