The Abri Musée in Albert

Today, the very mention of the Battle of the Somme, more than 100 years after it was fought, still has the ability to make military enthusiasts and historians close their eyes and shake their heads in disbelief, such was the intensity of the fighting and the conditions. It is also a remarkable story of survival, as those communities that were destroyed in the fighting along the Western Front rebuilt their villages and towns.

One of those centres to rise phoenix-like from the ashes and rubble of war is the French town of Albert, lying on the western end of the D929 road that runs east to connect with the town of Bapaume, some 12 miles away, which, in 1916, was held by the Germans. Albert had been involved in the fighting since the early months of World War I and in 1916, found itself almost in the very centre of that part of the front line from which the British would attack the German positions, in what has become known as the Battle of the Somme.

At around 7:30 a.m. on July 1st, 1916, a massive artillery barrage was fired from the British lines and a series of mines were detonated under German positions. The Battle of the Somme had started and what happened over the next five months has entered history and is well-known to military enthusiasts. Since then, the land has recovered and today familiar place names associated with the battle remain, along with the military cemeteries as a constant reminder. In Albert, the church known as la Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières has been rebuilt and stands as a landmark, topped with the Golden Madonna on the spire, which is visible from several miles away.

A unique museum

Beside the church is the entrance to what is surely the only museum of its kind to WWI anywhere along the former Western Front. This is the Musée des Abris, which is located some 30ft below ground in a tunnel which extends for over 800ft in length and is full of wonderful artefacts, battlefield relics, and life-size dioramas, along with weapons, uniforms, and equipment. The area around the town has been mined for centuries for chalk, and these were used as shelters by troops and civilians alike during artillery barrages. The museum tunnel is one of those workings and its name ‘Abri’ translates as ‘shelter’ in English. Today, it is brick-lined, probably from around the early to mid-20th century, and is equipped with lighting, but it is apt that it should be put to such a purpose as a museum.

Work on creating this unique subterranean memorial began in 1991 and for six months, Thierry Gorlin and his team of workers laboured to turn the tunnel into a museum. On July 1st, 1992, 76 years to the day when the Battle of the Somme began, the new museum opened its doors for the first time to the public. It was fitting in more ways than one, not least for the fact that the town had served as the main build-up point for the British in preparation for the battle.

Life in the war

Entering the main doors at street level, the visitor is met by a fine display of life-size mannequins wearing uniforms of all the armies involved in the fighting, including cavalry and infantry. Descending the steps, the tour begins with a short film presentation, after which visitors move along the length of the tunnel to see many exhibits of personal items, equipment, weapons, and recreated scenes from the war, such as how the troops lived in such conditions. Display cases contain artefacts picked up from the surrounding battle, such as rifles with bayonets fitted, which were very obviously dropped when the soldier carrying them was either wounded or killed. There are fragments of shells and coins that have fallen from the pockets of the soldiers, which are very personal items, even though the owners of such items will forever remain anonymous.

This is an absorbing museum and even if visitors have previously been to museums dedicated to WWI, they will never have been to one such as this. Being without natural light, any sense of time is forgotten, as one part of the exhibition leads to another. The large-scale dioramas have an attention to detail which is of the highest order and have been created to show the right levels of realism, but without going too far. Displays of infantry weapons, from grenades to rifles and bayonets, give way to respirators worn by the troops during gas attacks. There are examples of trench mortars, but nothing larger, as there is insufficient room for such items.

A legacy

In 1916, at the age of 38, the author and poet John Masefield was deemed too old to enlist, so he volunteered to serve in a medical capacity. It was a role which saw him tending the wounded during the Battle of the Somme, which gave him the material for a work titled ‘The Old Front Line’, which he penned in 1917. In it he predicted that one day tourists would come to see where the fighting had taken place, writing: “Travellers will start to see the battlefield where such deeds were done by men of our race.” How very succinct of him, but he could never have realised just how many would come from schools all over Europe and beyond to see where history was made.

Visitors emerge from the tunnel into the tranquil setting of the Arboretum-Public Garden, which has some fine statues of a military theme. From here it is a short walk back to the museum entrance, which stocks a range of books and maps connected to the battles. Battlefield souvenirs are available for collectors and those who just want an unusual memento of their visit.

Overall, this museum remains a hidden gem for those visiting the battlefield and is certainly not to be missed. Full details of the museum’s opening times and details of facilities can be found on the website: www.musee-somme-1916.eu