Location 10 – Fleury and the Memorial Museum

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Brief History - Crisis of the Battle

Directions – From the car park at Fort Vaux return back to the main D913 and turn right at the junction. On the right you can see the Batterie du Tunnel (image 1) – the entrance to French fortifications guarding the Fort Tavannes railway tunnel.

Within a few minutes look left and you will see one of the outer Parnard machine guns casemates of Fort Souville (image 2). It was atop this fort that the German offensive reached its high-water mark in July 1916.

Continue past the crossroads and the memorial museum is on the left. Park here and visit the museum first – the site of the village of Fleury is a short walk further along the road on the left.

Historical Notes – Fleury was once an industrious village of around 400 inhabitants, mainly farmers and foresters. During the German offensive, however, it was gradually destroyed by artillery. Its position at the foot of the Belleville Ridge, the last major obstacle for the Germans before Verdun, meant that, after the fall of Douaumont and Vaux, it was in the front line.

From 21st June to 30th September the village (or what was left of it) was disputed and actually changed hands many times. Four regiments of German Alpine troops took the village following the great attack of 23rd June when seventeen German regiments were hurled against the French front between Thiaumont and Fort Souville. On the 24th June the French reoccupied the eastern half and then re-took the rest on 27th before being driven out again, clinging to the southern and western parts. Then on 11th July, in the same attack that saw German troops make it onto Fort Souville, they secured it outright. Their occupation was not to last. With the start of the Somme offensive in Picardy, the Germans were forced to divert resources to this new threat and Moroccan troops recaptured the ruins of the village on 17th-18th August.

As with other "villages detruit" around Verdun, Fleury still has a mayor and the descendants of those who once lived here still meet once a year for a service at the chapel. They can also elect to be buried in the nearby village cemetery.