Author: Jessica A. Bandel
For artists on both sides of no man’s land, one of the most popular ways to pass the long, dreary hours in the trenches was to turn scrapped items and debris into little pieces of art. Often the art reflected the skill and mastery of the maker. Intricately carved rings required expert metalworking skills, while finely carved walking sticks were illustrative of the woodworking abilities of the carvers. Artillery and long gun shells were a popular medium as well and were often sold to other soldiers as souvenirs and keepsakes. They can still be found in abundance today on the World War I memorabilia market.
The carving pictured here was discovered in a German dugout by North Carolinians attached to the 30th Division. Made from a single pyramidal piece of French chalk, the sculpture features intricately carved leaves and branches. “Es lebe der könig und seine jager,” or “long live the king and his soldiers,” adorns the side pictured here. A large Iron Cross, a German medal given in recognition for heroism, appears on the reverse above the words “GOTT MIT UNS”-- “God with us.”