21 German dead found in the Alsace

Other Wars World War 1
#1

During roadworks near Carspach/southern Alsace (France) in a bore which collapsed during a French heavy mortar attack the mortal remains of 21 German soldiers were found. Altogether 34 Germans of 6th Company/Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 94 died during the French barrage on March 18, 1918 which was a reaction on a German mustard gas attack, 13 victims could be retrieved immediately after their death.

Fortunately it’s possible to identify the dead with help of dog tags and a memorial tablet which was mounted in 1918 at the former entrance of the Carspach bore. The bodies will now be transferred to the German war cemetery at Illfurth/Département Haut-Rhin.

Requiescat in pace, soldiers.

All photos: ddp

#2

Two more photos:

photos: Pôle archéologique interdépartemental Rhénan = P.A.I.R.

#3

It’s amazing how well preserved everything still is…

#4

Hi FTG,
It’s good that they will go to a proper burial place. It’s amazing how well the trenches were built to still look like that after so long. And the clothing and boots (check out the hobnails) can still be seen too, wow. I’m wondering what that big yellowish looking thing is in the top picture, a pipe maybe? Probably would have commented if it was some kind of artillery shell I guess.

Oh, the last picture, is that another grenade or a drinking cup? Any clue?

#5

Note that it was not a normal trench but a subsurface tunnel (supposedly it should’ve been a safe shelter during any kind of shelling…), maybe the metal object is part of some ventilation system.

Oh, the last picture, is that another grenade or a drinking cup? Any clue?

The article said it’s a jar of mustard, a lot of personal stuff was found along with the bodies.

#6

Peace to them. Probably in the first moments of the digging the founders had thought to an older finding, thst trench seemed an archeological site.
I wonder how many people were buried by the ground raised by the explosion or the collapse of the shelters… I knew that in the '20s in France were found about 20 French soldiers with rifles still standing up with the bayonets, and the place become a national monument.
This people was marked as MIA in 1918?

#7

What a find…absolutely incredible…RIP.

#8

Officially not, they were listed as KIA. Authorities knew the bodies were down there and they knew the names of those who could not be salvaged.

#9

Does anyone know what this may be…a binoculars case?

#10

Please see post #5, it’s a jar of mustard, probably expired.

#11

Jeepers missed that…thanks FTG.

#12

Aha-ha-ha! :mrgreen:

#13

Unless it gets better with age :mrgreen:

#14

Posted in this thread yesterday,but post has dissapeared?

#15

Perhaps the dreaded Gremlin called “Render Error” has infiltrated the Forum ? JR.

#16

It was a link to a Daily Mail article that I thought had some extra photos on this subject.I’ll give it another try:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2099187/Bodies-21-German-soldiers-buried-alive-WW1-trench-perfectly-preserved-94-years-later.html