German prisoners "Cleaning up" at Chateau Thierry, France

German prisoners "Cleaning up" at Chateau Thierry, France

V18928

These Germans, having been made prisoners by the Allies, are being used to clean up the old, old city of Chateau-Thierry which their guns ruined. Early in the summer of 1918 the fifth of the great German offensives commenced along the Chemin des Dames ridge north of Soissons. Sweeping southward with an almost irresistible force they captured that city and created a great salient that enveloped Chateau-Thierry. In addition to the destructive work which their artillery accomplished the invaders pillaged the shops and homes of the city and even the churches, packing up and carrying away great stores of linen, metal and other materials. Their picks and shovels further destroyed these shells of homes and shops, work that they considered necessary in the construction of dugouts and defenses which, however, proved useless when the Americans broke through their lines in July of the same year and recaptured the city. A French civilian is watching the Germans at their work and farther down the road are two French women, returned to their ruined homes after their flight of the summer before. Their courage and fortitude in the face of terrible hardships may be judged when you think that those tumbled walls behind them are all the shelter that they have. On the hill in the distance a section of one of the walls which are built around the lower part of the city is visible.

1 stereograph : b&w

1 gelatine silver print stereograph (8 x 15 cm) mounted on card (9 x 18 cm)

Copyright. The Keystone View Company

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World War through the stereoscope