Le France 5 - Verdun War Memorial

Douaumont Ossuaire:
Sitting on the ridge of Thiaumont and only a few hundred metres away from the fort, Douaumont Ossuaire contains the remains of 130,000 unknown French and German soldiers who fell on the battlefields of Verdun. Inside there are 18 Alcoves, each containing a pair of tombs. On the wall above each tomb there is an inscription showing the area of the battlefield from where the bodies were recovered. Each tomb covers an 18 cubic metre vault.

In front of the Ossuary the French National Cemetery contains the graves of 15.000 French Soldiers. As in other French cemeteries each grave is marked by a white cross with a name plate. Muslim soldiers are buried beneath a suitable gravestone
facing towards Mecca.
- Verdun: Douaumont Ossuary and Cemetery

posted by Steve @ 4/19/2006 01:36:00 PM