72 usmc Posted January 2 Author Share Posted January 2 I just stumbled onto this photo in 3x5 original paper, not a modern reprint. No press release mark on the back. I saw it and purchased it asap. Apparently too fast. I was unsure if a Chateau Thierry German cemetery. It is Chateau de Chehery of the last Meuse push. I found out this is not Chateau Thierry, but the Village of Chatel Chehery in the Ardennes Argonne northern France associated with the Meuse Campaign. A neat photo dated 1919. O well.... a quote Quote The Meuse–Argonne offensive was a major part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire Western Front. It was fought from September 26, 1918, until the Armistice of November 11, 1918, a total of 47 days. Source Wikipedia An interesting read: https://www.abmc.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Section4.pdf Nearby the area where Alvan York earned his medal. Also the Lost Battalion history. Has anyone seen this cemetery view? How common is this photo of this 1919 cemetery. Anyone have a history of this cemetery ? Were these 1919 gaves relocated? A stone monument is in the center of the cemetery, yet the building complex is still in a battered shelled state in Janaury, 1919. Does anyone know this building complex? It appears a good deal of work was done to mark the German graves in this January 1919 photo. This photo was taken approximately 60 days after the 11 November Armistice and shows paper or ribbon tags on some of the crosses. This is an interesting cemetery historical photo. So much effort by who ? The villagers, the Germans,... odd no mass graves. Is the cross shapes with a roof like triangle over the cross a German or French style WW I cross? Why do some crosses have a roof and others do not? Different religions? I can show some close up views when the photo arrives. Any historical information a reader can provide is welcomed. Are the oval markers on the cross wood or metal? What style of cross is this? I have never seen this in U.S. old 1920s cemeteries. I have never seen this view also of interest: I wonder if those odd crosses are a German Catholic tradition at the turn of the 20th century. These soldiers must have been buried while the town was under German occupation and control. In most civilian cemeteries I excavated, the old wood crosses were rotted away and long gone. Only a rock or sunken ground depression marked a burial location of poor graves. Wealthy families had tombstones. This reminds me of a book I am reading ( I should do a book review on this, a fantastic book about mass graves excavation of Australian & British soldiers buried by the Germans): 'Remember Me to All' : The Archaeological Recovery and Identification of Soldiers Who Fought and Died in the Battle of Fromelles 1916, an Oxford Archaeological monograph 23 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 Crosses with a "Dacherl" usually of Southern German/Austrian catholic tradition 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72 usmc Posted March 9 Author Share Posted March 9 I found an interesting Belleau Wood post card that shows the visitor and caretakers building under construction, scaffolding is seen against the walls so this card most likely dates around 1930-1931. A second view from a later pre WWII card, most likely around 1937-1938, this shows a completed complex and front gates. The Boston architectural firm of Cram & Fergusion designed the 1929-33 plans for tall new Chapel, entrance gates, and the two buildings show in the cards; the vistor building and the staff care taker building at the Aisn-Marne Cemetery (American Expeditionary forces Cemetery Number 1764-Belleau Wood). On July of 1923, the Belleau Wood Cemetery was dedicated as an American battle monument site. After improvements, the newly named Aisne-Marne Cemetery was dedicated on 30 May 1937 with the completed Chapel sitting at the base of Belleau Woods. The second later view of the completed complex. Below are some views of the structures. Here is a view of the early 1920-1928 wood buildings at the gate prior to the 1929-1933 improvements. HABS report source 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72 usmc Posted March 17 Author Share Posted March 17 A 7/ 18/ 1931 dated post card showing the new finished entry road and the vistor building and the staff care taker building . A nice view of the woods with a lack of trees from the battle even in 1930. The lower photo portion shows the open path at the end of the battle. Where the flag is standing in the above photo. This is a central portion of a 1918 yard long. This at the base of the wooded hill of Belleau Woods. It shows the Hunting Lodge tower on the top. Photo is before the cemetery is located here. Title: As seen on the original yard long photo: "A close up view of the Belleau Woods showing the hard fought ground captured by the American Army in 1918" Fred Schutz Photograph(Washington, D.C.) Date Created/Published: 1918. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72 usmc Posted March 19 Author Share Posted March 19 I just purchased a very interesting post card with what might be a WW I French Berliet transport bus on the road to Chateau Thierry that is adjacent to the June 1918, Doctor Boone Dressing station at the Marine HQ farmstead. Behind the truck to the upper right you can see the farm building's roof and gutter line, and to the lower left in the view you can see the Marine burials. This Marceel Delboy photo post card is dated 1918. It appears barb wire still remains along the road in front of the truck. The men in the photo are dressed in coats so the weather must have been cold at the time the photo was taken. The U.S. Marine burials were removed sometime between the late summer of 1918 and early spring of 1919 to the newly established American Cemetery at the foot of Belleau Woods. I have a photo dated February 1919 showing the relocated graves in the new cemetery. Here is the card. Here are views that confirm the location. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72 usmc Posted March 24 Author Share Posted March 24 After a long wait, I was finally able to obtain at a reasonable cost an interesting view of an original, somewhat worn and damaged, 10 inch x 8 inch press photograph dated 26 August 1919 of Belleau Wood Cemetery. The Belleau Wood cemetery was well established by summer of 1919. This photo shows only the flag pole; no buildings have yet been constructed. Wood crosses mark the graves. The entry road is at the East end of the cemetery, not at the northern edge. This has its description tag still attached on the rear of the photo. I will see if I can get a more detailed photo after it arrives Map source; Aisne-Marne American Cemetery & Memorial Pamphlet 1920 view of Belleau Wood Yard Long 1920s Repatriation of WW I dead. A look... possibley dated 10/31 19. Reel America C span Graves Registration Service U.S. Army Silent Film Belleau Wood Historian Mitchell Yockelson and French World War I battlefield guide Guillaume Moizan provided commentary while watching the film. https://www.c-span.org/video/?445390-4/graves-registration-service-us-army-silent-film 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72 usmc Posted March 24 Author Share Posted March 24 Source Chateau Thierry battle recovery, Source of photo. https://www.loc.gov/resource/ppmsca.51942/ QUOTE The "skirmish line" searching for the lost graves ... Company A, 321st Labor Battalion, spread out in "skirmish line" formation by twos, searching for dead along the south bank of the Vesle in the Chateau-Thierry section. The stretchers are used to transport the bodies to the cemeteries / / U.S. Army Signal Corps A.E.F. photographic laboratory. END OF QUOTE 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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