This view shows that Oradour-sur-Glane was quite a modern village in 1944, as it had a public telephone kiosk on the Rue Emile Desourteaux. At this time, public telephones in the street were relatively rare in rural France and usually people had to go into the Post Office to make calls. At this time, I do not know how the calls were paid for and there does not seem enough space in the housing to locate coin and fee-checking apparatus. In France today, telephone kiosks are often located within the Post Office building and in this case payment is made over the counter at the time of use. Notice that the user had an insulated platform on which to stand (to provide protection for the user in the event of a contact between the telephone wires and the overhead power supply for the trams), but was left exposed to the weather whilst making the call. The Post Office itself is to the left and rear of this view on the other side of the Rue Emile Desourteaux.
© Michael Williams: January 2012