Bandages and Baguettes, The Care and Feeding of the Great War Soldier

[Thumb Dog]

Hi All,

This coming April, it will have been one hundred and one years since the United States declared war on Germany, marking America’s entry into the First World War. It has been some years since the last veteran of the conflict passed away, and soon, the great event will have passed out of living memory. And even though most witnesses to the war have moved on, there remain behind many tangible remembrances of the Great War. Photographs, uniforms, weapons, medals and even poetry are as much a part of the history of the struggle as are the millions of inscribed grave markers scattered across the globe.

World War I also saw the production of a number of items that will be of interest to visitors of this forum, namely paper models. Back in July 2017, fellow member John Wagenseil, at the urging of B-Manic, shared a list of sites he titled, “Imagerie d’Epinal - Brave Frenchmen and Their Evil Adversaries.” The lineup included a number of paper diversions in the form of models, dioramas, hampelmann figures and downright bloodthirsty propaganda. A couple of these images are included below. Most of the scans depict the products of Imagerie d’Epinal Pellerin & Cie, the famous French publisher, and it is the output of this company that forms the basis of the following discourse.

Bandages and Baguettes will focus not on the lurid battle scenes published by Pellerin, but instead on the dioramas and other models that portray soldiers in their hours away from the battlefield. Many sheets were printed depicting soldiers training, camping, cooking, relaxing and receiving medical care in the field and elsewhere. It is these scenes that will be discussed here. Other paper constructions from other publishers, such as three-dimensional models and paper dolls will be reviewed as well.

First up is Pellerin publication No. 2039 bis called, “Un Poste De Secours Sur Le Front Français,” or, “A Rescue Station on the French Front.” The small group of soldiers and nurses is composed of just nine elements that I have arranged in a diorama format. A close look at the original sheet will reveal that the nine elements are double-sided, each with a front and a distinct back. When built as intended, the finished elements can be viewed from two sides to show both sides of the people, structures and materiel. I chose to build only one side of each element and set them upon a custom mat board base to create a small diorama of the Rescue Station. I did this both to neatly display the paper parts and, more importantly, to keep all the elements together. I intend to build quite a few paper soldiers, and without gluing each in its place, chaos would quickly ensue.

Three nurses dressed in angelic white are shown caring for a wounded soldier, while another stretcher case is being carried off to a waiting ambulance. Things seem to be quiet and orderly at the Rescue Station. The group is not under direct fire, and they can calmly go about their business of caring for the wounded. Note that there is green grass under their feet, indicating a patch of ground that has not been overturned by the constant artillery fire. Off in the distance is a denuded forest, an image often associated with Great War battlefields. Because no backdrop was included with these paper parts, my friend Tom Greensfelder suggested using a sepia toned photograph showing a stripped woodland. The contrast between the colorful figures and the dingy backdrop is striking.

For those interested in learning more about the events of a century ago, there are a number of web sites dedicated to the history of the First World War. The war not only changed forever the political map of the world, but we are still living with the consequences, intended and otherwise, to this day. I hope the models I present in this series will encourage your further interest in this important, world-changing event of so long ago.

Score and fold,

Thumb Dog

[SCEtoAUX]

That looks very good. The choice of the background really sets it off. Good call.

[Vermin_King]

Very nicely done, sir

[Kevin WS]

Great work....

[rockpaperscissor]

Wonderful. The background sets the scene off perfectly. It wasn't until photo #8 that I realized it was mirrored. You consistently elevate these vintage models.

[Thumb Dog]

Hi All,

And thanks for your kind comments. I've already built a number of these rarely seen models, and I'm working on a few more right now. I'll be posting more examples in the coming weeks.

In my original post, I forgot to include a copy of the uncut page, so here it is. All for now,

Score and fold,

Thumb Dog

[Seascape]

Great model! This thread is going to be interesting.

Fred

[MichaelS]

You are honoring all the millions who suffered and gave their all in that terrible war. I feel the work you are doing here needs to go beyond this community and to the rest of the world. My paternal grandfather was a merchant marine crewman in the 1915 - 16 period and saw more than his share of the submarine atrocities before the convoy system was adopted. All we can do for those people now is never forget.

[Thumb Dog]

Hi All,

It’s no secret that the French love their bread. From the classic Baguette, to the Fougasse of Provence and the sweet Brioche, baking bread is regarded as an art in France. And when the French go to war, they take their bread with them.

Today’s diorama, Pellerin’s Série De Guerre No. 16, “Fours Roulants, Boulangerie sur le Front,” or, “Rolling Bakery Ovens on the Front,” shows just what an undertaking baking bread for the troops can be. Although they may look like locomotives, those big, grey contraptions are in reality the rolling ovens of a French mobile bakery. Along with the machinery, the diorama shows most of the steps needed to produce a loaf of bread in the field. The sacks of flour are gathered and stored under guard until needed, while an officer tallies the stores. Locally sourced water is boiled to purify it, and it’s combined with flour and yeast to produce the dough that’s kneaded in the large metal trough.

After the dough rises, the loaves are baked in the hot ovens until done, then after a quick count, moved out to the hungry Poilu. The bread being made today appears to be pain de campagne, or country bread. The brown, round, hearty loaf is just the thing for the troops, as it is simpler to bake and more robust than the tastier baguette. Note the shirtless head baker, wearing his apron and wooden shoes. In fact, a number of the crew are shod in wooden shoes. They must be far enough from the action that they don’t anticipate having to run for their lives.

The simple diorama sits on a mat board base that employs a step to elevate the rear oven. A stylized forest is set behind the boulangerie to frame the scene. Everyone seems happy in their work, with only one man required to carry a gun. While hot and demanding, being assigned to a field bakery does not look like hardship duty. At least, every body eats.

A final note. The attached photograph shows a field bakery as operated by the Germans during the war. After a brief search, no similar picture of a French bakery has come to light.

Score and fold,

Thumb Dog

[SCEtoAUX]

Nice diorama and brief history lesson.
Wasn't there a scene in the old 1930 All Quiet on the Western Front movie where a German soldier shows up in a trench with a loaf of bread and the whole squad shared it because that was the only food they had for several days?