From the Bois des Caures we go to the north, "behind the German lines", to visit the location of the Flabas German Reprisals POW Camp, and eastward, to the Ville devant Chaumont - German War Cemetery.
In the centre of the during the war destroyed hamlet of Flabas stands a rather small, but an impressive sculpture, a memorial,
dedicated to the French Prisoners Of War of Flabas.
"TO THE PRISONERS, MARTYRS, VICTIMS OF THE REPRISALS.
FRONT OF VERDUN
From this memorial we follow the road southeastward.
We pass the Chapelle de St. Maur (Chapel of St. Maur).
The Chapelle Saint Maur is named after a Bishop of Verdun,
who lived around 356.
Being a centre of pilgrimage the chapel has been built in 1867.
It was totally destroyed during the Great War,
and rebuilt on the original foundation in 1930.
This small group of trees along a sandy road, marks the former
location of the German detention camp for French
Prisoners of War, west and outside the hamlet of Flabas.
Only a sober remembrance stone under the trees
shows an inscription.
Under the trees stands an information board with a comprehensive text in the French and German language which commemorates the atrocities,
the Germans executed here on their French Prisoners of War.
While visiting this spot, the text on this information board
made quiet an impression on us.
I will give you a summary of the content in English.
The horrifying story of Flabas is an important example of
how needlessly cruel a war, in all it's appearances, can be.
Summary of the events at
the Flabas Reprisals Camp.
On 21 December 1916, the German Army authorities demanded from the French, that they withdrawed their Prisoner of War Camps to a distance of 30 km behind the frontline near Verdun. If the French did not meet this ultimatum on 15 January 1917, the Germans threatened to build their POW Camps within reach of French artillery and infantry fire.
The camp in Flabas was only 50 m long and 30 m wide, only fenced with barbed wire. The only barrack in the camp was not sufficient to house the 500 prisoners.
300 Prisoners had to stay out in the open air, even in wintertime. There was another barrack for use as lazarets and mortuary, and a cabin, functioning as kitchen.
One German officer, a "Feldwebel", two "Unteroffiziere", and 40 Stormtroopers were guarding the prisoners. The Stormtroopers executed a brutal regime over the prisoners. The "Feldwebel" had many cruel deaths on his conscience. The day started with Stormtroopers forcing their clubs on the prisoners. On only 4 days in the week the prisoners received one meal a day, existing of a small piece of bread, "Abendbrot". From dawn until dusk the prisoners had to do forced labour: building roads in the line of fire in the Bois des Caures and in the direction of the lines of Samogneux. After a day of forced labour, parties of 10 prisoners were forced to get water 600 m away in the line of fire.
One prisoner tried to escape. The Stormtroopers punished this prisoner by tiying him up with barbed wire on the fence with his feet hanging lose from the ground. Next the Stormtroopers clubbed him to death.
After several months the French authorities did meet the demands of the German governement. Immediately after this event the fate of the prisoners changed. They were withdrawn to camps near Montmédy and Longuyon. They were allowed again to take care of their personal hygiene and to receive post from their families. Only 300 prisoners out of 500 would survive this reprisals camp!
In silence we left this beautiful, but "guilty",
landscape outside the hamlet of Flabas ...,
... to continue some 2 km. to the east, to the
Ville devant Chaumont - Deutscher Kriegsgräberstätte.
The Ville devant Chaumont - German War Cemetery ...
... is located near and "behind the German lines".
"ON THIS CEMETERY REST 1766 GERMAN SOLDIERS - 1914-1918"
We walk over the cemetery southeastward.
On the top of the hill, is a mass grave.
At the foot lay three bronze plagues next to each other:
"IN A COMMUNAL GRAVE REST HERE 249 GERMAN SOLDIERS
193 STAY UNKNOWN"
The list of names of 56 known soldiers, killed in 1916 and 1917.
View from the mass grave southward.
Besides steel crosses there also gravestones,
shared by 2 or sometimes more soldiers.
View south-eastward at the Bois le Comte,
near and north of the Bois des Caures.
With a last view from the hill to the road, we leave the cemetery.
We go on to the Bois d'Hingry, near Loison, to the ruins of the German concrete factory of Hauptmann Marguerre.
Continue to the next chapter: