The Great War - A visit to the "Fort de la Falouse"

Hi again,

this post is about one of the numerous places we have visited on our Battletour to France in the end of October this year.

For me this museum was one of the most fascinating sights on this tour.

This fortress was built between 1906 and 1908. It was part of the inner defense belt around Verdun and was used as a recovering place for units fighting in Fort Lauffee, which was aout 1200m next to Fort de Vaux.. The alternating companies stayed here for about ten days each.

The fortress was never bombarded and was not hit by a single grenade so it is almost in its original condition. Only in 1942 the occupying German forces took the steel which they melted. So the doors , the beds, the grids, shutters etc. are not original.

In 2008 four friends bought this terrain and began to restore the fortress and also the trenches around the fortress. And they did a very good job. Just keep in mind that this museum was not financed by the country of France. It is the work of these four friends.

Cheers

Mike

A look through one of the embrasures

One of two German POWs.

Not very comfortable but better than the latrines for the normal soldiers as you will notice later.

The room of the officers.

The second German POW peeling potatoes.

Rats...

Do you remember the photo of the latrines for the officers? 

The trenches

Shelter from the rain