Verdun, France

The short road trip through northern France visiting WWI battle sites turned out to be even more interesting than I had anticipated.  It was surprisingly emotional too; not a lighthearted part of the trip.

At school, my class had been studying WWI to commemorate the centenary of the start of that war.  Along with my pupils, I learnt many facts I hadn't known and was really pleased with how the children developed a good understanding of many of the events which led to conflict.  I was particularly impressed with one keen pupil who used a map of Europe to explain the various alliances between the countries to a rapt group of peers - only slightly marred by reference to those countries as 'teams'!

Douaumont Ossuary

Driving through the forested hills above Verdun, we came to an open hilltop crowned with the Douaumont Ossuary.  It is a memorial containing the remains of approximately 130,000 soldiers, both French and German, who died during the Battle of Verdun (Feb-Dec 1916) on a battlefield covering less than 20 sq.km/8 sq. miles.  Rows of white crosses stand out bravely and forlornly on the grassy slopes.  Outside the ossuary through small external windows, one can see bones, some ordered by parts (femur, skull, etc.,) and some haphazardly piled in alcoves.  Inside the building, names of soldiers are inscribed along the ceiling and walls.  

Everything here appears to be a stark reminder of the ultimate sacrifice and pure awfulness of war.  And yet, from the remains of the wrecked villages, cratered land and rusted and decaying fortifications, there is a sense of life and hope. Even Nature herself intervened as a group of swallows nesting in the cracked concrete, and chirping cheerfully from a corroded metal spike, couldn't help but lift my spirits.


This is a beautiful area that has so much more than the WWI sites which were the focus of this trip for me.  The icing on the gateau, so to speak, is the variety of villages dotted along the routes which just ooze their charm into the air, inviting travellers to kick back and relax in a café or pâtisserie. Go on: you know you want to, and you'll love it!!

Chemin des Dames, France

The long drive through northeastern France is actually very pleasant as the autoroute has good service areas.  Some are just picnic areas, others are service stations with fuel and food outlets.  AND there are great restrooms - a fact the traveller needs to know!

As we headed along the Chemin des Dames (named in the 18th Century for Louis XV's two daughters who frequently travelled along that route), I learnt more from my friend about the WWI battles in the surrounding countryside. Driving through that picturesque scenery, I began to imagine the war torn land as it probably had been.  Having only recently been viewing old photos and reading extracts from that time, the scenes came to mind quite easily but it was hard to 'overlay' them on the lush land around us.

Flyer for Tommies on the Aisne exhibition

Along the way we decided to visit an exhibition called Tommies on the Aisne 1914 at the Caverne du Dragon museum. Running until December 2014, the it tells the story of the BEF's involvement with its French allies.  One has to admire those exhausted soldiers who, under shellfire, crossed the River Aisne to the northern bank where they established a bridgehead "... and then climbed the steep ridges of the Chemin des Dames...". It was here that the first trenches of the Western Front were dug during the Battle of the Aisne in September 1914.  I defy anyone not to feel moved if they spend time viewing the exhibits, but I also found it fascinating and would highly recommend a visit there.

Outside there are large relief maps of the local area with the French, BEF and German positions marked, along with their respective trench lines. Standing on the ridge, with the sun shining and birdsong reaching us over the soft breeze, one couldn't help but appreciate the marked contrast with what the scene would have been.