Damage to the town of Albert in WW1
The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Brebières church in Albert had a golden statue of the Virgin Mary which was knocked horizontal by shell fire in 1915. It remained that way until finally felled by British fire in 1918 in the effort to drive out the occupying Germans.
(Glenys Claricoats)
Albert, Somme, France
(Glenys Claricoats)
Albert, Somme, France
(Glenys Claricoats)
Albert station
(Glenys Claricoats)
Ruined factory in Albert in the Somme
(Glenys Claricoats)
Damaged houses in a street in central Albert
(Glenys Claricoats)
The damaged Basilica in Albert
(Glenys Claricoats)
Albert commune, the Somme, France
(Glenys Claricoats)
Damage inside the Basilica church in Albert
(Glenys Claricoats)
Inspecting a shell hole in central Albert in 1916
(Glenys Claricoats)
The main entrance to the Basilica in Albert after a bombardment.
(Glenys Claricoats)
Damage in the Place D'Armes, the main central square of Albert
(Glenys Claricoats)
Close up view of the Leaning Virgin atop the Basilica church in Albert, Somme, France
(Glenys Claricoats)
Albert, the Somme
(Glenys Claricoats)
Winter view across the town of Albert
(Glenys Claricoats)
X marks the spot of the Café de la Musique in central Albert
(Glenys Claricoats)
Damage around the Place Faidherbe frames a distant view of the Leaning Virgin statue, Albert
(Glenys Claricoats)
The destroyed school of Mlle. Cordier, Albert
(Glenys Claricoats)
The road to Bapaume, Albert
(Glenys Claricoats)
Damage inside the church, Albert, the Somme
(Glenys Claricoats)
The road to Amiens, Albert
(Glenys Claricoats)
Local photographers in the areas of fighting across northern France recorded the impact on their communities. They produced packs of postcards which were bought by soldiers as mementos and later in the war by families and tourists visiting the battlefields. Many pictures are marked “The Great War of 1914 to 1916” in the forlorn hope that the crisis would be ending sooner than it ultimately did. Most of the postcards were captioned in both French and English to widen their audience.
Harry Harby bought some of these pictures including these of the town of Albert and brought them home to add to Florrie’s album collection. Albert is a commune mid-way between Amiens and Bapaume in the Somme. It was the scene of focused fighting in September 1914, July 1916 and especially in the Second Battle of the Somme in August 1918 when the Germans were finally driven from the town having occupied it since April that year.
Creator
Florence Harby Place
Albert, Somme, France Contributor
Glenys Claricoats Copyright
Glenys Claricoats and the Bottesford Community Heritage Project Reference number
BOT/233/010
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