I seem to recall seeing something in the GS forum about a small town somewhere in central France that had been left as it was the day it was destroyed in WW2. I have searched various threads but cannot find it again. We are planning a trip that way next month and the guys wanted to include it on the agenda. Anyone able to help with the town name. As I recall it may have been near Limoges.
French town flattened by Nazis
- Thread starter Diamond Blade
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Number 6
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Oradour sur Glane, I think...........
And town still standing in ruins, just the poor people were slaughtered
Many thanks guys for the prompt response. Am I right in saying it was near Limoges ?
Spikehammer
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The resident of Vallon Pont d'Arc were massacred by the Nazi's and the old parts of the town have been left as a memorial...it may be that one.
Number 6
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Diamond Blade said:
Yes it is, try a Google search on 'Oradour sur Glane'
Yes it is near Limoges.
Found it now. Once again guys, many thanks for the quick replies.
Davy F
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There were a few other hamlets obliterated in the Vredun area with only scattered remains left to give any clues that people once lived in the area. I believe that the Verdun salient is the most shelled place on Earth and is a worthwhile area to visit.
Its definately Oradour.
You can read about it in the Book Das Reich by Max Hastings.
Story is, allied forces invade France 6 th June '44, SS division Das Reich is refitting in south west France.
Das Reich start to move Normandy but keep getting attacked by French resistance and therefore a 3 day move takes 2 weeks.
Eventually they get pissed off and also one of there popular officers is 'kidnapped'.
They believe Oradour residents are responsible, so surround village move women and children into Church, shoot all men then blow church up.
Village is then torched.
Das reich move onto Normandy and pretty well shot up. Survivors are taken to court after the war but are let off.
Oradour is left as monument, new town built 1 mile down road.
Was used at beginning and end of award winning World at War series (Thames TV 1973)
You can read about it in the Book Das Reich by Max Hastings.
Story is, allied forces invade France 6 th June '44, SS division Das Reich is refitting in south west France.
Das Reich start to move Normandy but keep getting attacked by French resistance and therefore a 3 day move takes 2 weeks.
Eventually they get pissed off and also one of there popular officers is 'kidnapped'.
They believe Oradour residents are responsible, so surround village move women and children into Church, shoot all men then blow church up.
Village is then torched.
Das reich move onto Normandy and pretty well shot up. Survivors are taken to court after the war but are let off.
Oradour is left as monument, new town built 1 mile down road.
Was used at beginning and end of award winning World at War series (Thames TV 1973)
oradoure
Yep it was oradour, went there in 2000. very spooky place. after the event the town was moved 1mile down the road and the original town was left as it stood. I went and walked around, bit like tales you here of pow camps, no birds singing no talking even though hundreds of visitors just a faint crunching of feet on gravel. It has to be the saddest place i've ever been to.
worth a visit but it will have an effect on you.
It doesn't do anything to restore your faith in human nature.
Yep it was oradour, went there in 2000. very spooky place. after the event the town was moved 1mile down the road and the original town was left as it stood. I went and walked around, bit like tales you here of pow camps, no birds singing no talking even though hundreds of visitors just a faint crunching of feet on gravel. It has to be the saddest place i've ever been to.
worth a visit but it will have an effect on you.
It doesn't do anything to restore your faith in human nature.
Took this pic last year because of the similarity between the vapour trails and the tramlines. Converted to B&W as it seemed fitting................
One of the surprising details is that a lot of the SS that levelled the town......... were French!
Definately worth a visit if you are in the area.
Al
One of the surprising details is that a lot of the SS that levelled the town......... were French!
Definately worth a visit if you are in the area.
Al
Attachments
Some stuff here on my blog when Clive and I visited there last year.
http://mikeprince.typepad.com/journey_to_/2006/06/index.html
Scroll down through the Pyrenees section. Click on the images to get a larger version.
http://mikeprince.typepad.com/journey_to_/2006/06/index.html
Scroll down through the Pyrenees section. Click on the images to get a larger version.
Roy
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Me and Kaz were there this summer, very quiet, you could feel something terrible had happened.
The remains of the pram in the church that was grenaded and burned.
Souviens Toi.
more info on
http://www.oradour.info/
roy
The remains of the pram in the church that was grenaded and burned.
Souviens Toi.
more info on
http://www.oradour.info/
roy
Invicta Moto
Registered user
Went last week after years of thinking about it. Having read Mike P's blog gave me an insight.
I was surprised at the number of British cars in the car-park and everyone was a credit to us, no larking about. It's a shame that at a national monument the French came with picnics and their kids larking about with footballs etc. Perhaps it's a cultural thing!
Very movng and the blue plaques that they have put up to mark the businesses bring a sense of the human scale of things ratther than gutted buildings and rusting cars.
I was surprised at the number of British cars in the car-park and everyone was a credit to us, no larking about. It's a shame that at a national monument the French came with picnics and their kids larking about with footballs etc. Perhaps it's a cultural thing!
Very movng and the blue plaques that they have put up to mark the businesses bring a sense of the human scale of things ratther than gutted buildings and rusting cars.
I was there 2 weeks ago.
It's a 'must visit' place.
Greg
It's a 'must visit' place.
Greg
Invicta Moto
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Recueillez-vous
There are a few of these scattered around the site to mark places where they found mass execution sites.
There are a few of these scattered around the site to mark places where they found mass execution sites.
MasterDabber
Registered user
The old tramlines to Limoges are still in place.
And the bakers oven where they found the burnt body of a baby.
And the bakers oven where they found the burnt body of a baby.
Theres another Oradour twix Cermont and Milau, near Saint-Flour. Not to far from the N75. Don't ask how I found out. 
I can still hear the Frenchies giggling as I wandered out of the bar. Apparently they were having thick roast beef for dinner. 
I can still hear the Frenchies giggling as I wandered out of the bar. Apparently they were having thick roast beef for dinner. 
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