Oswald Boelcke at Verdun
Sivry-sur-Meuse
Sivry-sur-Meuse before and during the Great War
Sivry-sur-Meuse before the Great War
The village of Sivry was mentioned for the first time in the 10th century. By 1911 there were some 730 inhabitants. Mayor was Mr. Constant Saintin.
The church Saint-Remi dates from the 18th century. Another typical French buiding, the wash-house was constructed in 1840.
The addendum to the name of the village of sur-Meuse refers to the fact that the Meuse river and canal are crossing the territory of Sivry.
Sivry-sur-Meuse during the Great War
When the Great War started, many of the villagers fled on 24 and 25 August 1914. By the 27th it was occupied by the German Army.
The village would suffer a lot during the Battle of Verdun in 1916 and a lot of houses were destroyed in the second half of 1916 and later in the war.
On 27 November 1918 the first villagers returned to take a look at the damages but it was only by April 1919 that the first ones returned to Sivry-sur-Meuse.
Some images of Sivry in 1916
The Sunday concert along the Route Nationale at Sivry-sur-Meuse
The Bowling for the men of the German Army at Sivry-sur-Meuse - The exact location is unknown to us
There was also a cinema in the village, it is mentioned in one of the letters of Boelcke to the homefront, and it seems he was the man behind the realisation of it
The church of Sivry-sur-Meuse, a view from what is currently the Rue du Moulin
The church is seen here on the extreme right, from the Rue de la Chaudoye towards the Rue du Moulin
In between the church Saint-Remi and the Reserve Feldlazarett 53 are some transport wagons for the wounded from the front at Verdun
Bridge over the Meuse Canal, also special is the narrow gauge on the right of the photo running along the canal
Bridge over the Meuse river, probably with the same narrow gauge track, telephone lines and Sivry-sur-Meuse in the distance
The small harbour along the Meuse Canal, just opposite of the Sivry-sur-Meuse aerodrome
French Prisoners of war from the Battle of Verdun at the back of the wash-house at Sivry-sur-Meuse
Women of Sivry-sur-Meuse inside the wash-house in 1916
Soldier quartered inside a private house at Sivry-sur-Meuse
Field gun used as anti-aircraft gun near the Sivry-sur-Meuse aerodrome
The Meuse Canal was used for pleasure, fishing, trips with a boat or swimming
But also for military transports ...
The cemetery was also used for military burials, men who were killed at Sivry, but also for those who died in the local field hospital of their injuries
Sivry-sur-Meuse after the war
The village would suffer very badly from the later war years of 1917 and 1918. By the end of the war, most of the houses were destroyed or had suffered very serious damages.
But just like a phoenix it would rise from the ashes and even one hundred years later it would be again the wonderful quiet place it was before the Great War.
Here are some images of how the village looked in 1918-1919. Lest we forget !
