Enfield-Rifles.com Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > Off Topic > Military Talk
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - WWI Trench art!
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

WWI Trench art!

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
Zed View Drop Down
Special Member
Special Member
Avatar
Donating Member

Joined: May 01 2012
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 5586
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: WWI Trench art!
    Posted: August 15 2016 at 12:18pm
At recent "brocante" sale I found a very nice piece of trench art. 
It is a French 75mm she!! case from 1916 production. The decoration has been beautifully done, and bare's the name of "LUCIE" as well as the name "CRAONNE".
Well it was obvious that Lucie must be a sweet heart or wife because there are hearts next to the name and a Tulip is engraved on the main body. 
I had no idea of the significance of "Craonne" and thought it either a family name or place name. Turns out it is the name of a village that was on the "Chemin des Dames". The village was completely destroyed and the 1917 battles of the Chemin des Dames led to the mutinies and executions within the French armed forces. 



The base shows the marks of testing the engraving techniques. 
It is such a shame that the full story of Lucie and the soldier will never be known!
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
Back to Top
A square 10 View Drop Down
Special Member
Special Member
Avatar
Donating Member

Joined: December 12 2006
Location: MN , USA
Status: Offline
Points: 14452
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 15 2016 at 7:53pm
nice , i once had a few small examples that are now long gone but its really fun to see these , 
Back to Top
paddyofurniture View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: December 26 2011
Location: NC
Status: Offline
Points: 5256
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote paddyofurniture Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 15 2016 at 9:51pm
Very nice.
Always looking for military manuals, Dodge M37 items,books on Berlin Germany, old atlases ( before 1946) , military maps of Scotland. English and Canadian gun parts.
Back to Top
Ecclectic Collector View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie
Avatar

Joined: March 02 2015
Location: Pennsylvania
Status: Offline
Points: 57
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ecclectic Collector Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 16 2016 at 3:41am
This is what I like about this group.  We appreciate those little items that tell the human stories associated with our hobby.  I was recently in a gunshop run by several generations of the same family.  The walls were covered with trench art works (mostly she!! casings).  The deceased founder had collected them over the course of his life.
Enfields are like chips, can't stop at just one.
Back to Top
hoadie View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group
Avatar

Joined: March 16 2006
Location: Niagara/Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 9003
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hoadie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 16 2016 at 8:05am
There used to be quite a few trench lighters around.(I think the WW1 re-enactors may have snagged them all)
They were made with a spent .303 casing. Really a cool little piece of ingenuity.

Loose wimmen tightened here
Back to Top
Zed View Drop Down
Special Member
Special Member
Avatar
Donating Member

Joined: May 01 2012
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 5586
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 16 2016 at 8:37am
This type of stuff turns up quite often in France. If I get anything interesting such as a lighter, I'll let you know.
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
Back to Top
hoadie View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group
Avatar

Joined: March 16 2006
Location: Niagara/Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 9003
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hoadie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 16 2016 at 8:58am
I'd like that.

reminds me of the time we were doing a re-enactment @ the site of the Elmira N.Y. civil war P.O.W. camp.

I stepped into the porta - john, & when I came out - everyone around had been given a pair of eye glasses (spectacles) that had been in the basement of the town hall. They were reportedly taken from the prisoners that were there during the un-civil war. The historical society gave them to the participants..free.

Story of my life...something good happens, right about the time I'm gone fer a dump!!
Loose wimmen tightened here
Back to Top
White Rhino View Drop Down
Special Member
Special Member
Avatar
Donating Member

Joined: May 05 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 5118
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote White Rhino Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 16 2016 at 10:31am
Originally posted by hoadie hoadie wrote:

I'd like that.

reminds me of the time we were doing a re-enactment @ the site of the Elmira N.Y. civil war P.O.W. camp.

I stepped into the porta - john, & when I came out - everyone around had been given a pair of eye glasses (spectacles) that had been in the basement of the town hall. They were reportedly taken from the prisoners that were there during the un-civil war. The historical society gave them to the participants..free.

Story of my life...something good happens, right about the time I'm gone fer a dump!!



Same for me Hoadie !!!  Missed out on some firearms My Father brought back from the Pacific theater during WW II !! and also when I was in the Army, since I was with the 1st Sgt all the time in the field , I missed out on some goodies that the other guys got . but then I got to do things no one else got to , just because I worked for the 1st Sgt in the field ... in Garrison , I got to visit just about every Kassern in Germany due to working with the supply Sgt , He grabbed me for some reason after they put me driving the 2 1/2 ton truck.. so I drove him every place he went , if it was for supply's or for doing his in house trading among other Supply NCOs !!! 

"White Rhino"

"Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer." --W. C. Fields
Back to Top
paddyofurniture View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: December 26 2011
Location: NC
Status: Offline
Points: 5256
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote paddyofurniture Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 16 2016 at 1:21pm
I like trench art as well.

Always looking for military manuals, Dodge M37 items,books on Berlin Germany, old atlases ( before 1946) , military maps of Scotland. English and Canadian gun parts.
Back to Top
25-5 View Drop Down
Special Member
Special Member
Avatar
Donating Member

Joined: February 19 2013
Location: 1945
Status: Offline
Points: 286
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 25-5 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 16 2016 at 4:47pm
Zed, that is a really nice piece.  I have seen some examples on the Antique Road Show, but not as large.  Cool find.
For the pikes must be together at the rising of the moon.
Back to Top
Zed View Drop Down
Special Member
Special Member
Avatar
Donating Member

Joined: May 01 2012
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 5586
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 17 2016 at 10:22am
Here's a close up of the detail on this case. It is clear that someone has put a lot of time and effort into working this piece.

It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
Back to Top
A square 10 View Drop Down
Special Member
Special Member
Avatar
Donating Member

Joined: December 12 2006
Location: MN , USA
Status: Offline
Points: 14452
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 17 2016 at 4:14pm
often they had nothing but lots of time to apply such attention , that one was an artist to some degree , nice eye for applying the details 
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.04
Copyright ©2001-2021 Web Wiz Ltd.