The title of today's blog comes from John McRae's poem "In Flanders Field":
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Today was a day of learning, remembrance, and respect. We began the day in Albert, just east of Amiens, where we met up with the students from Moore High and Southmoore at the Museum of the Shelters and where we wandered through underground shelters that actual date as far back as the Middle Ages to protect the people of Albert from invading armies. Indeed, this part of France has seen invading armies marching through as far back as the Hundred Years' war --- actually, probably as far back as Roman times. So, when World War I came along with its gassing and bombing, these underground passages and caves were reinforced and used as shelters for people, supplies, and arms. Today, the museum houses a vast collection of artifacts and detailed explanations of the war and the conditions for both soldiers and civilians. Everything is clearly explained in French, German, Dutch, and English, so our students were able to wander at their leisure and learn about the Battle of the Somme, trench warfare, the role of allied forces in defending France, and the horrible conditions for local civilians.
The entrance to the underground shelters
Students exploring some of the exhibits
Some of the artifacts on display int he museum
Unexploded missiles which show how the missiles were made. The First World War was the first modern war and new technologies forced armies to redesign war strategies, armaments, defenses, equipment, and organization in the field.
The tunnels are hundreds of meters long and the display cases are well-organized by theme.
Chantal learned about the important Canadian involvement in the Battle of the Somme and throughout World War I in France.
These two pictures (above and below) show some local folk art. The locals carve images on the brass bomb casings that can be found everywhere here. Since they are made of brass, with a high polish, all of the items are really quite beautiful and unique.
As we walked along the tunnel, there were caves all along the side that recreated conditions during World War I in the trenches and shelters.
When we came out of the underground shelters, we were quite far from where we first entered. So after some souvenir shopping, we got to walk through a park and see some of the town of Albert. Here above is a picture of our entire group of Oklahoma students.
Michaela enjoying her ice cream cone from the gift shop.
Madame Robillard and Riley outside the cement-fortified shelter.
Riley, Madame Worster, and Michaela at the mural commemorating the Battle of the Somme. We came across this wonderful mural on our walk back to the bus at the museum's entrance.
The Museum of the Shelters is actually alongside (and runs partially under) the Basilica of Notre Dame de Brebières. A basilica is a Roman Catholic church that has been given certain special ceremonial rights by the Vatican, most often because miracles have taken place there. This basilica has a special history, explained by Wikipedia: "During World War I, the statue of Mary and the infant Jesus - designed by sculptor Albert Roze and dubbed the "Golden Virgin" - on top of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Brebières was hit by a shell on January 15, 1915, and slumped to a near-horizontal position, where however it remained until further shelling in 1918 destroyed the tower. The Germans said that whoever made the statue fall would lose the war, and a number of legends surrounding the "Leaning Virgin" developed among German, French, and British soldiers. The Leaning Virgin became an especially familiar image to the thousands of British soldiers who fought at the Battle of the Somme (1916), many of whom passed through Albert, which was situated three miles from the front lines." Here is a picture of the steeple and statue on top of the basilica after they were damaged in 1915:
And here are our students in front of the basilica today:
After our visit in Albert, we traveled to the Somme American Cemetery and Monument in Bony, France. We started in the Visitor Building where we took this group picture:
Then we were given a tour and explanation of the history of the cemetery by Eric Barker, a former US Army officer and now a diplomat working for the American Battlefield Monuments Commission. He was wonderfully helpful and spoke with the gentle tones of a Cajun from Louisiana. He is seen here speaking to our students:
We went into the memorial which is part of the cemetery. There is an ecumenical chapel inside and the names of the American soldiers missing in action in the Somme region from World War I.
Here is Tyler Beck who found his last name among the names of the missing inside the memorial monument:
Madame Robillard found her mother's maiden name (Farley) among the names of the missing as well:
Carly, Allison, and Chantal at the alter in the memorial chapel.
Kiel and Tyler at the grave of one of the three Medal of Honor soldiers buried at this cemetery. Both of these boys were powerfully moved by the experience of this visit.
Below are some of the gravestones we found worthy of note:
The grave of an unknown soldier.
The grave of a Jewish soldier (so not all the headstones are crosses)
The remains of seven soldiers share this one grave, probably because their remains could not be distinguished one from the other. Such are the consequences of bombing and shelling.
Seven of the gravestones for Oklahoma soldiers buried here:
Mr. Barker continued his presentation to us about the cemetery, the battle sin the Somme region where the soldiers died, and the stories of families who still come to honor their dead and the dedication of the American government in maintaining this cemetery and others with dignity and respect.
Katie on a quest to find one of the Oklahoma soldiers' graves
One view of the cemetery. It is impossible to explain the sense of overwhelming grief and gratitude we felt in visiting this cemetery.
The Somme American Cemetery and Memorial is truly far out in the countryside. This picture (above) gives a sense of the French countryside. We found a patch of red poppies along the roadside and just had to get some pictures with these beautiful flowers, which were the first to bloom after the first soldiers kille din World War I were buried and which have remained ever since an eternal image of the selfless sacrifice made by these soldiers in saving France and Europe during World War I (an indeed, in all wars).
Kiel and the poppies
Katie and the poppies
Caroline and the poppies
Madame Robillard and the poppies
Our next stop was Péronne, a quaint village in the Somme valley and in a region known as the "Santerre" (which loosely translates as "holy ground"). We had a picnic lunch outside the medieval towers of the Museum of the Great War. We then visited the museum.
Michaela striking the pose of the statue of victory.
A group picture in front of a sculptured frieze of soldiers in the Great War.
One of the many propaganda posters from the Great War on display in the museum.
One of the many lithographs by Otto Dix on display in a special collection at the museum.
We were all, students and teachers alike, deeply moved by what we saw and learned on this day dedicated to exploring the Somme region and its history of World War I.
May we never forget such destruction, such loss, such sacrifice.
"In the Somme valley, the back of language broke. It could no longer carry its former meanings. World War I changed the life of words and images in art, radically and forever. It brought our culture into the age of mass-produced, industrialized death. This, at first, was indescribable." - Robert Hughes in "The Shock of the New"
