First World War - Verdun - Colonel Driant

[@thibaudjacquemaire7076]

The 2 technicians try to explain that they tested an explosion in preparation of the 100 years celebration of the start of the battle.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching and the translation.

[@thibaudjacquemaire7076]

Steven Upton my pleasure. I am from Lille and love history.

[@rohansamuel7341]

i guess Im randomly asking but does any of you know of a trick to get back into an instagram account?? I somehow forgot the account password. I love any help you can give me

[@coltonismael7042]

@Rohan Samuel instablaster :)

[@rohansamuel7341]

@Colton Ismael i really appreciate your reply. I found the site thru google and im in the hacking process now. Takes quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.

[@shawngilliland243]

I have watched several of your aerial drone videos, Mr. Upton, and it shocks me that the land has yet to completely recover, even more than a hundred years afterwards; and that one can still discern the old trench lines and shell holes. Thank you very much for this marvelous video - your narration with historical content is really quite good. Keep up the good work!

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. There will be more to come next month.

[@lapinmalin8626]

sometime shell explode by itself

[@AnthonyMalesys]

You sir, deserves so much more subscribers ! Awesome channel ! Thank you for sharing this

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. I am adding a new film today.

[@redtomcat1725]

I watched this again to refresh my memory of Colonel Driant. Thank you.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@patdire7578]

Somehow, amidst all your other exceptional videos, I missed this one. It was delightful! As an American fascinated by WW1 but likely not able to visit I am extremely grateful for your channel! Thank you from across the Atlantic for your wonderful content!

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@Paleoman]

This site reminds me of The University I graduated from . It was a training site for soldiers during WW2. While walking to classes I often found .45 bullets, pineapple hand grenade fragments many with initials on them from when the body was cast, rank insignias, metal buttons, wickedly sharp coils of metal that must have been inside a shell or grenade, lead plugs from British "mills bombs" and every once in a while an arrowhead(3-so-far-approx 4000-yrs-old). There was even an area where craters from hand grenades exploding were once visible on the cliffs overlooking the ocean which now has eroded away. I still have these reminders of WW2 in a box since I thought they were a relevant although little part of WW2 history. Great video, I really enjoyed it, thank you.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching and sharing your memories.

[@Rayman-cd8bd]

What university did you go to?

[@Paleoman]

@@Rayman-cd8bd University of California at San Diego. I believe the area was once called Camp Elliot. I grew up in the same area. When I was in Jr High School we would ride our bikes miles to the East of where I lived to an area where mortar training must have taken place because if one looked around very carefully you could find piles of mortar rounds unfired but left in place and partially buried by dirt and sand. We knew the dangers of things like that so the unwritten rule was look but never touch. Sadly maybe 10 years later some kids found a round and brought it back to someones garage and whatever they were doing with it, it went off killing 2 kids. That brought about a major clean up of all the ordnance that was lying about in cayons and ravines where the training once went on. Suburbia had crept up to all the areas where the ww2 training went on and it had never been cleaned up.

[@19Edurne]

French here. Don't know if someone already translated the exchange, but they were conducting some tests for evocating the battle of Verdun for the centenary.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. It has been translated, but I thank you also for yours.

[@thechieftain8936]

It’s just so insane that in the exact spots you were standing, men were obliterated by the most terrifying barrage of artillery ever displayed

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. A considerable percentage of that barrage is still in the ground, unexplored!

[@peterpiper_203]

Awesome video Great job on making the weather cooperate for the authenticity Thanks for bringing us along

[@StevenUpton14-18]

And thank you for watching. Part 2 of Verdun should be uploaded later today and features Fort Douamont using a drone.

[@warrenjensen4670]

I have only recently discovered your videos, having a great amateur interest in both World Wars but WW1 in particular. My wife's great grandfather served at Gallipoli in the Australian Lighthorse, and we have tried to inform our kids of the important history before and after the battle that arguably defined our national identity. Your drone flyover of The Somme was the first video of yours to catch my attention, and I've been hooked since. I love your style, all facts and no dramatic bullshit to talk the subject up - it's dramatic enough without embellishment. Thank you, I look forward to many hours absorbing your knowledge and experience.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. My GF's brother was also at Gallipoli, West Yorkshire Regt. He was wounded twice at the age of 16. Fortunately, survived to a good age. I knew him.

[@taylorhubenthal17]

Wow very intense how it’s similar weather as it would have been when Driant and his men were facing the advancing German Stormtroopers. Very scary. The part when Mr. Upton is filming the bunkers and you can hear his breathing and see the snow falling , then hearing the men call to him in French was pretty alarming, its like you got a very quick eerie glimpse into that day long ago.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

@@taylorhubenthal17 - Thank you for watching. It was an amazing experience when I filmed this with the weather similar to 1916.

[@anenigmawrapped]

Steven. Great videos and a tremendous effort on your part - thank you. I have heard the statement at least twice about there being 1000 shells landing per square metre on the Verdun battlefield. This sounds incredible and indeed appears to be incorrect. Using your figures of 50m shells in an area of 5*10=50 square miles (i.e. 129 square km or 129million square metres) I get 2.6 shells per square metre. i.e. 129million square metres divided 50million shells. Hope that this helps.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. I read the stats. in a book some time back and I am fairly certain now that it's wrong. As you point out, the maths do not add up. Still 52,000,000 shells for one battle is rather a lot.

[@f-aparadis9281]

The thousand shells per meter2 is on the fortifications.

[@Jim-re3sr]

Thanks great video. When I was a boy I remember meeting a friend of my grandfather that was a WWI veteran.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@terryforbes4038]

Thanks Steven for your video series on WWI. My grandfather was with the “Red-Arrow “ decision from the USA. He was with an artillery unit and was in charge of 2 Mules. He pulled the Cason and carried shells to his cannon. I’ve got his personal diary from his time in the Army. Thanksgiving much. Terry&thepirates my appear.in site.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. You should consider publishing your GF's diary. I have re-published my GF's battalion's war record and personalised it with photographs of him. I have also done my fathers batteries WW2 record.

[@jeffcombs1297]

Thank you for doing these ,

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@ianc2091]

G’day Steven. Another great video. Very tough weather indeed especially for someone from the land of sunshine and heat. I have been fascinated with Verdun for 20 years and i have visited many times and I don’t think I have ever heard a bird or animal in the woods. It’s a terribly sad and eerie place. Keep up the good work, it’s invaluable. Cheers Ian from Australia 🇦🇺

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@rickjohnson9673]

You are one of the most important people around. Seriously

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching and your sentiment.

[@jackthebassman1]

Steven, I really appreciate your posts and you sharing your knowledge with us is wonderful. I’ve visited several times but never stop learning, many thanks for your excellent posts. I used to motorcycle down, but I have to use an electric scooter now so I’m not able to explore as much as I would like.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@jeromeblanchard2399]

I'm French and fluent in English, thanks a lot for your superb emotional videos.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@blueband8114]

Verdun is a fantastic place to visit for the Military history enthusiast. I visited the area in 2017 and would love to go again.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. They opened a completely renovated and updated visitor centre there in 2016 for the centenary of the Battle of Verdun. Well-worth a visit.

[@Damian-qu2fg]

he was saying that they were doing some preparation for the 100 year celebration of the battle.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for the translation. I wish I had been there only 5 minutes earlier to film their explosion.

[@elijacobson3896]

And now Steven makes his first appearance on film in the trenches of Verdun. How appropriate. Yay Steven! Good video. Haunting area.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@tobyward6628]

It looks like it snowed for you, that day, Steven. Nice video. Both my Grandfathers were sent home from WW1 as badly injured. One from Gas (He lived to be 56 and died from the gas injury of a lung ailment in the early 50's so I never met him.) I met the other one and saw the old photograph of him in full uniform, in a Kilt, holding a .303 and he had at least 2 stripes but I was younger then.(Shrapnel, severe.) They both left a large family behind and lived long enough to see their own children injured and one killed, in WWII. All part of the great ongoing catastrophe we call life. What a waste. I have no idea how to research the military records though, so that will all get lost in time, as if it never happened.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. My GF seems to be similar to your own in that the effects of gas eventually caused his death in 1951.

[@tooyoungtobeold8756]

For reasearch start with the MICs, (Medal Index Cards), then go to Kew (the National Archives) and you can read the actual war diaries of the units involved, provided they survived WW2. A great many MGC records were lost in the Blitz. But there is still a lot of stuff around. You could also try regimental Museums. They love helping out.

[@srb2897]

Once again steven Absolutely brilliant. Thank you for all your battlefield video’s 👏🏻

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@VIJER47]

Great!!! Thank you!!! Learning a lot from your videos. Fantastic.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@goaway9487]

Really enjoying your videos, bloody well done sir.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@francisebbecke2727]

Driant, a most gallant man, as were his men!

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@christophe77700]

Nice video and great channel. Driant was a MP and in 1914 he asked to join the army. Affected to the Bois des Caures sector, he repeatedly alerted his colleagues and the government to the lack of defense in the Verdun sector. He will not be listened and will be, with his men, one of the first victims.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Member of the French Parliament, not Military Police. Just thought I would add that to avoid confusion. But thank you for your input.

[@christophe77700]

@@StevenUpton14-18 Oops ! Yes, I meant Member of Parliament, elected in Nancy, not far from Verdun. Thank you for your precision.

[@tommytigerpants]

Love your content mate. I hope you enjoy creating it as much as I enjoy watching it. Cheers from Australia

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. I have a great affinity for history, especially the First World War.

[@angelog1085]

Ciao, bel video, have you ever visited the Italian front, of the First World War, in the Dolomites?

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. I have not yet visited the Italian front, although I plan to do so. My grand father served in Italy when his division was transferred from France in 1918 and I want to follow where he served.

[@angelog1085]

@@StevenUpton14-18 I live near the river Piave (Montello hill), where in October 1918 Italian, English and French troops, defeated the Austro-Hungarian army, ending the First World War

[@MrLucator]

This is a very good video indeed. Have you ever visited the italian front on the dolomites?

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. I hope to film on the Italian front next year, COVID permitting. My grand father was there in 1918 with the British army. I want to film where he served.

[@MrLucator]

@@StevenUpton14-18 did he serve in trentino or Veneto? Im from north of italy but west

[@StevenUpton14-18]

@@MrLucator - I only know town names, not areas. such as: St. Stefano, Camisano, Montecchio, Mt. Kaberlaba eyc.

[@Rushmore222]

There must have been a sort of grisly "currency rate" with runners used in the trenches. Routine messages cost 1 runner. Significant messages cost 2 runners. Messages both significant and urgent, 3 or more runners.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@billyslittlebigadventurech9050]

excellent video Steven

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Billy Sherratt thank you, working on another Verdun filmed with a drone. Hope to upload it tomorrow.

[@billyslittlebigadventurech9050]

I steven . cant wait :-)

[@themancalledx]

Thank you

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@agoodman5352]

Thank you for the video

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@mikehartsook5281]

GREAT documentary about the mine craters

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@PathfinderHistoryTravel]

I’d like to locate this in Google maps but am having difficulty. Any assistance would be appreciated.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. The best I can do is give you the coordinates from Google maps: 49°16'45.0"N 5°25'07.2"E. I hope that helps.

[@jetaddicted]

Nice of you to remind the viewers about the sacred aspect that land has gotten because of all those buried there. The saying is that when they studied the soil around Verdun post war they found it was composed of one third of human remains, and another third of metal...

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@Withtheghostoftomjoad]

Great to watch this fascinating stuff.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@Kariakas]

Very interesting.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@bgumbleton]

That's dedication Steve!

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@KB4QAA]

Thank you for putting human faces and scale to the war! b.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@Gremriel]

When you're filming a small documentary about the Great War in the woods, and a guy with a roll of det cord shows up. Must be surreal.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. Unfortunately I was not filming when there was the explosion.

[@achimvetter7943]

The Bois des Caures remained in german hands until 1918, though most of the other ground gained by the germans in this futile slaughter was reoccupied by the french by autumn 1916. Two days before the end of WW1 US-Troops were sent in to retake the last german defenses in this wood, many of those young man died some hours before peace. Therefore it's hard to say nowadays what defenses and bunkers were built by which side. It's likely that the trenches from 1916 disapeared during the shelling and those you can still see today were rebuild in the years after the battle. Of course the PC of Driant is certainly french and was reused by the germans after the fighting. There are many bunkers more in the woods west of the D905, some of them carying german names of animals ("Büffel, "Hai"). It is most certainly a very special part of the huge verdun battlefield. In the Winter of 2019 a great part of the forest was cut down by the french forest authority, probably because the trees couldn't take the climate change. I don't know if anything has been replanted since. If you enter the woods watch out for shells and other explosive artifacts - never touch them.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@ModernDayDevil]

Did you ever find out what those two demolitionists were saying?

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. Several viewers have translated it. But I cannot now remember.

[@redtomcat1725]

Salute to the colonel and thank you !!

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@alohm]

With 30% failure to detonate: each step could have 300 un-exploded shells beneath? :O

[@StevenUpton14-18]

The whole area is classed as a 'Red Zone' by the French. Too dangerous to try to recover the land.

[@snapattack5664]

5 miles * 1760 yards = 8'800 yards or 8'045 metres 10 miles * 1760 yards = 17600 yards or 16'090 metres 8'045 * 16'090 mtrs = 129'444'050 sqr mtrs / 50'000'000 shells is not equal 1'000 shells/sqr mtrs.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching and the correction. Its still an awful lot of shells per sq. yard. I actually was quoting from a book and did not just make it up.

[@snapattack5664]

I actually live pretty close to many WW1 battlefields and I've visited the Verdun battlefield several times, read the books and watched WW1 footage. Numbers, whatever they are, don't matter. It really hits you when you actually see the Verdun battlefield with your own eyes. There's almost no square meter that hasn't been hit with mortars, shells or mines. "From the Air" adds another dimension I didn't know yet. Thank you for making these videos.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

I was at Verdun today. As soon as I can get there I want to film Messines and areas of the front north and south from there.

[@snapattack5664]

Kemmelberg and Dodengang (Diksmuide) are interesting but are not very well known battlefields close to Messines Ridge. Another interesting historical site is (raid of) Zeebrugge and WW1 Atlantic Wall at Oostende (domein Raverszijde)

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you. So much to visit!

[@mencken8]

Watching this video, I am reminded of a line: “This is the British High Command. They aren’t bad men, not all of them are stupid. But in four years of combat they can think of no better way of advancing the war but to use the unprotected bodies of their men.” So it was generally, not just the British.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@Damian-qu2fg]

nice video

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@remikastaar9328]

im belgian, for me no problem, english, french and even german...haha.. But btw, keep up the super work you do!

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. Just got home from Belgium only yesterday.

[@Fubar684]

15 million rounds. Wow...

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@Fubar684]

@@StevenUpton14-18 Your videos are well done, Sir. I appreciate your father's combat story as well.

[@Fubar684]

@@StevenUpton14-18 Have you thought of doing the Battle of Belleau Wood?

[@StevenUpton14-18]

@@Fubar684 Thank you.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

@@Fubar684 I have been there a few times. The last time I did film, but it was not usable. The drone just showed the tops of trees. I need to go back and film from the ground and the general lie of the land form the air as well as the cemetery.

[@Jeffybonbon]

what did the guys say have we found out yet and you will need to get a 4x4 lol great video thank you

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Sorry, no one who speaks French has let me know yet. But it was a pretty big bang, if they were only 5 minutes later I would have had it on film.

[@Jeffybonbon]

it would have been funny if it had gone off when you were in the bunker filming you would have thought Oh God the war is starting again It reminds me when I was in the army we were sitting having a snort of whisky I took a drink and an Thunder flash went off close to me and I said That a powerful Whiskey I love Humour all the best

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank's, RAF myself; they did not let us play with thunder flashes!

[@Jeffybonbon]

lol enjoy your week DL

[@nikitaa81]

They tell they were making tests for the 100 years commemorative event of the battle

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@mr.crapper7197]

Super Just Super

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@DroneLifeLelystad]

The Verdun Forrest is very eerie, i went metal detecting there last year. But didn't even need it. Live shells everywhere. Just on the surface after all those years. I even let my imagination go off, you could see all the soldiers and heavy shelling. As long as you stay on the footpath you wont find anything. But just 5 meters into the forest will bring you back to ww1

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. It can be a very dangerous place even after 100 years.

[@kolloduke3341]

Carpet bombing a term used over a hundred years later .These men on both sides in the first world war were the first to expierience such a horrific horror .

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. The term 'carpet bombing' was used in the Second World War, only 25 years after these events.

[@BillSikes.]

He said, Battle of Verdun, 1916 Is it ok to go metal detecting anywhere along the Western Front, i see that all the Bars Bistro's and Restaurants around the Somme Sector seem to have a collection of artifacts from the War, id like to find a bayonet, a few bullets and most of all the brass detonation tip of an Artillary Shell, i have found peices shrapnel in the past and ive seen complete shells stacked up by the road side obviously waiting for collection by bomb disposal experts

[@StevenUpton14-18]

I think it would be too dangerous to use a metal detector. Too many unexploded shells. People are still being killed. Most finds come from field walking. I have walked just a few feet and picked up shrapnel. Its everywhere.

[@God-dq7nz]

you must of been freezing in that snow

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. It was a bit chilly!

[@napoleonlempereur3021]

Mein Großvater kämpfte im 1.Weltkrieg auch in Verdun für Deutschland und er überlebte den Krieg.Aus den Erzählungen meiner Mutter weiß ich das er danach weder einen Hass auf die Franzosen hatte noch jemals abfällig über diesen Kriegsgegner sprach.Ich bin froh das Frankreich und Deutschland heute befreundete Nationen sein können.🇨🇵❤❤🇩🇪

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Vielen Dank fürs Zuschauen.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Vielen Dank fürs Zuschauen.

[@mikehartsook5281]

I have heard that the change of the weather would cause a dud to explode

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. I found out that two men set something off deliberately.

[@lama262]

Next time, put this on a paper and show them "expliquer en français, des gens traduirons en regardant mon film, merci" it means "explain in french and some people watching my film will translate it to me, thanks"

[@lama262]

Next time you go somwhere not so far from Paris, I would gladly help if you need a froggy translator!

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@-Vim-]

I'm French but since he tries to speak in very bad English I'm not a 100% sure of what he said. I think they were doing a test for a commemoration. Maybe some kind of re-enactment.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. I believe that you are correct as others have also tried to translate and came to a similar conclusion.

[@Mike-tg7dj]

The German goal was going to bleed the French white. Scary statement. Battlegrounds are sacred and should be held such regard.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@francisebbecke2727]

Good advice to not pick up anything metal. Don't die in a war that was over with over 100 years ago.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@Doodloper]

Looks more like North Pole than Verdun area...

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@Doodloper]

@@StevenUpton14-18 Please dont understand me wrong! I appreciate your work a lot - Your work is at genius level

[@StevenUpton14-18]

@@Doodloper - No misunderstanding, and I appreciate your commenting.

[@remikastaar9328]

cant transeled half and bad french/english nider.. i speack french but do not understand what the guy says lol

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching.

[@ja37d-34]

Man, worst kind of weather.. Wet and cold, snow.. Ouch.. Must have been hell back then, absolute hell.

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. The weather on the day of filming was very similar to when the attack was launched in February 1916.

[@greenriverviews6819]

great job arranging for a blizzard for added realism

[@StevenUpton14-18]

Thank you for watching. Anything to please!