WAR ECHO.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 45, 23 February 1931, Page 7

WAR ECHO.

TEE HELL OF VERDUN.

Bodies of French Fallen Still

Unburied.

DEAD MUST EE LEFT IN SOIL,

("Times" Cables.)

LOXDON", February 22. The Paris correspondent of the "Times" says the terrific slaughter at Verdun in the Great War —estimated at 400,000—is recalled by the revelation that the bodies of 12,500 French soldiers are still lying unburied in an enormous shed at Douaumont. These bodies are packed in sevens in rough wooden boxes which are not even nailed down, and sometimes are without lids. There are 9800 of these coffins which have lain unburied for six years. M. Deribes, Minister of Pensions, and Minister in Charge of War Graves, has investigated the matter. He explains that the new ossuary is not yet ready and the bodies must be "provisionally accommodated." He deplores the fact that they have 30 long remained unburied, but says the problem has been complicated by constant additions, owing to accidental discoveries of bodies at a rate of 500 a month. The Minister says there is no question of searching the Verdun battle area for dead, as the remainder—estimated at tenfi, even hundreds of thousands—must be left in the soil because the digging up of such a vast expanse of land is impossible. It is recalled that the ossuary at Douaumont which was opened in 1927 lias long been crammed to its capacity with 8000 bodies.