Who is this man and where did he come from ?

Please

"listen" to the incredible adventure that I had on sunday October 26th afternoon, few days before the ceremonies of armistice 90th anniversary, while I was looking for a duck wounded along the river "la Lawe" which flows the territory of La Couture, where I hunt for thirty five years.

To find this duck, I extended for several hundred meters bank of the river with Tom (my wonderful dog) and suddenly my attention was drawn by two shoes, boots seemed to me there, flush with water.

The weather was rainy, rain prevented me on my glasses to distinguish them, but I was struck by the soles of them seemed to have a particular relief, such as military boots.

While seeking my duck, my mind began to wander and these TWO shoes, although side by side, as if they were those of a person lying on the side (left), me did conclude that it was not normal.

Indeed only one shoe on the waterfront could have been thrown by someone who wanted to get rid of, but TWO shoes, so well positioned ... my brain excited ... and knowing that this sector had seen fighting very hard during and especially at the end of the first World War, the idea that it could be the remains of a soldier began to germinate in my mind, while telling me at the same time it should remain rational ...

Changing bank of the river, I finally find my dead duck and time becoming increasingly rainy, Tom giving signs of being tired, I decided to go home.

Along the way I could not get out of my mind this history of shoes and 14-18 soldier because I always knew that one day, by dint of browse on the sites of battlefields of the region I wind up find something like that.

After the dog shower, cleaned and stored my gun, I decided to call my son Julien saying that I had spotted something odd along the river and I wanted him with me in the end day on site to remove doubt puzzling my mind that I did not want to go alone for security reasons.

what was done to 4.30 pm and I took the precaution to bring my camera.

Equipped with a rope tied around him that I held firmly at the top of the bank, Julian (who is a volunteer fireman) descended to the edge of the water and I asked him to see if there was something in the shoes.

With great care, he gently pulled on one of the shoes and ....

... BINGO!

a sock in good condition appeared ... Julien immediately said, 'Dad I think that there are bones in the sock "...

I asked him to back the shoe he had emerged from the mud, which was done.

Then, in turn, the rope around me, I went down to the water and I saw the reality of the presence of the sock that was in the shoe.

At this point, I very respectfully raised my fingers on it and I felt within the foot bones of a human being.

After taking a few photos with difficulties (the light becomes very weak) we decided to follow the procedure and refer to the authorities, it was 5.00 pm.

Do you want know more ?

michel

 

Of course !!!!!!!!! .... keep going !!

Nosy Annie

 

Keep going Michel ............ I'll catch up tomorrow.

Phil

 

Yes please Michel. Keep going.

Glen

 

Oh Michel .... please ...
Polly

 

Then a beat more...

Forty minutes later a patrol of the Gendarmerie of Laventie, with whom I am in regular contact through my work, arrived on site and we showed our macabre discovery.

The police took the shoe, made some photographs (not down the shore, they did not want to take risk, we had to laugh Julien and me ...) I had to be heard the following morning as part of the investigation will be conducted.

In our opinion (Julian an I), the body was full but partly buried deep in the bank of the river, I did not know if he was British or a German, or why not a Portuguese, the future tell, it seemed that the clothes were in good condition ...

(Liverpool) Annie to whom I sent the photo of the shoe said, after searching on the internet, it was not British, but certainly German.

Another British friend, P.R., said to me exactly the same thing.

I hoped then with all my heart that the boy had still on him his identification disk regardless of his nationality and that the veil that covered her disappearance will be lifted quickly ... and especially his family, even if there is one, will definitely make mourn his death .... this was the first I had thought after finding the bones in the sock ...

When I think that he was there since at least ninety years, and I've walked as hundreds of people for years and along this river, I "fell" on him ... I say once again that nothing happens by chance ... and that something beyond me and beyond comprehension that binds me to the events of this war ...

I knew long ago that this would eventually happen one day, but not in these circumstances ...

Michel

"to be continued"...

 

Fate is indeed a mysterioius thing Michel ... I look forward to hearing more ...fascinating ....and sad ...

 

It's quite rare that so much organic material has survived...There may be some identifying bits about....


I follow this with much interest...

 

For anybody joining us here - who doesn't know ... Michel is a typical Frenchman ... who loves to keep us in suspense !!!!!!

I'm like you guys ... I'm waiting to hear the rest of the story too !! but I'm really waiting for the photos !!

Annie

 

Oooh stereotyping again???

 

Gawd love us Annie: I hope Scrimnet isn't stereotypical of anyone !!!

Just teasing ya Graham... Happy wotsits to ya too ... I do hope Michel gets back to us before the New Year celebrations take their toll !!

 

I know Poll !! ... and that from a man who thinks Northerners need a bib for their gravy !!!!!!!!!

Too late for Michel though I think .... champagne is probably flowing by now !! may have to wait a couple of days !!

Annie

 

C'est moi???

Petite moi????

Shurely shome mistake???

Northerners and gravy??? nah! I wouldn't say that....

 

Actually ....

Yeah

I would:

Happy new year...

 

Here is a photograph of the boot left, just after Julien've recovered at the bottom of the river bank ... and before the police arrived ...

 

German definitely, possibly Bavarian...

Amazing condition...Probably due to the damp that it has been preseved

 

Bien vu Scrimnet...

Have a look on this other view of the boot...

 

Close up...

you can see the sock intact, we can guess the presence of bones of the feet ...

Very emotional moment for us

 

Don't leave us hanging too long, Michel!

 

Oh My Goodness Michel .. Just look at the condition of that boot ! ...after possibly 90 years . Please dont make us wait too long ... I have problems remembering what happened half an hour ago so if you leave it for days ... i'll have to start at the beginning again ...if I remember to !