PDA

View Full Version : Archived: French WW2 caves - August 2008



Kachïe
15-04-2010, 07:18 PM
In August 2008 I camped near Vic Sur Aisne in France. After talking to some locals I found out about the caves in the woods just outside the village that were used in WW2 or WW1 not exactly sure.

I think that the french soldiers would hide in the caves during the daytime, then when night came would charge out under the cover of darkness.
I haven't found out anything online about it but I hope this photos are interesting :) even though they are not UK Exploration.

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4048/4524047492_a456a2aa7e_z.jpg
really old car found in the caves.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2745/4523416591_522c9e67c3_z.jpg
This part of the caves looked like a chapel, it was barred off so couldn't get too close.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs519.snc3/27231_10150167612430206_570940205_11973403_4983970 _n.jpg
1st pic - yes, Lord Kitchener (Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener) was pretty important to quite a few people: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert...Earl_Kitchener not least the men he commanded in India, and during the Boer War and Great War. The relief sculpture was probably carved during WWI, possibly by UK troops?

His cousin was a founding member of one of the schools I went to. Apparently the schoolgirls at the time of the Great War would knit socks for Kitchener's men at the Front. He actually invented a way of knitting a sock which avoided having an annoying (and painful, if you're on a long march) seam across the toes. It's known as the Kitchener Stitch.

He's also the bloke with the moustache in the 'your country needs you' recruitment posters.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs499.ash1/27231_10150167612445206_570940205_11973404_290675_ n.jpg
Some graffiti

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs499.ash1/27231_10150167612455206_570940205_11973405_7875406 _n.jpg
Wall cravings

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs499.ash1/27231_10150167612465206_570940205_11973406_526824_ n.jpg

Apparently the caves go on for quite a while, it was like a labyrinth down there.
~ hope these photos were interesting, if anyone knows anything about them it would be interested to hear it :)