Remnants and memories of WWII............
Although the most well-known WWII sites are probably those in Normandy, thanks to Hollywood, there are notable remnants of the war elsewhere.
The German submarine pens at St Nazaire, just south of Brittany were designed to withstand Allied bombing so it is no wonder that they defied post-war attempts at demolition. Occupied with other tasks, the French just rebuilt around this enormous concrete structure. Last time we were here, we couldn't find it but this time the location had been marked on our detailed map by Carl, the Canadian sailor we met in northern Spain. He had tied his boat up for a night in the basin across from the pens. In the inimitable French way, there were no signs to the structure until you were upon it, but as soon as you come around the corner, there is no mistaking it. Nowdays, it houses as a tourist information office, a boutique and display explaining the present-day shipbuilding industry--the Queen Mary II was built here--and it is a major bus transfer point. This leaves a lot of space left over through which you can wander. An elevator takes you to the roof where there is a photo exhibit explaining what went on here and there is a marvelous view of the surrounding area since this is by far the tallest building in the immediate area. You can see the 'old port' which was completely flattened during the bombing but which was, in another of those inimitable French ways, rebuilt to a reasonable facsimile of what it looked like before the war, tall skinny buildings jammed into narrow streets. The sub base only surrendered after the Allied victory and it is said that they had enough food to hold out for two more years.
Around the corner to the north is another concrete behemoth, now styled 'Le Grand Blockhaus' museum. Today this tall blockhouse structure perches incongruously at the edge of the rocky shore surrounded by summer homes but during the war it guarded the approach to St. Nazaire. It still has a great view and good beach access and is one of the most interesting museums you'll find, crammed with period memorabilia. There isn't a lot of room inside and the day Al visited, he had to share it with a tour-bus-full of German tourists. Talk about deja vu!
Both of these structures were deliberately designed to withstand destruction but we also visited another site that the Nazis never expected to endure. Inland, near Limoges, the original village of Oradour-sur-Glane was the site of a horrible massacre by SS troops. The entire population of 648 was assembled in the square. The men were then forced into three barns which were then set on fire. Would-be escapees were shot. The women and children were herded into the church, which was similarly incinerated. Only six survivors remained to testify to the atrocity. After the war, no one remained to rebuild the village and General de Gaulle declared that it should remain as a memorial.
Today you can wander down the deserted streets where each roofless building bears a plaque explaining its former use. There were hotels, cafes, a barber shop, a dentist, a couple of dressmakers, at least three bakeries--everything a small village needed. Scattered among the ruins are rusted sewing machines, a dentist chair, other implements once used in everyday life. The soot stains in the church serve as a reminder of how these people died so cruelly, but on another level, the village remains as an illustration of the way that they lived then and thus continue to live in our memories and imaginations.
Although the most well-known WWII sites are probably those in Normandy, thanks to Hollywood, there are notable remnants of the war elsewhere.
The German submarine pens at St Nazaire, just south of Brittany were designed to withstand Allied bombing so it is no wonder that they defied post-war attempts at demolition. Occupied with other tasks, the French just rebuilt around this enormous concrete structure. Last time we were here, we couldn't find it but this time the location had been marked on our detailed map by Carl, the Canadian sailor we met in northern Spain. He had tied his boat up for a night in the basin across from the pens. In the inimitable French way, there were no signs to the structure until you were upon it, but as soon as you come around the corner, there is no mistaking it. Nowdays, it houses as a tourist information office, a boutique and display explaining the present-day shipbuilding industry--the Queen Mary II was built here--and it is a major bus transfer point. This leaves a lot of space left over through which you can wander. An elevator takes you to the roof where there is a photo exhibit explaining what went on here and there is a marvelous view of the surrounding area since this is by far the tallest building in the immediate area. You can see the 'old port' which was completely flattened during the bombing but which was, in another of those inimitable French ways, rebuilt to a reasonable facsimile of what it looked like before the war, tall skinny buildings jammed into narrow streets. The sub base only surrendered after the Allied victory and it is said that they had enough food to hold out for two more years.
Around the corner to the north is another concrete behemoth, now styled 'Le Grand Blockhaus' museum. Today this tall blockhouse structure perches incongruously at the edge of the rocky shore surrounded by summer homes but during the war it guarded the approach to St. Nazaire. It still has a great view and good beach access and is one of the most interesting museums you'll find, crammed with period memorabilia. There isn't a lot of room inside and the day Al visited, he had to share it with a tour-bus-full of German tourists. Talk about deja vu!
Both of these structures were deliberately designed to withstand destruction but we also visited another site that the Nazis never expected to endure. Inland, near Limoges, the original village of Oradour-sur-Glane was the site of a horrible massacre by SS troops. The entire population of 648 was assembled in the square. The men were then forced into three barns which were then set on fire. Would-be escapees were shot. The women and children were herded into the church, which was similarly incinerated. Only six survivors remained to testify to the atrocity. After the war, no one remained to rebuild the village and General de Gaulle declared that it should remain as a memorial.
Today you can wander down the deserted streets where each roofless building bears a plaque explaining its former use. There were hotels, cafes, a barber shop, a dentist, a couple of dressmakers, at least three bakeries--everything a small village needed. Scattered among the ruins are rusted sewing machines, a dentist chair, other implements once used in everyday life. The soot stains in the church serve as a reminder of how these people died so cruelly, but on another level, the village remains as an illustration of the way that they lived then and thus continue to live in our memories and imaginations.
posted by Al and Linda @ 7:08 AM
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