France A wonderful finish....

[Chris Boonzaier]

I have been doing some research into the document group of this medic killed in action at Verdun....

Notice the document with the mention that there is a stone engraved with his name at the bonehouse at Verdun.

There were about two thirds of the soldiers killed that were never identified, the remains of tens of thousands are in the bonehouse. The interior of the building has many names engraved on the stones. I set out to find Armand Detrus stone, and as luck would have it... it was in the most prominent position in the enclave where he was killed.

The Marble slabs are the tops of huge tombs that have the bones gathered in specific sectors. This window bay has for Eix and Tavennes. You can see where Detrus's stone is.

Here the link to his docs and a write up about what the medics went through.

http://www.kaiserscross.com/40056/40625.html

I had to get permission to take a pic as it is normally forbidden.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Above was with flash, this is with natural light.

[Chris Boonzaier]

The windows have a reddish tinge.

[joe campbell]

thanks, chris.

i hope i can get there someday.

i'll trade you a tour of gettysburg

for a tour of verdun...

joe

[orden_master]

Hello Chris

could you please give me some explanations about "Tavannes" as the village were I grove up in Switzerland has the same name!

Thanks

Best regards

Milan

Above was with flash, this is with natural light.

[Chris Boonzaier]

HI,

in this case it would be the Fort de Tavannes, to the South East of the Fort Souville. The germans did not reach Tavannes and I think it was mainly a wounded station and ammunition supply (there was a loooong underground tunnel in front of the fort. Detrus was probably carrying wounded in the area South of Fort Vaux to the tunnel. Both Eix and the fort Tavannes are behind the lines in the South East corner of the battlefield.

Best

Chris