Concerning the 1944 massacre monument : In August 1944, the allied army was approaching Verdun and the Germans had to retreat. Before that, the Gestapo emptied the Verdun prison from 16 resistance fighters and shot them in the woods at that place on August 31th 1944. On December 22nd 1944, a railway worker smelled an horrible smell and discovered the 16 mutilated corpses. These are the 2 dates you saw on the monument.
I've been to Verdun several times in recent years. In 2010, a fierce storm knocked down numerous trees. Driving past one day, I spotted something by the roadside. After parking, I was struck by what I found: a stretch of barbed wire, surprisingly free of rust, lay where a fallen tree had been uprooted. It seemed almost newly placed. It took a moment to comprehend what I was seeing, and even longer for the reality of it to truly hit home. During another visit to "Mort-Homme," I came across an interpretive sign. It stated that the hill, having lost 12 meters in height from relentless bombardment during the war, was composed of a mix: one-third earth, one-third metal, and one-third human blood. Overcome by the moment, I knelt down, scooped up a handful of soil, and there among the dirt, I found two shards of shrapnel.
What a horrible outcome for men seeking shelter and security from "The War to End All Wars." I was at Verdun and the forts in the early 60s. My step-dad was stationed in West Germany and we spent a week just looking around. The black and white photos of the battlefields show the devastation, but even now it's hard to imagine no trees, no bushes, no grass. That had all been blown 50 feet in the air and landed in haphazard piles. Thanks, JD. You are adding to a history that most have forgotten.
I wish you could win an award for this series. I like the style of covering this battle. It is almost as good as the Gettysburg battle series. More of this please!
My grandfather and his brother were in the French infantry from 1914 to 1916/17. My grandfather survived Verdun although he was injured and lost his right eye. His brother (Julien Porisse) was killed at Fleury near Douamont Verdun. He was bringing food supplies from the back lines to the front lines and was caught in mortar shelling. His body was recuperated 6 months later in the Summer, his legs sticking out of a pile of earth, he was identified by his name sown into his putties (bands of cloth that were circled around the lower legs)…i was given his name, as was my father. Verdun marked the minds of both the French and German armies, as it was a human massacre for both sides. Your videos are really a tour into this part of the history. I have never been to see Verdun, i intended to go in 2016 for the centenary, but didn’t. I need to go and show my respect to those who gave everything in a war that should never have happened…
Will have to agree with others here. You keep getting better and better with your videos. Thanks for the stories and the work you do. You make history come alive.
It is an interesting approach of the French to construct the WWII monument where they did, focusing on the actual site of the massacre even though it is deep in the woods where it appears that people seldom visit.
Another Sunday morning with JC and JD. On top of that the Detroit Lions are playoff contenders. I think I'm in heaven. Thanks for the always awesome content!
Peace2U I am Lions and JD fan as well who lives in mDetroit metro area. Love JD’s content and glad to see fellow Lions fans with a passion for history as well! Have a good day
@@GhostofSicklesleg Funny how times changed, but not the Lions. I remember a Monday night Football game when they played so poorly the fans broke out in a chant of "Let's go Red Wings!" Keep the faith brother, and keep watching JD and the History Underground Channel. The Lions have plenty of time to disappoint us, but JD always comes through!
JD, anybody that thinks they're having a bad day because there parking space was too far away from the "OVER STOCKED" food store entrance should watch your Verdun series.....
Something intuitively screamed "Flamethrowers" inside my head as you were exploring the side bunkers/ pillbox complex near the entrance... For it to have been self inflicted just cranks up the horror...
i can't stop watching your content. most kids only watch youtube anymore so having this readily available is amazing. you may not know it, but you and anyone behind these videos, are literally teachers.
Enjoying all the info and seeing things that are WWl related. Looking forward to your next adventure and keeping history alive. Thank you JD for all the hard work you do.
Awesome video. I read a book on Verdun a few months ago and remember reading about this disaster. Seeing it covered in video was incredible. Thanks JD!
When you were walking through the forest to the tunnel, noticed that no birds were singing. Nnature seems to know horrible things occured in the area. Went to Hellfire Pass on Burma railway and that struck me straight away. Keep up the great work Best regards from UK
Thank you for all the research that you do on each and every video. It is a pleasure to see someone really knowing his subject, talking about the unknown facts & stories.
Great, great work about Verdun. I'm no military historian, but to me, Verdun seemed to be the defining battle of WW1. It was pure hell for both sides. Again, you did a great job.
It is absolutely amazing what horrific things what men are capable of doing to each other. It's always been that way and appears it always will be. Young men with so much potential being wasted. Young men dying fighting old men's wars
Thank you for this excellent series. Really enjoying every one of them, even though the history is so horrifically painful. Oh, and thank you for apologizing to your wife. I'm sure she has learned to sigh and shake her head when you come home with tales of your adventures. She has such patience. Thanks again for all you do.
So many of us really enjoy your videos. They're interesting and a lot of the stories are not well known. JD, please start being more careful about taking off to remote places alone. PLEASE!
I am learning so much about WW1. Have to admit not knowing much to start with. Guess WW2 coming along kinda pushed the first war further into history. Thanks JD but please take a buddy when you go places like this! 🇬🇧
You've outdone yourself this weekend. The triple header was a... home run... one might say. Fleury is my new favorite video but this one is up in the ranks, too. Awesome work retelling these stories this weekend... and thank you!
Translation from the french article on Wikipedia: After the start of hostilities, the Tavannes tunnel was decommissioned. Its geographical location made it a safe passage zone between the north-eastern part of the Verdun front and the rear. From 1914, the French army established a shelter inside the tunnel. It served as cantonments, headquarters, hospital and ammunition depot. The engineering troops set up rows of bunks on three heights, leaving half of the tunnel free for traffic. The tunnel did not had latrines and had a small number of water points. The ventilation shafts were all blocked in order to avoid poisoning linked to combat gases. These various points associated with overcrowding made the tunnel unsanitary. In addition, the Germans, who knew of the existence of the tunnel, regularly bombed the two exits to disrupt French relief and supply movements. During the Battle of Verdun, the Germans were never able to gain the eastern head of the tunnel (it came close after the capture of Fort Vaux), but did not fail to saturate its entrances with projectiles, especially gas , knowing very well that it served as a refuge for many troops. The accident of September 4, 1916: At the beginning of September 1916, the tunnel was occupied by the staff of the 146th infantry brigade, infantrymen of the 8th infantry regiment, the 22nd, 24th and 98th territorial infantry regiments and by the medical formations of the 73rd Infantry Division with wounded. On September 4, 1916 around 9 p.m., the grenade depot placed at the west entrance to the Tavannes tunnel caught fire. Under the effect of a violent current of air, the fire reached the ammunition reserve which exploded. The explosion was felt throughout the region. The Germans, with their redoubled bombings, trapped the French troops inside the tunnel and blocked the arrival of help. Despite that, the eastern exit (enemy side), partially blocked, was cleared by the soldiers in the second part of the tunnel who managed to escape. The tunnel burned for two days, the exact number of victims could not be determined with precision, a large part of the bodies having completely disappeared. More than 500 men are believed to have died in the fire. This accident was censored in the press, the victims were declared “missing” to their families by the military authorities.
Back then they had no idea of the chaos they created for themselves. A terrible way to die. Also you showed the horrible massacre that the Gestopo did in WWII. Way to go, you have another fantastic video of real History.
On one of my first visits to Verdun in 1985 we actually drove into wild boar on one of the side roads. The boar went flying and then ran away. My friend's front bumper was slightly dented. Those boars are tough.
Versailles had basically the same sanitation problem. When it was built, 'facilities' were an afterthought. People would do their 'business' in corners under stairways, behind statuary, behind/in potted plants. Next time you are in the tunnel, take a small glass vial, use a clean scalpel, go further in, take some material off the wall directly into the glass vial. Take it to a lab you know and trust, and see what they say. Excellent videos about WWI. Thank you. ❤
If cooked correctly hog meat is exceptional ! LOL. This is another good video JD. I said this before but I wish you would put these on videos for sale with all your subscribers. I think you would clean up my friend. THANK YOU FRANK FROM MONTANA.......
Incredible video as always. Your content only gets better with time, congrats! I gotta say though, the threat of a wild hog appearing from the dark in that tunnel had me on my toes
Now I have been to places that I will likely never see, and I have learned history that I did not know. Your videos are of the exact subjects and locations that I would go if I could. Thank you for the continued excellent history lessons.
I love history, I especially love all your WWII related content. I live in Cape Town, South Africa. Should you ever make it out this way, I'd love to be a your driver to explore all the Boer War leftovers.
I was there in June 2023, I went the whole length of the tunnel. But entered in the other end then out the end you were at. I never knew about the deaths in it until now.
Really like your videos about the great war around Verdun. Just pay attention where ypur marching there is still a lot of Ammo still left in the ground (came across some 8mm right on the surface and everything is still littert with shrapnel)
This is even worse than destruction of the village of flurey . That anything or anyone can imagine. On Top of that it was self inflicted. Such a shame. In September 1916. In that tunnel. Thank you JD for your research. Been some amazing revelations on this trip. Thank you for the leg work. 💯👍👊
Thank you for your great videos sir! I like to walk and explore this specific region every couple of years. The big events of '14-'18 and '30-'45 interest me very much but naturewise this is, imho, one of the most beautiful areas. Since the early '20's basicly noone thouched ground and nature developed as only nature can. Quite a contrast! The area is loaded with deer, wildhog, bats, birds etc. Former trenches and forts providing shelter and developing some very interesting micro-climates. Every now and then you'll see empty shells and live grenades. Shrapnel is still everywhere. Think of this: after the war quite some Chinese sailed in and dug the whole area one meter (3 feet) deep to undo the earth of explosives. Whatever metal they dug up, they could sell for scrap. A lot of people died doing so. And even after more than a hundred years earth is pushing out explosives. Please do never touch anything and leave it where you found it. Make a picture and sent it with coordinates to the authorities if you stumble upon live rounds. The Tunnel de Tavannes is scary of itself given what happened in the war, but could you imagine that when I walked it one time a train passed in the other tube. Even though there are no railroudtracks in the old tunnel I couldn't stop looking over my shoulder and I pressed myself to the side because I thought a train was coming! I felt the train coming before I saw it because of the wind getting sucked/pushed by the moving train (there are holes to the other tube). And then there is the noise when it's realy close. Wow! I'm not faint hearted but this took me a minute or so to get over with. Keep on making great footage please!
Interesting place, and equally interesting story. Exploring tunnels and with a possibility of facing off with wild hogs… perhaps we should refer to you as Davey Crockett instead of J.D. Great story!
It appears from the period photograph, that the rail line was never finished? Looking at the rails on the right and the width of the pre-WWI tunnel, this was a narrow gauge line? Do you know the beginning and end points of the line? WWI is horrifically overlooked! Once considered the war to end all wars, it’s so tragic it has lost its significance. I’m 64 and recall very little of WWI being disgust in school. An excellent series.
Another excellent exploration and stroll through history. I think the black streaks and sections you’re seeing are from mold growth, not from the fireball. Fire will typically turn brick reddish and requires relatively high temperatures and time to do that. I didn’t see that type of evidence, so am thinking black mold is growing around water drip lines and fissures in the brickwork. Looking forward to the next postings! Thank you.
Hay big fella .... thanks so much for all the effort you put into these videos I'm fascinated by what im watching !! I'm a Scottish guy i live 2hrs north of Verdun ... actually directly on the Westwall .... this is where I've been focusing on .... but since finding your videos I've now broadened my research .... thank you sir keep up the great work 👊👍
I read somewhere that the Germans saw the commotion at the exit of the tunnel and began to shell it, so the men who were escaping the fire and only had one exit out were running into artillery fire
Amazing video as usual. That shot of you walking into the train tunnel was epic. Do you use a programmable drone to follow you or is there an operator out of view?
Not a big fan of long videos from other channels…But yours are an exemption….they are so well done… time flys…riveting ….exponentially better with each series…Narrative is really “charming”… not to much not too little… I dare say approaching award status
Another great video. Amazing to see these places still standing for so long. I’m sure it’s awesome, and chilling at the same time. My wife wouldn’t be happy with that either, but, you can’t not go lol
It is said that a lot of the soldiers that died at the tunnel were interred in the temporary cemetary shown in the video. But after the war, when the second tunnel was dug, a lot of them cpuld not be found again. They are supposedly still there. Burried in the railway embankment.
It has been 30 years since I visited the Verdun battlefield and it still pretty much looks as it did my last visit; no surprise. One of the things I noticed is that the lead shrapnel and shell fragments had become part of the landscape as much as pebbles and rocks. In three trips to the battlefield, walking many miles of trench lines only once did I find any cartridges or small arms shell casings. It is a sad place.
Very sad for those French soldiers in that tunnel. How awful. But WW1 was the most awful of wars ever fought when you factor in the scale of slaughter. WW2 may have killed more people overall, but the battles of WW1 were epic carnage beyond belief. (The WW2 battle of Stalingrad might be the only one from that war to rival anything from WW1.)
Fascinating, horrific, moving. Beautifully shot, atmospheric music. I think the concrete ribs were added after WW1. Perhaps to reinforce a heat damaged tunnel
Concerning the 1944 massacre monument : In August 1944, the allied army was approaching Verdun and the Germans had to retreat. Before that, the Gestapo emptied the Verdun prison from 16 resistance fighters and shot them in the woods at that place on August 31th 1944. On December 22nd 1944, a railway worker smelled an horrible smell and discovered the 16 mutilated corpses. These are the 2 dates you saw on the monument.
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monument_des_fusill%C3%A9s_de_Tavannes
Thanks for the information. I had guessed right that the massacre happened in August and the bodies were found in December.
Oh my word how horriable
I've been to Verdun several times in recent years. In 2010, a fierce storm knocked down numerous trees. Driving past one day, I spotted something by the roadside. After parking, I was struck by what I found: a stretch of barbed wire, surprisingly free of rust, lay where a fallen tree had been uprooted. It seemed almost newly placed. It took a moment to comprehend what I was seeing, and even longer for the reality of it to truly hit home.
During another visit to "Mort-Homme," I came across an interpretive sign. It stated that the hill, having lost 12 meters in height from relentless bombardment during the war, was composed of a mix: one-third earth, one-third metal, and one-third human blood. Overcome by the moment, I knelt down, scooped up a handful of soil, and there among the dirt, I found two shards of shrapnel.
In a tunnel with massive flames if the fire didn't kill you then lack of oxygen would. That was a true horror for those men. God bless their souls.
What a horrible outcome for men seeking shelter and security from "The War to End All Wars." I was at Verdun and the forts in the early 60s. My step-dad was stationed in West Germany and we spent a week just looking around. The black and white photos of the battlefields show the devastation, but even now it's hard to imagine no trees, no bushes, no grass. That had all been blown 50 feet in the air and landed in haphazard piles. Thanks, JD. You are adding to a history that most have forgotten.
I wish you could win an award for this series. I like the style of covering this battle. It is almost as good as the Gettysburg battle series. More of this please!
My grandfather and his brother were in the French infantry from 1914 to 1916/17. My grandfather survived Verdun although he was injured and lost his right eye. His brother (Julien Porisse) was killed at Fleury near Douamont Verdun. He was bringing food supplies from the back lines to the front lines and was caught in mortar shelling. His body was recuperated 6 months later in the Summer, his legs sticking out of a pile of earth, he was identified by his name sown into his putties (bands of cloth that were circled around the lower legs)…i was given his name, as was my father. Verdun marked the minds of both the French and German armies, as it was a human massacre for both sides. Your videos are really a tour into this part of the history. I have never been to see Verdun, i intended to go in 2016 for the centenary, but didn’t. I need to go and show my respect to those who gave everything in a war that should never have happened…
Will have to agree with others here. You keep getting better and better with your videos. Thanks for the stories and the work you do. You make history come alive.
I appreciate that!
It's amazing how little people know about WWI, WWII, Vietnam, and others.Thanks for spelling it out for them.
My pleasure! Hope that people are sharing these so that we can all learn together.
It is an interesting approach of the French to construct the WWII monument where they did, focusing on the actual site of the massacre even though it is deep in the woods where it appears that people seldom visit.
Every episode your work gets better! I don’t know you personally but I know you are truly a videographer!Bravo!
Thank you for sharing these experiences. WWI was so brutal.
Another Sunday morning with JC and JD. On top of that the Detroit Lions are playoff contenders. I think I'm in heaven.
Thanks for the always awesome content!
Peace2U I am Lions and JD fan as well who lives in mDetroit metro area. Love JD’s content and glad to see fellow Lions fans with a passion for history as well! Have a good day
@@GhostofSicklesleg Funny how times changed, but not the Lions. I remember a Monday night Football game when they played so poorly the fans broke out in a chant of "Let's go Red Wings!"
Keep the faith brother, and keep watching JD and the History Underground Channel. The Lions have plenty of time to disappoint us, but JD always comes through!
JD, anybody that thinks they're having a bad day because there parking space was too far away from the "OVER STOCKED" food store entrance should watch your Verdun series.....
I love how you find these obscure, yet fascinating places along with their stories.
Something intuitively screamed "Flamethrowers" inside my head as you were exploring the side bunkers/ pillbox complex near the entrance...
For it to have been self inflicted just cranks up the horror...
Awful.
I have always been a WWI history buff, this give me more information about the battle of Verdun.
This Verdun series is another masterpiece! Love the format. Have learned so much. You brought this history to life.
🙏🏼
i can't stop watching your content. most kids only watch youtube anymore so having this readily available is amazing. you may not know it, but you and anyone behind these videos, are literally teachers.
Thanks! That's exactly why I'm putting this content up on here.
Enjoying all the info and seeing things that are WWl related. Looking forward to your next adventure and keeping history alive. Thank you JD for all the hard work you do.
Awesome video. I read a book on Verdun a few months ago and remember reading about this disaster. Seeing it covered in video was incredible. Thanks JD!
When you were walking through the forest to the tunnel, noticed that no birds were singing. Nnature seems to know horrible things occured in the area. Went to Hellfire Pass on Burma railway and that struck me straight away.
Keep up the great work
Best regards from UK
The Bob Ross mention was awesome 😂
You need to go to Oradour-sur-Glane another city that was left a ghost town very sad.
I think he covered Oradour in his series on world war two. I could be wrong.
Thank you for all the research that you do on each and every video. It is a pleasure to see someone really knowing his subject, talking about the unknown facts & stories.
Thanks! Appreciate that.
Great, great work about Verdun. I'm no military historian, but to me, Verdun seemed to be the defining battle of WW1. It was pure hell for both sides. Again, you did a great job.
I would agree. Thank you.
It is absolutely amazing what horrific things what men are capable of doing to each other. It's always been that way and appears it always will be. Young men with so much potential being wasted. Young men dying fighting old men's wars
Thank you for this excellent series. Really enjoying every one of them, even though the history is so horrifically painful. Oh, and thank you for apologizing to your wife. I'm sure she has learned to sigh and shake her head when you come home with tales of your adventures. She has such patience. Thanks again for all you do.
😅👍🏻
J.D,you brought great joy to my heart when you said "Happy little accident " y Bob Ross,thank you my brother,for everything you do!😊
😅👍🏻
So many of us really enjoy your videos. They're interesting and a lot of the stories are not well known. JD, please start being more careful about taking off to remote places alone. PLEASE!
I am learning so much about WW1. Have to admit not knowing much to start with. Guess WW2 coming along kinda pushed the first war further into history. Thanks JD but please take a buddy when you go places like this! 🇬🇧
You've outdone yourself this weekend. The triple header was a... home run... one might say. Fleury is my new favorite video but this one is up in the ranks, too. Awesome work retelling these stories this weekend... and thank you!
Translation from the french article on Wikipedia:
After the start of hostilities, the Tavannes tunnel was decommissioned. Its geographical location made it a safe passage zone between the north-eastern part of the Verdun front and the rear.
From 1914, the French army established a shelter inside the tunnel. It served as cantonments, headquarters, hospital and ammunition depot. The engineering troops set up rows of bunks on three heights, leaving half of the tunnel free for traffic.
The tunnel did not had latrines and had a small number of water points. The ventilation shafts were all blocked in order to avoid poisoning linked to combat gases. These various points associated with overcrowding made the tunnel unsanitary. In addition, the Germans, who knew of the existence of the tunnel, regularly bombed the two exits to disrupt French relief and supply movements.
During the Battle of Verdun, the Germans were never able to gain the eastern head of the tunnel (it came close after the capture of Fort Vaux), but did not fail to saturate its entrances with projectiles, especially gas , knowing very well that it served as a refuge for many troops.
The accident of September 4, 1916:
At the beginning of September 1916, the tunnel was occupied by the staff of the 146th infantry brigade, infantrymen of the 8th infantry regiment, the 22nd, 24th and 98th territorial infantry regiments and by the medical formations of the 73rd Infantry Division with wounded.
On September 4, 1916 around 9 p.m., the grenade depot placed at the west entrance to the Tavannes tunnel caught fire. Under the effect of a violent current of air, the fire reached the ammunition reserve which exploded. The explosion was felt throughout the region. The Germans, with their redoubled bombings, trapped the French troops inside the tunnel and blocked the arrival of help. Despite that, the eastern exit (enemy side), partially blocked, was cleared by the soldiers in the second part of the tunnel who managed to escape.
The tunnel burned for two days, the exact number of victims could not be determined with precision, a large part of the bodies having completely disappeared. More than 500 men are believed to have died in the fire.
This accident was censored in the press, the victims were declared “missing” to their families by the military authorities.
Back then they had no idea of the chaos they created for themselves. A terrible way to die. Also you showed the horrible massacre that the Gestopo did in WWII. Way to go, you have another fantastic video of real History.
On one of my first visits to Verdun in 1985 we actually drove into wild boar on one of the side roads. The boar went flying and then ran away. My friend's front bumper was slightly dented. Those boars are tough.
Super tough. I'd have my hands full with just a pocket knife.
been to Verdun many times, one of the most emotional places imaginable
Gotta love Bob Ross. Best soothing sleep medicine there is.
Versailles had basically the same sanitation problem. When it was built, 'facilities' were an afterthought. People would do their 'business' in corners under stairways, behind statuary, behind/in potted plants. Next time you are in the tunnel, take a small glass vial, use a clean scalpel, go further in, take some material off the wall directly into the glass vial. Take it to a lab you know and trust, and see what they say. Excellent videos about WWI. Thank you. ❤
Sadly I think you are correct about the burn marks. Would be v costly to remove that much.
If cooked correctly hog meat is exceptional ! LOL. This is another good video JD. I said this before but I wish you would put these on videos for sale with all your subscribers. I think you would clean up my friend. THANK YOU FRANK FROM MONTANA.......
Yea, I would say it would be a good idea to use the buddy system in an adventure like this.
Incredible video as always. Your content only gets better with time, congrats!
I gotta say though, the threat of a wild hog appearing from the dark in that tunnel had me on my toes
Now I have been to places that I will likely never see, and I have learned history that I did not know. Your videos are of the exact subjects and locations that I would go if I could. Thank you for the continued excellent history lessons.
This was really good. As a Scotsman I’ve always had a respect for the French. I would have cried in that tunnel sir.
Talent!!!! Great videos....
Thank you!
I love what you do on this channel. Your genuine expressions of wonder as you explore allow me to li e vicariously through you. Love your work!
I love history, I especially love all your WWII related content. I live in Cape Town, South Africa. Should you ever make it out this way, I'd love to be a your driver to explore all the Boer War leftovers.
I think that you really appreciate to be and to travel in France👍👍Thank you for all.
Thank you! 😃
This crazy cool! I cannot imagine what that tunnel was like!! Wow!
I was there in June 2023, I went the whole length of the tunnel. But entered in the other end then out the end you were at. I never knew about the deaths in it until now.
Really like your videos about the great war around Verdun. Just pay attention where ypur marching there is still a lot of Ammo still left in the ground (came across some 8mm right on the surface and everything is still littert with shrapnel)
Those are eerie massacre aereas together with the previous large ww1 bunker reviews..but also very interesting! I would'nt dare to go alone 😮
👍🏻
This is even worse than destruction of the village of flurey . That anything or anyone can imagine. On Top of that it was self inflicted. Such a shame. In September 1916. In that tunnel. Thank you JD for your research. Been some amazing revelations on this trip. Thank you for the leg work.
💯👍👊
Awful story.
What a tragic way to go. Another great one, JD thanks!
This is so very fascinating the research inpeccable, presentation, takes us back in time, i cant get enough of this.😊
Thank you for your great videos sir! I like to walk and explore this specific region every couple of years. The big events of '14-'18 and '30-'45 interest me very much but naturewise this is, imho, one of the most beautiful areas. Since the early '20's basicly noone thouched ground and nature developed as only nature can. Quite a contrast! The area is loaded with deer, wildhog, bats, birds etc. Former trenches and forts providing shelter and developing some very interesting micro-climates. Every now and then you'll see empty shells and live grenades. Shrapnel is still everywhere. Think of this: after the war quite some Chinese sailed in and dug the whole area one meter (3 feet) deep to undo the earth of explosives. Whatever metal they dug up, they could sell for scrap. A lot of people died doing so. And even after more than a hundred years earth is pushing out explosives. Please do never touch anything and leave it where you found it. Make a picture and sent it with coordinates to the authorities if you stumble upon live rounds.
The Tunnel de Tavannes is scary of itself given what happened in the war, but could you imagine that when I walked it one time a train passed in the other tube. Even though there are no railroudtracks in the old tunnel I couldn't stop looking over my shoulder and I pressed myself to the side because I thought a train was coming! I felt the train coming before I saw it because of the wind getting sucked/pushed by the moving train (there are holes to the other tube). And then there is the noise when it's realy close. Wow! I'm not faint hearted but this took me a minute or so to get over with. Keep on making great footage please!
The things you think about in a tunnel. Oh my. Thank you.
Interesting place, and equally interesting story. Exploring tunnels and with a possibility of facing off with wild hogs… perhaps we should refer to you as Davey Crockett instead of J.D.
Great story!
😅👍🏻
It appears from the period photograph, that the rail line was never finished?
Looking at the rails on the right and the width of the pre-WWI tunnel, this was a narrow gauge line? Do you know the beginning and end points of the line?
WWI is horrifically overlooked!
Once considered the war to end all wars, it’s so tragic it has lost its significance. I’m 64 and recall very little of WWI being disgust in school.
An excellent series.
Another informative video JD!
And another reason why I appreciate you - I'm a bowhunter too!
Another excellent exploration and stroll through history. I think the black streaks and sections you’re seeing are from mold growth, not from the fireball. Fire will typically turn brick reddish and requires relatively high temperatures and time to do that. I didn’t see that type of evidence, so am thinking black mold is growing around water drip lines and fissures in the brickwork. Looking forward to the next postings! Thank you.
Under the right conditions I can speak perfect "French" It usually involves working on my truck.
😅
Hay big fella .... thanks so much for all the effort you put into these videos I'm fascinated by what im watching !! I'm a Scottish guy i live 2hrs north of Verdun ... actually directly on the Westwall .... this is where I've been focusing on .... but since finding your videos I've now broadened my research .... thank you sir keep up the great work 👊👍
Much appreciated 👊🏻
I read somewhere that the Germans saw the commotion at the exit of the tunnel and began to shell it, so the men who were escaping the fire and only had one exit out were running into artillery fire
Oh shoot. Never heard that.
Great series JD, thanks.
Glad you like them!
Great informative video. Enjoyed it. Love your work.
Just subbed to your channel.
Keep up the good work.
Melbourne, Australia.
Thank you! I really do appreciate that!
Great presentation.This incident was news to me.Thanks.
Amazing video as usual. That shot of you walking into the train tunnel was epic. Do you use a programmable drone to follow you or is there an operator out of view?
Thanks! I’m a one man band. So that was a shot that I programmed.
@@TheHistoryUndergroundWell done JD.
Just an incredible presentation and highlights the fragility of our own safety when you think you're trying to live.
Not a big fan of long videos from other channels…But yours are an exemption….they are so well done… time flys…riveting ….exponentially better with each series…Narrative is really “charming”… not to much not too little… I dare say approaching award status
Love looking at old tunnel and bukers great video again your best youtuber
So harrowing, exceptional presentation..
Love the Channel!
👊🏻
Another great video. Amazing to see these places still standing for so long. I’m sure it’s awesome, and chilling at the same time. My wife wouldn’t be happy with that either, but, you can’t not go lol
Enjoying your series on Verdun
13:36 that indeed would be one heck of a way to go out
Here in England we've got surround sound Verdun sound effects. 5th November.
Terrible accident. Felt like I was exploring with you. Thanks for revealing these stories.
Verdun is a spooky place.
Very much so.
You made a interesting video. Thank you for uploading.
👍🏻
I used to live there. You're right. Wild pigs or as we used to call them "boars." There're plenty of them. The local people hunt them.
It is said that a lot of the soldiers that died at the tunnel were interred in the temporary cemetary shown in the video. But after the war, when the second tunnel was dug, a lot of them cpuld not be found again. They are supposedly still there. Burried in the railway embankment.
Yes, those are scorch marks from the fire. I have seen similar marks in other locations that have suffered the same way.
Grizzly story. Thank you for sharing this!
Pretty awful. Can’t imagine going in afterwards.
Poignant as usual JD!!! Love your videos!!!! Usually save them for after dinner!!!!
Those bricks in the guard room didn't appear to have any mortar and one of the bricks looked pushed in.
It may be a walled off section.
Beau Travail comme d'habitude🔬🍀🛠🎬Alex France Picardie🙏🌌
My grandfather fought at Verdun and survived.
It has been 30 years since I visited the Verdun battlefield and it still pretty much looks as it did my last visit; no surprise. One of the things I noticed is that the lead shrapnel and shell fragments had become part of the landscape as much as pebbles and rocks. In three trips to the battlefield, walking many miles of trench lines only once did I find any cartridges or small arms shell casings. It is a sad place.
You would think there would be a lot of ghost's in places like that..
I was on that same trail last October 2023. Same hog wallow.
Thank you so much for showing us this, im a history buff myself and I would love to visit Verdun someday, best regards from Norway my friend😊
Very sad for those French soldiers in that tunnel. How awful.
But WW1 was the most awful of wars ever fought when you factor in the scale of slaughter. WW2 may have killed more people overall, but the battles of WW1 were epic carnage beyond belief. (The WW2 battle of Stalingrad might be the only one from that war to rival anything from WW1.)
Fascinating, horrific, moving. Beautifully shot, atmospheric music. I think the concrete ribs were added after WW1. Perhaps to reinforce a heat damaged tunnel
I hope you got to Vauquois too
Next time :)
awesome story!
Thank you!
What a tragic story. Thanks for sharing.
Another Outstanding video!! Great work as always History Underground!!
How horrible! For us to hear of this fire and the deaths from you is above and beyond. Great work!
Fascinating as always JD keep it up .a great series as are all of them
Man, your research is fantastic.