They were digging a pipe and discovered the remains of a French infantryman off the access road, so there was a hole in the ground, some remains poking out yet to be excavated, and a French flag on a wooden pole.
The area of the battlefield is still filled with so much UXB that hiking is forbidden and so many shells exploded that the ground is poisoned and the trees stunted.
Did you see that Verdun mausoleum? I’ve seen photos of this gigantic grand building, a giant building that looks like an airship hanger... filled with bones.
People still die there, at Verdun from unexploded shells.
The German artillery bombardment was unceasing for weeks on end. French counterbattery fire added more, and the torn up ground became mud, which trapped many shells.
Verdun was horror on Earth
Wow. The job of clearing all the crud would be enormous and expensive, and risky to personnel.
Just be glad it isn’t a National Park in the US, selfie-seeking tourists would be getting blown to bits every few days. 😁
Even to this day, the British and French exaggerate German losses in most of those great WWI battles. If the Germany casualty level had matched those of the B,F, and Russians, there wouldn’t have been a WWII, at least not in Europe.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Verdun
In WWII, SHAEF met at Verdun in response to the Battle of the Bulge. The movie version doesn’t have Eisenhower present, in the actual meeting he was. Patton answered that he could change axis and relieve Bastogne, and Ike said, “don’t be fatuous, George!” Fatuous? Really? Not a very general-ee word to use under the circumstances. 😊
https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/pattons-fateful-verdun-meeting/