Remains of 21 WW1 Soldiers Found (1 Viewer)

Users who are viewing this thread

DeathHand

Let It All Bleed Out
The 'Pompeii' of the Western Front:
Archaeologists find the bodies of 21 tragic World War One German soldiers in perfectly preserved trenches where
they were buried alive by an Allied shell

  • Men were killed when a huge Allied shell exploded above the tunnel in eastern France in 1918, causing it to cave in
  • Engineers find trench network 18ft beneath the surface near town of Carspach while excavating for a new road
  • Scene likened to Pompeii after skeletal remains found in same positions the men had been in at the time of the collapse
The bodies of 21 German soldiers entombed in a perfectly preserved World War One shelter have been discovered 94 years after they were killed.

The men were part of a larger group of 34 who were buried alive when a huge Allied shell exploded above the tunnel in 1918, causing it to cave in.

Thirteen bodies were recovered from the underground shelter, but the remaining men had to be left under a mountain of mud as it was too dangerous to retrieve them.

Nearly a century later, French archaeologists stumbled upon the mass grave on the former Western Front in eastern France during excavation work for a road building project.

Many of the skeletal remains were found in the same positions the men had been in at the time of the collapse, prompting experts to liken the scene to Pompeii.

A number of the soldiers were discovered sitting upright on a bench, one was lying in his bed and another was in the fetal position having been thrown down a flight of stairs.

As well as the bodies, poignant personal effects such as boots, helmets, weapons, wine bottles, spectacles, wallets, pipes, cigarette cases and pocket books were also found.

Even the skeleton of a goat was found, assumed to be a source of fresh milk for the soldiers.

Archaeologists believe the items have been so well-preserved because hardly any air, water or lights had penetrated the trench.

The 300ft-long tunnel was located 18ft beneath the surface near the small town of Carspach in the Alsace region of France.

Michael Landolt, the archaeologist leading the dig, said: 'It's a bit like Pompeii. Everything collapsed in seconds and is just the way it was at the time.

'Here, as in Pompeii, we found the bodies as they were at the moment of their death. Some of the men were found in sitting positions on a bench, others lying down. One was projected down a flight of wooden stairs and was found in a fetal position.

'The collapsed shelter was filled with soil. The items were very well-preserved because of the absence of air and light and water.

'Metal objects were rusty, wood was in good condition and we found some pages of newspapers that were still readable. Leather was in good condition as well, still supple.

'The items will be taken to a laboratory, cleaned and examined.'

Archaeologists also uncovered the wooden sides, floors and stairways of the shelter.

The dead soldiers were part of the 6th Company, 94th Reserve Infantry Regiment.

Their names are all known - they include Musketeer Martin Heidrich, 20, Private Harry Bierkamp, 22, and Lieutenant August Hutten, 37, whose names are inscribed on a memorial in the nearby German war cemetery of Illfurth.

The bodies have been handed over to the German War Graves Commission but unless relatives can be found and they request the remains to be repatriated, it is planned that the men will be buried at Illfurth.

The underground tunnel was big enough to shelter 500 men and had 16 exits. It would have been equipped with heating, telephone connections, electricity, beds and a pipe to pump out water.

The French attacked the shelter on March 18, 1918 with aerial mines that penetrated the ground and blasted in the side wall of the shelter in two points.

It is estimated that over 165,000 Commonwealth soldiers are still unaccounted for on the Western Front.

Source

Images Set 1.

1. German helmet recovered from the mud filled trench.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed1-France-2012.jpg


2. Parts of the 300ft long trench that was found.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed2-France-2012.jpg


3. Excavated, the fllor boards, a few beds, and a German helmet are visible.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed3-France-2012.jpg


4. More of the trench system as archaeologists excavate.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed4-France-2012.jpg


5. Excavated trench system just below ground level.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed5-France-2012.jpg
 

DeathHand

Let It All Bleed Out
Images Set 2.

6. Among the caved in and rotting boards, and ventilation pipe.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed6-France-2012.jpg


7. A bell. Possibly used to warn of incoming gas attacks.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed7-France-2012.jpg


8. Inside the deeply dug trench.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed8-France-2012.jpg


9. A German soldiers gun holster.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed9-France-2012.jpg


10. Intact floor boards, a hammer and a German soldiers ammo pouches.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed10-France-2012.jpg
 

DeathHand

Let It All Bleed Out
Images Set 3.

11. A trench hammer.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed11-France-2012.jpg


12. A nearly intact German rifle.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed12-France-2012.jpg


13. A German rifle and a drinking glass.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed13-France-2012.jpg


14. What appears to be a small purse with coins in it.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed14-France-2012.jpg


15. A bottle of wine.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed15-France-2012.jpg
 

DeathHand

Let It All Bleed Out
Images Set 4.

16. Shreds of a 1918 German newspaper.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed16-France-2012.jpg


17. Archaeologists as they found an opening into the collapsed trench.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed17-France-2012.jpg


18. Aerial view of the large scale trench system that is being excavated.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed18-France-2012.jpg


19. German officers and soldiers pose in the trench after it was completed.
21-german-buried-soldiers-1918-unearthed19-France-2012.jpg
 

DeathHand

Let It All Bleed Out
Amazing....

Rest In Peace, Brothers.
Yes, it's amazing and one has to wonder how many others like this - Allied and Axis - as still out there somewhere.

It's good to see that these boys will be brought home after so long. The last one that I saw were several German soldiers that were found by relic hunters. They called in the authorities (once they found human bones) and continued the dig. Eight men were found in a long forgotten trench that had filled in over the years but all were given a proper burial in a German cemetery with full honors.

The Germans, like the British, Canadians, Russians, Americans, etc. have large volumes of books that detail the names of the dead (dates and locations) and then others that are simply listed as MIA. These sorts of finds yield not just the remains of soldiers but also their dog/ID tags: which once processed can give a soldier an approx. date of death and location - striking away the MIA status and replacing it with KIA.
 
Back
Top