Description
This is a very touching and poignant reminder of the Great War. It is a wooden wall plaque bearing the legend “Verdun 1916.” The two WW I battles that most remind us of its ultimate futility are Verdun and the Somme. Many other battles were equally gruesome and heartbreaking, but these two battles’ geographic and chronological proximity geometrically increases their significance. Nearly five million men were committed as combatants in the two battles, which resulted in nearly two million causalities. The Battle of Verdun lasted from 21 February to 18 December 1916. The Battle of the Somme lasted from 1 July to 18 November 1916. The primary German commander at Verdun was Prussia’s Kronprinz Wilhelm, while Kronprinz Rupprecht of Bavaria was in command at the Somme. Both battles were bloodbaths, yet the war lasted another long two years after they had been fought.
Our offering is a wooden wall plaque that measures 7 ¾” x 7 ¾.” Carved into the plaque’s bottom in German Fraktur script is “Verdun 1916.” Mounted directly above that is a complete artillery driving band that measures 4 ¾” in diameter. A hanger is on the reverse.
