8th_Europe_Report (38 images) -- Mon. & Tues., October 6-7
- City of Brest &
environs in the
Brittany region of far western France.
Having met only online, we have the delightful experience
of meeting in person, Monique and Alain, residents of Brest, who are both
retired educators and very involved with projects related to the history
of the Brest area, in particular the "Ile
Longue (Long Island)1914-1919" internment camp project.
Researching for this interesting WWI project led them to H.S. Wheeler's online
WWI photos. They have volunteered to help us identify and establish
locations of some of the photos taken by Harry St.Clare Wheeler during his time
in the Brest area.
For the better part of two days, they were our guides and interpreters.
They had spent much time studying the photos and were able to precisely place
(or provide the best guess for)
many of the over 100 photos and post cards found in the old WW1 photo album.
In trying to match the WW1 photos with current locations in Brest, we encountered time and time again, the problem that while Brest survived that war more or less in tact, WW2 in Brest was dominated by a very large German submarine base which drew Allied attention and intense bombings. The liberation of Brest by US forces brought more destruction. Devastation to the city was intense and widespread.
While not sophisticated web builders, we have tried to place some of the old with new photos in many of the images in this album. Harry St.Clare's photos have been previously uploaded in roughly the order they were found in his old tattered album and can be found at these Picasa web albums: Vol. 1, Vol. 2 & Vol. 3 + a separate album of 19 old French picture postcards. Reorganization of these web pages are obviously in order due to information gained during this visit. More on Harry St.Clare Wheeler can be found by CLICKING HERE. H.S. Wheeler, as he often signed his name during these WWI Navy years, was Keith's father and Patrick's grandfather. This was a strong positive emotional time for these 3 members of the Wheeler family.
Click a picture to see a larger view.
