Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Chauffour quarry, located near Thiescourt in the department of l'Oise (Hauts-de-France), is a 19th-century underground limestone farm. Its extractive activity continued in the early 20th century, before it became a strategic place during the First World War. Beginning in September 1914, the career was found on the French lines, sheltering soldiers exhausted by the battles of Verdun or La Somme. This relatively calm front of the Noyonnais served as a resting area for the convalescent regiments.

Between 1915 and 1918, the quarry was built by the 72nd Territorial Infantry Regiment (RTI) to accommodate two companies. The soldiers create a troglodyte village, with windows inspired by Byzantine art and more than 200 rock engravings. These sculptures, made during the war and then during the "funny war", represent military scenes, portraits, patriotic or religious symbols, and even enemy cartoons. Four of them are attributed to Louis Leclabart, a soldier-artist.

Ranked a historic monument in 1999 for its troglodyt habitats and sculptures, the career bears witness to the life of the hairs and their creativity in adversity. The traces left, ranging from surnames to erotic scenes, reflect the diverse concerns of the soldiers. After the war, the site retains a major heritage value, illustrating both the Oise industrial history and the daily lives of the fighters during the conflict.

Today, the Chauffour's career remains an accessible place of memory, although its exact location in the Thiescourt woods is sometimes difficult to specify (map precision estimated at 6/10). Its listing in the inventory of historical monuments covers both underground galleries and military developments, thus preserving a unique heritage linked to the Great War.

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