Combles 1914–1918

During the First World War, Combles found itself at the heart of the Somme front. In 1916, the village was part of a major German defensive system. Military photographs show in particular the use of deep underground shelters and positions dug into the quarries and the ground beneath the village. The Battle of the Somme began on 1 July 1916. Over the summer, the advance of the French and British armies gradually brought the front closer to Combles. The fighting in the neighbouring villages — notably Maurepas, Guillemont and the surrounding sectors — tightened the grip on the German position. On 26 September 1916, French and British forces converged on Combles. The village fell to the Allies. Photographs taken after the fighting show almost total destruction: collapsed houses, churned-up streets, the church in ruins, the cemetery damaged and networks of trenches and shelters still visible. The collections of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces and ECPAD are an exceptional source in this respect. They document not only the military operations but also the state of the village at the very moment its reconstruction story began.