Weitermarsch bis außerhalb von Templeux. Dort biwakieren wir bis mittags und marschieren dann weiter bis Moislains. Hier übernachten wir in einer Baracke.Wir sind jetzt mitten im eigentlichen Somme-Gebiet, in der Wüste im wahrsten sinne des Wortes. Von Ortschaften ist weit und breit nichts zu sehen. Ein Schild mit der Namensaufschrift bezeichnet jedoch das Dorf, das einstmal hier gestanden hat. Nicht einmal übrig gebliebene Ruinen erinnern an die einstigen Dörfer. So furchtbar hat hier 1916 die Somme-Schlacht getobt. Granatlöcher von verschiedener Tiefe, alle mit Gras überwachsen, reihen sich an Granatlöcher. Man sieht keinen Baum, keinen Strauch; alles Leben ist weggemäht. Eine öde Mondlandschaft ist zurückgeblieben. In welcher Zeit wird Menschenhand wiederaufbauen können, was hier vernichtet worden ist? Ihr armen Menschen, die ihr damals als Evakuierte eure Wohnplätze habt verlassen müssen und jetzt vielleicht irgendwo in Belgien weit hinter der Etappe sitzt, ihr werdet nicht einmal den Platz wiederfinden, an dem euer Dorf gestanden hat, viel weniger den Grund und Boden eures Hauses. Ganze Straßen sind verschwunden. Verstreut im Gelände sieht man nur häufig, ja sehr häufig kleine Holzkreuze, die damals von den Franzosen gesetzt wurden. Alle sind ohne Namen. Als Aufschrift liest man „Un soldat allemand“ oder „Un soldat francais“, oder auch sehr oft „Ici repose un brave soldat fraincais tombé pour sa patrie“. Viele englische Gräber zeigen die Aufschrift „Un soldat anglais“.
Die französischen Kreuze sind von den französischen Nationalfarben umgeben, die englischen Kreuze tragen die Zier englischer Farben. Die deutschen Kreuze sind ohne jeden Schmuck. Eine große Anzahl der Grabkreuzen ist abgerissen; viele wurden von den Granaten hinweggemäht. Die Somme-Wüste ist ein einziges Massengrab für Tausende von deutschen und feindlichen Soldaten.
We march until leaving the limits of Templeux. Here we bivouac until noon and then continue to Moislains. There we take quarters in a barrack.We now are in the middle of the actual Somme Area, a wasteland in the real meaning of the word. All over the place, there is no trace of any village. A sign with a name scribbled upon marks the village that once was located here. Not even some left ruins remind of the former villages. This is how horrible the Somme battle had raged here back in 1916. Shellholes of all different depths, all covered with gras now, line up one next to the other. No trees, no bush, all life is mown away. What is left is an empty wasteland like on the moon. What time will it take for man, to build up again what has been destroyed here? You poor people that had to leave their homes as refugees back then, and now might be camping somewhere in Belgium far behind the front's resting area, you won't even find the location where your village had been, left alone the place of your houses. Whole streets are have disappeared. Scattered in the area you can often, actually very often, see little wooden crosses, that had been placed by the French. All are without names. You can only read "Un soldat allemand" or "Un soldat francais" or very often "Ici repose un brave soldat fraincais tombé pour sa patrie".
The french crosses are surrounded by the nation's colors, the english crosses being decorated by english colors. German crosses are without any ornament. A large number of crosses is torn off; many have been mown down by the shells. The Somme wasteland is one big mass grave for thousands of german and enemy soldiers.
FRA
Marciamo fino a lasciare i confini di Templeux. Qui facciamo un bivacco fino a mezzogiorno e poi continuiamo per Moislains. Qui ci sistemiamo in una caserma.Siamo proprio nel mezzo dell'area della Somme, una terra devastata, nel vero senso della parola. Tutto intorno non c'è traccia di nessun paese. Un cartello con un nome scarabocchiato indica il nome del paese che una volta stava lì. Niente delle rovine rimaste ricorda i relativi villaggi. E' tanto orribile quanto la battaglia della Somme, che qui infuriò nel 1916. Buche da proiettili di ogni dimensione, ora coperte d'erba, si allineano una dopo l'altra. Niente alberi ne' cespugli, tutto ciò che era vivo è stato falciato via. Tutto quello che rimane è una vuota distesa devastata, come sulla luna. Quanto ci vorrà per l'uomo, ricostruire quello che è stato qui distrutto? Voi, povera gente che avete dovuto lasciare le vostre case come rifugiati allora, ed ora forse siete accampati da qualche parte in Belgio, lontano, dietro le retrovie del fronte; voi non ritroverete nemmeno dove stava il vostro villaggio. Strade intere sono scomparse. Sparse qua e là nell'area voi spesso, oggi molto spesso, potete vedere piccole croci di legno messe dai Francesi. Sono tutte senza nome. Puoi solo leggere "un soldat allemand" o " un soldat francais" o, molto spesso, " ici repose un brave soldat francais tombé pour sa patrie".
Le croci Francesi sono circondate dai colori nazionali; quelle Inglesi dai colori britannici. Le croci Tedesche sono prive di ornamenti. Un gran numero di esse sono divelte; molte sono state spezzate dai bombardamenti. La terra devastata della Somme è un enorme cimitero per migliaia di soldati tedeschi e nemici.
We march until leaving the limits of Templeux. Here we bivouac until noon and then continue to Moislains. There we take quarters in a barrack.
AntwortenLöschenWe now are in the middle of the actual Somme Area, a wasteland in the real meaning of the word. All over the place, there is no trace of any village. A sign with a name scribbled upon marks the village that once was located here. Not even some left ruins remind of the former villages. This is how horrible the Somme battle had raged here back in 1916. Shellholes of all different depths, all covered with gras now, line up one next to the other. No trees, no bush, all life is mown away. What is left is an empty wasteland like on the moon. What time will it take for man, to build up again what has been destroyed here? You poor people that had to leave their homes as refugees back then, and now might be camping somewhere in Belgium far behind the front's resting area, you won't even find the location where your village had been, left alone the place of your houses. Whole streets are have disappeared. Scattered in the area you can often, actually very often, see little wooden crosses, that had been placed by the French. All are without names. You can only read "Un soldat allemand" or "Un soldat francais" or very often "Ici repose un brave soldat fraincais tombé pour sa patrie".
The french crosses are surrounded by the nation's colors, the english crosses being decorated by english colors. German crosses are without any ornament. A large number of crosses is torn off; many have been mown down by the shells. The Somme wasteland is one big mass grave for thousands of german and enemy soldiers.