Carrière du Chauffour

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

History

This underground quarry, although a large part of it is open to the air, already existed at the beginning of the 19th century. From September 1914, it lay within the French lines and remained there until June 1918, when it found itself 10 km behind German lines until mid-August. This quarry was occupied by regiments returning from Verdun or the Somme, completely exhausted; the Noyonnais was a relatively quiet front where battle-weary units came to recover. At the beginning of 1915, this quarry, which could hold two companies, began to be fitted out, particularly by the 72nd R.I.T. Rubble stones began to block the numerous openings of the quarry. Various fittings gave it the appearance of a troglodyte village. These billets were particularly well-maintained: window inspired by Byzantine art, rock inscriptions (more than 200). These rock inscriptions, made during the First World War, then during the Phoney War, or even by visitors, are distinguished by the extreme diversity of subjects addressed: surnames, units, scenes of military and daily life, patriotic and religious references, women, erotic scenes, portraits, caricatures of enemy soldiers, animals, flowers, ...