Report on visits, state of preservation, local conditions, removal by the enemy,...

Report on visits, state of preservation, local conditions, removal by the enemy, damage, looting, etc,

Annexure IV consists of excerpts [in English and French] of reports from the US Communications Zone on MFA and A activity illustrating the general situation within the European Theatre of Operations in France with information on MFA and A personnel and detailed lists of their investigations of 'historic monuments, objects of art and archives' within the Loire section. Further lists [in French] of the 'damages caused by the bombardment of May and the fighting of August 1944' to churches, monuments and buildings in the Angers area. Includes an excerpt [in French] on the 'art and history depositories' of the Sarthe region, containing works from the French national museums: Sourches in St-Symphorien [in the depository since 1940], Le Grand-Luce [1942], Chardonneux in St-Biez-en-Belin [1942], Bonnetable [1942] and Coulans [1942], plus one depository in Buffard, Guecelard, two depositories of objects from the Musees [sic] de la Ville de Paris, one in the Gidonniere in l'Homme [sic, presumably l'Homme on the Loire] and one in Ponce [presumably Poncé sur-le-Loir, since 1940], and the repository of the Bibliotheque d'Angers [sic] in the Prieure [sic] of Luceau, with details of their contents and protection measures. Also provides lists of the war damages to the historical monuments of the Orleans and Seine areas and Paris between 1940 and 1944, with details of reparation works intended or being carried out. Other excerpts relate to the issues of the billeting of Allied troops and more generally the military use of several buildings such as the estate known as 'Les Boulayes', east of Tournan, Seine, or the Hotel de Pompadour, Fontainebleau, but also the disappearance of three 17th century Flemish tapestries with hunting scenes belonging to the Chateau de Courance, Seine-et-Oise, after German troops left the castle in August 1944. Includes list of chateaux on the SHAEF official list of protected monuments or 'not on the Official List, but equally important and of exceptional historic interest' in the Seine area, such as the Chateau Le Marais, used as a station hospital. Another excerpt [in French] includes a report addressed to the director of the Metropolitan Museum in New York and intended for the commission for the retrieval of works of art in Germany [as written, possibly the Roberts Commission], with a brief list of people involved in the French art world and trade during the Second World War, such as the 'pro-Nazi' German consul in Paris, Wurster, the art dealer, Haberstock, who specialised in Dutch works of art obtained in Paris, or Mr. Bunietz [sic], director of the German Beaux Arts and one of Goering's buyers in France. Further includes a list of damaged monuments and buildings for the Oise area, in Belgium and in Paris, with details of their contents and the restoration works being carried out. Provides a detailed list of public monuments in bronze, mainly statues, belonging to the city of Paris. Excerpt consisting of a letter informing the Monuments Office of 'certain acts of pillage committed during the occupation' of Greece 'to the detriment of the artistic and archaeological heritage of Greece'.

Annexure V consists of excerpts from reports of the Second British Army for the month of November 1944 with general remarks on MFA and A activity and detailed descriptions of MFA and A inspections of monuments, churches and buildings in The Netherlands, with information on their conservation status and contents.

Annexure VI comprises excerpts from reports of the British Line of Communications, including a report [in English and French] on the historical monuments of Seine-inferieure and Rouen with details of their conditions and in a few cases their contents. Another excerpt consists of an extract from Major Lord Methuen's diary for the period of November-December 1944 for the Caen-Rouen area. Further excerpts [in English and French] provide information from field reports on MFA and A investigations of historic buildings, churches and monuments of the Seine province. Includes an extract from a report on the archives, libraries and objects of art, mostly from churches [not specified], kept in the department [sic] of the Somme. Contains another excerpt from Major Methuen's diary for mid to end December 1944.

Annexure VII consists of excerpts from reports by the SHAEF Mission to Belgium with details on MFA and A personnel and a brief overview of a series of issues tackled by the MFA and A at the Mission over the month of December 1944: the proposed establishment of a Belgian commission for the salvage of works of art, the location of the deposits of German works of art from Aachen, the occupation of chateaux by Allied troops, the drawing up of lists of chateaux of importance, the investigations carried out in Luxembourg, the removal of art objects from public and private collections at the hands of the Germans, the twelve guns and nine naval shells, all captured German material of the First World War, removed from the Museum of Arms and Armour in Brussels in 1940 and ten rifles and seven pistols looted in 1942 and a picture of the Holy Family attributed to Jordaens which was removed from the chateau d'Emaus, Malines, in 1940, originally part of the private collection of M. Gaetan Scheppers de Bergstein, size 65.6 x 51.5 cm. Includes Annexes A-C with copies of Kunstschutz certificates [in German] for protected monuments and a list of the protected chateaux in France, Luxembourg and The Netherlands. Also extracts from reports on Allied occupation of protected chateaux without proper authorisation.