German war graves

[MartH]

Hi

I once did a tour which covered the German side in Belguim and I can remember Jo and Graham showing many photos of elaborate German Cemeteries and Monuments in occupied Belguim. They no longer exist, the story told was that the Belguim Government asked the German Goverment to clear and remove them as quick as possible, or else they could not be responsible for what the local populatation would do.

Ironic now that the 4 remaining ones bring in people to the area.

Regards

Mart

[egbert]

For information, the small German cemetery at Achiet le Petit near Puisieux has been vandalised (the cross broken and the memorial register burnt) on at least two occasions over the years I have visited it. I reported the vandalism once but to no immediate effect as it was in the same condition a year later.

Hi Bill, you started a thread about "Vandalism at German Cemetery" (Achiet-le-

Petit) in 2003.

Unfortunately you could not follow the development of your thread. It was never destroyed by vandalism. I posted that I will take care of that matter and got the response which was posted in your original thread

Sorry that the depicted pictures were never recovered after Chris' server switchover

[SiegeGunner]

Good to hear that the damage at Achiet-le-Petit was eventually repaired, and that it was in fact not caused by vandalism. However, the fact that VdK had difficulty obtaining realistic quotes for the reinstatment work must be a cause for concern. Respect to Egbert for pursuing the case with VdK, and do you perhaps know how they eventually got the work done?

Mick

[egbert]

Thanx Mick, after they found a correct proposing mason, the work went on. I checked some time later in person and took some pics from the finished repair job. They were also posted , I believe in the same thread. Maybe Chris can restore the pictures if that is of general interest

[egbert]

T'was me! But it is written in German language :Die franzoesischen Graeberschaendungen an der Somme, Tatsachen, Eindruecke, Dokumente from Joachim Kuehn, Berlin 1919

I am just reading it, lots of images of deliberately destroyed memorials to the dead and graves. most destruction (not due to direct war impacts, but human destruction behind the front) in Chauny, Peronne, Flavy-le-Mertel, Pargny, Croix-moligneaux, Solente, Ognolles, Languevoisin, Mesnil-St.Nicaise, Amy, Bethencourt, Campagne, Esmery-Hallon, Hombleux, Freniches, Punchy, Beauchies, Oestres, Fonches, specially devastated in Roye, Bapaume and Nesle. The actions can be traced back to a French proclamation for desecration of German memorials and war graves by infamous government backed journalist "Lavedan" that was published in all French papers. The book shows a lot of beautiful big and small coy-, Bn- and Birigade memorials as well as mass graves and single graves smashed by the adrenalized public.

Here is a video documentation from 1918 when the Germans re-occupied these places during Operation Michael.

Desecrated graves in Nesle, roye and other memorials.

Documentation starts at minute 07:20 and lasts til the end of the film

http://www.filmportal.de/video/bilder-aus-der-grossen-schlacht-4-teil