Rheims and the Battles for its PossessionPneu Michelin (Firm)
History
Rheims and the Battles for its Possession
Pneu Michelin (Firm)
Reims (France) -- Guidebooks; World War, 1914-1918 -- Battlefields -- Guidebooks
_Turn to the right at the first crossing met with._ The church _stands
about 100 yards away, on the left._
Norman in style, the Church of Fresnes comprises a central nave with
aisles and a tower without transept. It dates back to the 12th century,
but was several times extensively altered and restored both in the 18th
century and in recent times.
A small porch of limestone added to the northern aisle, is reached by a
round Norman bay of stone. In the corner of the porch, to the left on
entering, is incrusted a fragment of a small funerary monument of the
16th century.
[Illustration: RUINED CHURCH OF WITRY-LES-REIMS]
This church was almost entirely destroyed.
_After turning to the right at the crossing mentioned above, keep
straight on._
About 2 kilometres from Fresnes the road from that village to
Witry-les-Reims crosses an old Roman causeway, at the side of which,
slightly to the south of Hill 118, the Fort of Fresnes was built in
1878. This fort was blown up by the Germans during their retreat in
1918. Its ruins are impressive. In the moats of the fort are German
trenches and shelters extending right up to the walls of the fort.
_The village of Witry-les-Reims is next reached._ It suffered severely
from the numerous bombardments, which its situation near the first lines
rendered inevitable.
=Witry-les-Reims=
_After crossing the railway (l.c.) at the entrance to the village, keep
straight on._ The ruined church _is on the left, near the entrance to
the village_.
Except for one tower, which dates from the 12th century, the church is
modern. The spire was destroyed by the Germans. The belfry, used by the
enemy as an observation-post, was struck by French shells.
Like many of the villages around Rheims, Witry-les-Reims is of
Gallo-Roman origin. More than two hundred Gallic sepulchres and cinerary
urns have been brought to light. The objects thus discovered, including
a large number of vases, now form the _Bourin_ pre-historic collection.
_After visiting the church keep straight on. At the Mairie_, of which
only the front remains standing, _turn to the right into the Rue
Boucton-Fayréaux. Follow this street to the Place Gambetta (about 200
yards distant), where turn to the left._ The entrance to "Pommern
Tunnel," which connected up the German rear and front lines (_photo, p.
163_), is in this square.
The German inscriptions in the tunnel have been taken down, and the
entrance blocked up, on account of the roof and walls giving way.
[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO "POMMERN TUNNEL" AT WITRY-LES-REIMS]
_Leaving the Place Gambetta, take the Rheims-Rethel road (N. 51) on the
left, then the first street on the right to the_ =Fort of Witry=.
_Just outside the village the road crosses_ the old Roman causeway from
Rheims to Trèves, _and a little further on passes to the left of the_
=Fort of Witry=.
The =Fort of Witry= suffered but little from the bombardments.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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