1922 Europe Journal, Part 8: WWI Battlefields in France

There's a lot of history here. As you may have noticed, I've been putting my grandma's journal entries in quotes, italics, and a dark purple font. My notes and comments are in brackets within the story. I have done a lot of research just Googling places and terms, but I cannot link to any external websites without their permission. I leave it to you to dig in more if you are interested :)

Thursday, June 29, 1922

“We got up at 6:30 and got down to the American Express company by 8:30.  Didn’t get started on our two-day battlefield trip until 9:00.  Had a congenial party in the car. Our guide was mighty interesting and looked after us in fine shape.  Saw places where the Germans had cut down the long lines of trees on either side of the road.  The stumps could be seen.  We also saw a big air-plane station.  The guide explained how the roads were camouflaged during the war [WWI].  We stopped at Soissons for lunch.  Had a fine meal.  Walked about the town a bit.  Saw many evidences of the destruction of the war.  The cathedral and railroad center were demolished.”

Soissons, La Rue St-Christophe, circa 1914, before WWI

Soissons, La Rue St-Christophe, circa 1920, after WWI

[The Battle of Soissons occurred July 18-22, 1918. The German armies fought the French, who had American assistance. The battle ended with the French recapturing most of the ground lost to Germany the month before.]

“In the p.m. we drove on to Reims.  Here we saw the ruins of the famous cathedral which was one of the greatest and most beautiful in the world.  An old church built in the time of Caesar.  This town was under constant bombardment during the entire war. We stopped at Hill 108 this afternoon before we got to Reims. Here we saw the place just as it was left at the close of the war.  Went down into a dugout.  Picked poppies and found pieces of shell splinters.  All the way we could see signs of destruction.  The guide kept trying to impress upon us how it must have looked when all the green was off the trees.  We arrived at Reims where we had dinner and stayed all night.  The Company arranged for the accommodations.  We did not have a very clean place.  None of us enjoyed the eats very much.  The rooms were not so bad.  Slept under featherbeds.  I don’t see how the people of the towns can do as well as they do accommodating tourists.”

Rue Gambetta before and after WWI

[Reims is also spelled Rheims. Reims became a major city during the Roman Empire. As my grandma mentioned, severe damage was done to the cathedral here. Images of the damaged cathedral were used by France as anti-German propaganda. It certainly wasn’t hard to find massive destruction throughout France, judging by the images I’ve seen.]

Battlefied touring vehicle, circa 1922

Friday, June 30, 1922
“We started out again about 8:30. First we went out to the fort outside of Reims (Fort de la Pompelle).  This has been fortified for years and the place was made use of during the war.  Had a good chance to see the barbed wire entanglements.  Had our pictures taken on an abandoned British tank.”

[Fort de la Pompelle is one of several forts built around Reims after 1870. During WWI, it saw the heaviest fighting of the Reims forts. It remains in a state of ruin to this day (2013).] 

On British Tank near Fort Le Pompelle

Two French soldiers as noted in the journal.

“Here we met two French soldiers who were on duty during rifle practice, which was being held a short distance away.  Our guide talked to them - then interpreted for us.  One was 14 when the war broke out.  He was taken prisoner, his father was killed.  They were very pleased to have W take their pictures.”

“Our next stop was at some famous wine caves near Reims.  These were originally chalk caves but were taken over by a wine company.  We saw a little of the process of making champagne.  It is stored for three years, then the bottles are inverted and turned every day for six weeks.  All of the residue which has collected about the cork is then frozen and removed.  A sweetening or flavoring syrup is put in and the bottles are sealed again.  There are over 11 miles of caves here.  At this time, they had about 11 million bottles of champagne.  In several different places there were large representations chiseled out of the rock showing the festival of Bachus, etc.  During the war, the manufacturing of wine went on just the same.  Some of the caves were used for school purposes also.  We had to walk down 116 steps, so you see it would take a pretty large bomb to penetrate that.”

“From Reims we went on through a number of little towns, all more or less destroyed, but all being re-built.  At Fisures [?] we had a puncture so we had a chance to walk about the town.  It was here that the Rainbow Division did hard fighting.  After our chauffeur had the tire fixed, we went on and stopped at Epernay where Quentin Roosevelt [Teddy’s son] was killed.  Walked back in the field to his grave.  The engine bothered, so once more we were held up by repairs.” 

[The “Rainbow Division” is the 42nd Infantry Division of the National Guard and U.S. Army. It has served in WWI, WWII, and the Global War on Terrorism. Quentin Roosevelt (Nov. 19, 1897 - July 14, 1918) was the youngest son of President Theodore Roosevelt. Quentin’s plane, a Nieuport 28, was shot down in combat over Chamery. The German military buried him with military honors; however, the flyers they created of the dead pilot for propaganda were met with shock by the German people, who held President Roosevelt in high respect.]

"Quentin Roosevelts Grave Near Chanerey"

“It was about 2:30 when we left Epernay and we were due at Chateau Thierry for lunch.  Got there about 3:30. The English lady who runs the restaurant was waiting for us and made us feel very welcome.  We were ready for lunch, too.  The guide ate with us. He was very interesting.  Our next stop was at Belleau Wood where the American Marines did such hard fighting.  The French government has changed the name to Marine Woods. Here we visited an American cemetery.  It is beautifully kept up.  Has a lovely American flag floating over it.  Climbed up to the top of the hill to the lookout.  We reached Paris about 9:00 - too late to go to a show.”

U. S. Cemetery near Belleau Wood - now Aisne-Marne American Cemetery 

[The Battle of Chateau-Thierry was fought on July 18, 1918. The American army played a large role fighting for the regions around Soissons and Chateau-Thierry. The Battle of Belleau Wood occurred from June 1-26, 1918, during the German Spring Offensive near the Marne River. U.S. forces suffered 9,777 casualties, including 1,811 killed. Many are buried in the nearby Aisne-Marne American Cemetery (the cemetery my grandma listed and photographed.) After the battle, the French renamed the wood, “Bois de la Brigade de Marine” - “Wood of the Marine Brigade” - in honor of the Marines’ tenacity.]