Beaulieu Forge, petrol pump and Champ de Foire
This view shows the Beaulieu blacksmith's forge on the Rue Emile Desourteaux in Oradour, just visible in the centre is the doctors car on the Champ de Foire. About 25 corpses were recovered from the forge, including M. Guillaume Besson, a cloth merchant and one of only 52 identifiable bodies found in the whole village. It was just to the right of the petrol pump that a group of visiting cyclists were shot on the pavement. What does seem a little strange to 21st century, safety-conscious eyes, is that the tram tracks run directly in front of the pump, so anyone buying fuel would be parked on them. Also see the close-up photographs of the village petrol pump and of the forge itself. See the village plan for location details.
© Michael Williams
revised April 2009