Caption:  Samogneux is on the D964 at the edge of the Verdun battlefield East of the Meuse.  In 1918, any of the American divisions (33rd, 29th and 79th) fighting East of the Meuse would have passed through it.  Unfortunately, trees block the view of the canal and river in the now photo.  However, the horizon matches up well.

The now photo is taken from in front of the statue in the town cemetery.  The cemetery is on a slight hill, which mirrors the elevation suggested in the then picture.  The road angles don’t quite match, but that is very likely due to post-war modifications to the road.

For readers interested in the post-war reconstruction of France, the statue was erected in 1933 by a Mrs. Grey of Boston, Benefactress of Samogneux, and a Mr. Henri Fremont, author of “Père Barnabe.”  It is the story of Father Barnabe of Samogneux, who appears to have been a refugee in Paris during the war.

Photograph of the statue taken on the hillside.

A rest area just a hundred meters north contains:  A memorial to the Austo-Hungarian Troops who fought in the Meuse-Argonne during the war (erected in 2014); One of the original Demarcation Stones (in poor conditions) marking the furthest German advance in 1918; and a sign pointing to the destroyed village of Haumont-près-Samogneux two km up the road.

Location:  On the D964 in Samogneux.

Source of Then Photo:  Griffin Group Photographs, National Archives, College Park, MD.  Record Group 120G.

Source of Now Photo:  The Webmaster