Caption: Beaumont - one of the ghost villages - today a haven
of peace in a haunting, still, battle-scarred, forest.
About this talk: Many villages were destroyed during the 1916 Battle of Verdun. One was allowed to disappear, several were rebuilt, while nine were declared to have died for France. They were preserved as administrative entities with a mayor, a council and a budget but the inhabitants were not allowed to return. This talk describes life in the villages before and after the First World War and considers the decisions faced by the French government when fighting came to an end. Why were some villages rebuilt and others not? Was it more difficult to rebuild at Verdun than on the Somme or at Ypres? Why did the government refuse to allow the original inhabitants to return and are the Verdun memorial villages unique in France?
About the speaker: Formerly a longterm resident of Luxembourg, Christina knows the north-eastern part of the Western Front very well, often conducting battlefield tours there. She has also written seven books on the Battle of Verdun, and has acted as a consultant and historian to numerous BBC documentaries. Her latest book - Verdun 1914 - The Opening Movies is published on 30 May 2025.
Book signing: Christina's other Great War books are all in the Battlefield Verdun series. Signed copies will all be available for the purchase after the talk at discounted prices of £10-£12. The books are:Verdun 1917, Fort Douaumont, Fort Vaux, Walking Verdun - A brief Guide to the Battlefield, Walking in the Footsteps of the Fallen, and Verdun - The Left Bank.
Where we meet: We meet at the Royal British Legion Club, Queensway, Petts Wood, Orpington, Kent BR5 1DH. Meetings are held on the last Thursday of each month (except August and December). They start at 19:30, with the doors (and the bar) opening at 18:30. We do not charge entrance fees but do welcome donations of £5 or more towards our costs.
Getting there: The club is next to Morrison's supermarket and Petts Wood railway station. Parking at the rear of the club is free but you need to type your car registration into the machine (on the left as you enter the club). Failure to enter your registration can lead to a £50 fine. There's easy free parking in adjacent side streets.
