Sunday, August 12, 2012

Great War battlefield at nightfall


In August 2012 we visited several World War One battlefields and monuments in Northern France. We did not go ghost hunting, we just wanted to see as much as we could cram into each day. So some sites were visited at nightfall.

These sites can be overpowering at nightfall. The nature looks peaceful but you are always aware of the horrific suffering that took place here. So there is silence, but also tension. Strange and unexpected sounds can be very startling.

Especially at this site, the Bois Brûlé, where Jacques Péricard shouted: "Rise you dead!" (Debout les morts!) The same person who said: "He who hasn't fought at Verdun does not know what misery is."

The voices on the video say:
A: Oh fuck!
B: What's the matter?
A: Don't you hear it?

The sound recordings have not been staged. They are authentic and have been made at this memorable spot.