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Post by dusty350 on Apr 14, 2017 17:00:24 GMT 1
Hi ellasae Thankfully, the very few people we saw in the cemeteries were very respectful. In all the ones we visited we probably saw no more than 6 or 7 people in total - the Somme region seemed deserted except for Beaumont Hamel, but even then it was only one coach load of Canadians. It was the 100 year anniversary of Vimy Ridge on the Sunday, and I think a lot of people visiting the area were there. For anyone visiting Thiepval for the first time, there is a register - 5 or 6 books in fact, either side of the main entrance, which enables you to pinpoint where the name you are searching for is located. Also, each cemetery has a register; This lists all the known soldiers in the cemetery, where they were from and sometimes other info. Very useful but also very interesting reading through it. Dusty
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Post by skydemon on Apr 14, 2017 18:38:37 GMT 1
I have to say Dusty you write very well. I'm not much of a reader but read this all the way through. Very compelling. Thank you
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 14, 2017 19:09:20 GMT 1
Thank you. It is a pleasure to share my experience, and I hope it encourages others to visit. I'm sure we are all of an age that means we had Grandfathers or Great Grandfathers that were involved in this conflict. It has certainly left it's mark on me, and I hope all that read this get a sense of what our forebears endured.
Dusty
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 14, 2017 19:45:51 GMT 1
Up early on Saturday morning for a cooked breakfast, and then into th e minibus heading for Albert. Albert was first occupied by the Germans in 1914, but relinquished when they retreated to the Marne. It became a busy centre for the British, with hospitals, billets and munitions dumps. Knowing how important it was to the allies, the Germans shelled Albert heavily. A famous image of Albert at that time was of the Church - The Basilica Notre Dame de Brebieres. At the top of the steeple was a golden statue of Mary with baby Jesus. In January 1915, a German shell hit the statue and dislodged it, leaving it leaning over at 90 degrees (horizontal) Legends were born - one saying that when the statue fell the war would end, and another saying the side that felled it would win the war, and another to the contrary. Another more jokey saying was that she was the only virgin in Albert !! The tunnels that exist beneath the Basilica afforded safety to soldiers and civilians alike, and nowadays there is an excellent museum in the passages beneath the rebuilt Basilica The tunnel museum takes you beneath the square in front of the Basilica and out into Gardens some distance away. I took a pic of the team here; From the right, Ian our guide, Gerry, Jeff, Jack and my Sam Albert was in ruins when the Germans recaptured it in March 1918. To prevent the Germans using the steeple as an observation post, the British shelled it and finally the statue fell. It was never found. The British finally liberated the town, which was now just ruins, in August 1918.The town, like many in the region has been totally rebuilt. It's strange to think that most of the buildings we saw on our trip were less than 100 years old, although many had been rebuilt to mirror the original structures. The Basilica was rebuilt using the original plans, by the son of the original architect ! The virgin and child were faithfully reproduced too and once again sit atop the steeple. Dusty
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Post by ellasae on Apr 14, 2017 19:48:07 GMT 1
Well put Dusty , you can't help but be moved by the experience and be compelled to find out more .
And as skydemon said , you've written a very informative and interesting thread .
David
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 14, 2017 20:49:37 GMT 1
After grabbing a bite to eat, Ian was keen to take us to the outskirts of Mametz, to the site of a British front line trench held by the 8th and 9th Devonshire Regiment on the 1st July - Mansell Copse. Commanding "A" Company of the 9th Devons was Captain Duncan Lennox Martin. He was aware of a well know German machine gun position sited in the civilian cemetery on the edge of Mametz village. He was also aware that an attack would leave his men dangerously exposed to fire from this position. He went on leave, and whilst away couldn't stop thinking about this machine gun position. He made a plasticene model, and on return to the line showed his superiors, telling them how exposed the troops would be. It made no difference. The plan to attack was executed, and Cpt. Martin was killed by fire from the machine gun position, just as he had predicted, along with over 160 others from the 8th and 9th Devonshires. Many were carried back under cover of darkness and buried in a section of the trench. The graves were left here, and after the war the Devonshire Cemetery was built on this site; 3 days after the opening attack, a ceremony was held in the trench for the fallen, and a wooden cross erected. Carved upon the cross were the words "The Devonshires held this trench, the Devonshires hold it still " The cross disappeared some years after the war, but collections paid for a new memorial stone that displays those original words; Dusty
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Post by steven on Apr 14, 2017 21:40:13 GMT 1
Hi Dusty, A great thread, very interesting. Interesting also to see "Semper Fidelis" on the bottom of the Devonshires Memorial. Thanks for taking the time to post the pics and do the write ups. Cheers, steven.
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 14, 2017 21:47:04 GMT 1
Hi Steven Our military were using Semper Fidelis before the US Marines, as early as 1685 (according to Wikipedia ) It means "Always faithful" or "Always loyal" Glad you like the thread, I'm enjoying re living last weekend. Dusty
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Post by steven on Apr 14, 2017 21:56:54 GMT 1
Hi Dusty, I just discovered that on wiki also, every day is indeed a school day. I would love to do the tour you did, and I would also like to go and see Arnhem, as I recently discovered, I had a family memeber who was part of the 1st Air Landing Brigade that went to take "The Bridge Too Far," he was killed on the last day of the battle and is buried in Oostebeek war cenetry in Holland. Please keep up the good work with this thread. Thanks again for your time. Cheers. steven.
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 14, 2017 22:41:52 GMT 1
Ian had a laptop in the bus, and we watched clips from the black and white film "The Somme", filmed by 2 cinematographers before and during the battle. It was a propaganda film, and the first time British audiences had seen British war dead on film. During the film, the camera captures images of wounded men being treated at an aid station called "Minden Post". Walking along from the Devonshire cemetery, we found the site of Minden Post, which is now within a wooded area. There is an entrance to a culvert shown in the film which we managed to locate. It was the first time Ian had looked for it so it was nice to find it. We moved on to Carnoy Cemetery as Ian wanted to show us one grave in particular. On July first, a young Captain attached to the 8th East Surreys was waiting for 07.30 - zero hour. Capt. "Billie" Neville was a talented sportsman, and had bought 4 footballs - one for each of his 4 platoons, whilst on leave in England. He thought the soldiers minds would be taken off the attack if they focused on kicking a ball across no-mans-land. As the whistles blew for "over the top" the balls were kicked into the open ground and the East Surreys advanced. There was to be a prize for the first platoon across, and one of the balls had been written on - "The Great European Cup Tie Final. East Surreys v The Bavarians - kick off at zero" ! The East Surreys performed well that day - they reached their objective, but unfortunately, Capt. Neville couldn't enjoy the moment - he was shot in the head and killed just short of the German trench. His body was recovered and buried a couple of days later, 2 weeks short of his 22nd birthday; A couple of the footballs survived, and were on display, one being at Clandon House, just outside Guildford In Surrey. Unfortunately, Clandon caught fire in 2015, totally gutting the house. Ian was still serving in the Fire Service and attended the Fire. He knew the building well - it was a known "risk" that he visited often on familiarization visits - and he managed to get to the room where the football was displayed, only to find the room well alight and everything within destroyed. So it's believed only one original football bought by Billie Neville survives. Dusty
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 14, 2017 22:51:29 GMT 1
Hi Steven We've talked of doing Arnhem - Ian does a trip there, We all enjoyed this trip so much that we intend to do one each year. Next year we are thinking about Normandy - Ian does a "Day of days" tour. Basically watch "Band of Brothers", and then visit all the sites portrayed in that epic episode. Ian is such a great tour guide, and with Jeff you have a great double act that know there wars inside out. We watched the coach tour at Beaumont Hamel go round the complete site in about 20 minutes !! The students were taking pics without stopping - there's gonna be some very blurred photos in their albums !!
Dusty
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 15, 2017 9:39:18 GMT 1
We now headed out to FlatIron Copse, another British Cemetery lies here and another soldier Ian wanted us to visit Edward Dwyer VC, was just 19 when he won his Victoria Cross, fighting at the infamous Hill 60 in Belgium. He stood on the parapet of his trench in full view of the attacking Germans, and despite having grenades directed at him, he managed to disperse the attack with the use of his own grenades. Earlier in the day he had left his trench under heavy shell fire to bandage wounded comrades. After the award of the VC, Dwyer was brought home and was asked to make a recording of his experiences in the trenches. As we stood looking at his gravestone, Jeff informed us of the recording, and then proceeded to play it on his phone. It was very much a "lump in the throat" moment - standing listening to a young man in his prime, talking in a very matter of fact way about his experience, all the time knowing he was laying beneath our feet. This trip was full of sobering moments, but this had us all speechless. Edward Dwyer VC,1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment, was killed in action on 3rd September 1916 at Guillemont, a couple of months short of his 21st birthday. FlatIron Copse Cemetery lies in farm land a few miles from Albert, and as with all the other Cemeteries we visited, is peaceful and beautiful; Dusty
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 15, 2017 11:19:52 GMT 1
A little more info on the cemeteries. They are literally dotted everywhere - often in the middle of a farmers field - the site of vicious fighting, or the side of a road. Men were often buried where they fell, and often in great numbers. Each one we visited was a beautiful and peaceful oasis in the middle of a field of crops, immaculately kept by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Where no remains were found, the names of the missing - 77,000 in 1916 alone - were inscribed on memorials such as Thiepval so they are honoured. Each cemetery has a stone "Cross of Sacrifice", the size of which relates to the size of the cemetery. The sword on the cross points downwards in a passive way. Larger cemeteries have a stone alter where tributes are laid. All cemeteries have a register easily accessed behind a small door in the entrance wall so you can find a particular grave easily. The gravestones of Commonwealth soldiers are all the same design; As with the gravestone above, where details are known, they are inscribed onto the stone. If remains were found but no identification was possible, the following stone marks the remains; Author, Rudyard Kipling chose the inscription for the unknown soldier. Other stones have an unknown soldier but whose remains bore regimental insignia - buttons or badges/shoulder flash etc, so the regiment may be displayed but no name. Many gravestones have no epitaph. It cost a penny per letter to have extra words inscribed, and many families simply couldn't afford it. Stones with epitaphs could indicate wealthier families; With regards to 2nd Lt Heaton, Ian produced a book, showing a photo of his family visiting his grave in 1920, and laying a plaque, which is still there today, 97 years later !!; Some grave stones are placed against the wall of the cemetery. This usually denotes the cemetery was hit by shell fire after the graves were completed, and the resulting tangle of body parts meant they were reburied, but the result meant that it was uncertain exactly what belonged to who; Dusty
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Post by veg on Apr 15, 2017 12:28:48 GMT 1
I have loved reading about this tour, it is insightful and well written all credit to you dusty. If you do get the chance do go to Arnhem it is another moving experience as is doing the d day beaches. Try to avoid June though as you get lots of re-enactors going dressing up primarily as yanks, the power of Tom Hanks. Got me itching to do another myself now. Want to do the Ardennes next.
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 15, 2017 18:03:01 GMT 1
Hi Veg Arnhem is on our radar for a future trip. Ian will take us wherever we want to go, but we are thinking of Normandy next, and then maybe Arnhem the year after. The Somme was always no 1 for me due to my Grandad's story, and I still want to go back there too - we only scratched the surface of that battle. Dusty
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Post by mouse on Apr 15, 2017 19:10:30 GMT 1
Great photos Dusty, what a place...
Mouse
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 15, 2017 20:02:20 GMT 1
After a short ride in the mini bus, we arrived at Mametz Wood. The memorial here, erected in 1987, is a Welsh Dragon, barbed wire in it's claws, facing the wood that was well defended by the Germans. The 38th Welsh Division was tasked with capturing the wood from the Germans. Losses were huge. In the first attack over 400 men were killed or wounded before they reached the wood, and subsequent attacks failed too. On July 10th a full scale attack saw 676 men from the Welsh regiment fight their way into the wood, fighting at close quarters with bayonets. The wood was not cleared until the 12th by which time the Welsh had lost about 4000 men in total, killed or wounded. As we walked around the wood, you could still see shell craters littering the ground. Walking back to the bus along the edge of the field presented us with the usual bits of shrapnel, and then Ian found a bullet, just sat on top of the earth; We'll never know if that bullet found a target, but it served as a reminder of how dangerous these battlefields were for the men fighting in them. Dusty
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Post by Tobyjugs on Apr 15, 2017 21:11:33 GMT 1
I have loved reading about this tour, it is insightful and well written all credit to you dusty. If you do get the chance do go to Arnhem it is another moving experience as is doing the d day beaches. Try to avoid June though as you get lots of re-enactors going dressing up primarily as yanks, the power of Tom Hanks. Got me itching to do another myself now. Want to do the Ardennes next. Great report Dusty Every year i lend my Landy to somebody in my village to trailer down a Willy's Jeep to Arnhem. The Jeep is run around in a convoy and one of the passengers is the mother who was liberated by the Canadians. She still remembers it and learned to speak english from them.
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Post by veg on Apr 16, 2017 0:07:33 GMT 1
Dusty great programme called ww1 deadly tunnels all about an archeological dig into German trenches and the tunnelling worth watching.
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 16, 2017 8:55:54 GMT 1
Hi Veg I will take a look. Ian said there are tunnels and dug outs on the Somme that you can visit but that will be for another time. There is so much to see when you visit here - the attack was carried out over a 16 mile front so every yard was fought for and every yard has a story ! Toby - Arnhem is somewhere we definitely want to visit. Avril - the B&B owner has a museum across the road in a refurbished barn building, housing a collection of 1st and 2nd world war artifacts that she bought from a private collector in his 80's. It's amazing what this guy managed to get hold of but there is an original Willy's Jeep in the collection as well as a German field gun, Dodge troop carrier etc !!
Dusty
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Post by iwantalc on Apr 16, 2017 9:51:20 GMT 1
hello dusty you wanted a new career write a book .. very interesting reading this and great photo's..
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Post by steven on Apr 16, 2017 12:05:48 GMT 1
Hi Dusty, Still enjoying this thread and reading with interest. I would hazard a guess, that bullet hasnt hit anything, as it looks too perfect and not deformed in any way, but I suppose we will never know. Looking forward to the next "chapter" on your trip. steven.
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 16, 2017 19:45:13 GMT 1
Hi I'm glad you are all enjoying reading about it We left Mametz Wood and headed back to Thiepval. Close to the Thiepval Monument is a memorial to the men of the Ulster Division. The Ulster Tower, a mock Gothic tower that is a replica of Helens Tower, which is in the Clandeboye Estate in County Down,Ireland, and the place where the Ulster Division trained before being sent to France; The Ulsters attacked at 07.30 on 1st July, over ground stretching from Thiepval wood to the village of Hamel. They reached their objective, a German strong point called the "Schwaben Redoubt". Unfortunately they found themselves unsupported due to the carnage and huge losses elsewhere on the battlefield, and running low on ammo, were forced to withdraw when the Germans launched counter attacks. The 36th Ulster Division suffered over 5000 casualties on that day, 1 in 4 men were either killed, wounded or missing. There is a plaque in the grounds, listing the 9 VC winners in the Ulster Division, 4 of which were won on 1st July. The first of these VC's was won before the battle started. 20 year old Private Billy McFadzean was in a crowded trench, and a box of grenades had been dropped in the trench, and 2 pins were dislodged. Mcfadzean knew the danger - he was a bomber himself, and knew he had to act quickly, so he threw himself on top of the grenades, which exploded, blowing him to pieces. Only one other soldier was injured, as Mcfadzean had absorbed the blast with his body. Nearby Thiepval wood can only be accessed with a guide - there is still a lot of unexploded ordinance littering the wood and it is too dangerous to wander around unaccompanied. Unfortunately we didn't have time for a tour of the wood which has trench systems that have been excavated, so I would love to go back another time. Connaught Cemetery is a couple of minutes walk from the Ulster Tower. Over 1200 men lie here, approx. half are unidentified; You will notice an area where headstones are laid flat. The ground here is unstable, due apparently to mining works beneath the ground, so the headstones are laid flat for safety. In an earlier post I mentioned it was possible to spot trench lines long since filled in. In the following pic, between the track in the brown field and the green field to the right, you can see a feint zig zag line. That is an old trench line, and you can spot them everywhere this time of year on newly ploughed land; Dusty
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 16, 2017 20:00:30 GMT 1
That's the end of day 2. Back to the B&B for dinner and a few beers. The weather has been stunning, Sunday is forecast to be hotter still. There are some Canadians staying in the B&B, a very friendly group who are going to Vimy Ridge on the Sunday for the 100 year anniversary.
Dusty
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 16, 2017 22:41:15 GMT 1
Day 3. Clear blue sky and already warm when we set off early for Beaumont Hamel, a very short distance from "Ocean Villas" ! This site was bought at the end of the war, and maintained as a memorial to the Newfoundland Regiment. I must say, of all the places we have visited so far, I found Beaumont Hamel to be the most striking yet. We were the only people there at first, the birds were singing, the sky was crystal clear, it was very warm - a beautiful day in a beautiful spot. As you follow the path from the entrance, you pass a memorial to the 29th Division, whose men fought here, and then you follow the path around to be met by the Caribou Monument; The Caribou is the symbol of the Newfoundland Regiment. When the war started in 1914, Newfoundland was a dominion of the British Empire - it wouldn't become part of Canada until 1949. It was largely rural, with a population of approx. 240,000. At the start of the war, the Newfoundland Government answered the call, and raised enough men to fill a Battalion - 1000 Newfoundlanders, who trained in the UK. Their first action with the 29th Division was at Galipolli, before being redeployed to the Western front early in 1916. They had been at Beaumont Hamel since April 16, along with British units. On July 1st, the Newfoundlanders were not part of the first wave over the top. Their start time was 08.45. The German line is clearly visible from the Caribou monument, as the tree line in the distance; The Germans occupying the trenches there were experienced soldiers who had been part of the invasion force in 1914. They had held their lines for 20 months, and were constantly improving and strengthening their fortifications. At 07:20, a large mine was detonated at nearby Hawthorn ridge, designed to destroy a German strongpoint. The 40,000lb mine left a huge crater, but killed less than 40 enemy troops. What it did do was alert the defenders to the imminent attack, and they rushed up from deep dug outs to defend their lines. The attack by the British was a disaster with men being cut down by machine gun and artillery fire. When the Newfoundland Regiment received the order to move forward, they found the trenches full of dead and dying that had been brought back from the battlefield. Unable to make their way to the front line trench because of the congestion, they left the safety of the reserve trench and made their way forward over open ground, towards their starting point. They were now effectively the only body of men moving on the battlefield, and in full view of the German guns. Within 20 minutes of leaving their trench, most of the regiment were dead, dying or wounded. 780 Newfoundlanders advanced into a hail storm of metal, from artillery and machine gun fire. Only 110 escaped unscathed - the Regiment was effectively wiped out. Observers reported the men had tipped their heads forward and advanced as if walking in a rain storm. The casualty rate was 80%. On the battlefield, there was a tree - called the Danger Tree. Very few men made it to the tree. Today, the remains of the tree is, unbelievably, still there; The whole site serves as a memorial, and as such, trench lines are still intact; The Danger Tree can be seen to the left of the 3 trees in the foreground - also note the shell holes - this is No Mans Land; Many of the men lie in "Y" Ravine cemetery; Looking towards the allied lines from the German front line trench; German front line trenches; This is a monument to the 51st Highland Division, who finally captured Beaumont in November 16 Hunters Cemetery. This was a shell hole burial, hence the unusual circular design; There is a museum back near the entrance to the site, built in the style of a Newfoundlanders house. Amongst the artifacts and information, I found this letter, which after walking around this battlefield, brought a tear to my eye; Dusty
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 17, 2017 21:49:40 GMT 1
I think we all felt a bit numb as we left Beaumont Hamel. This was the first time we saw trench systems, both allied and German, and only a few hundred yards apart. The pock marked landscape, still scarred from shell fire showed how virtually impossible it would have been to survive in No Mans Land, and the relentless hail of machine gun fire that raked the land finally brought home to us just how it was possible for so many men to die or be wounded in such a small area. The weather on July 1st 1916 was much the same as the day we were there, and it's not hard to imagine wounded men suffering in the heat. Many that could have been saved perished due to not being able to get back to their lines, and the screams and moans of the wounded filled the air for hours after the attack had ceased. Leaving Beaumont Hamel, we made a very short trip to the area where the mine at Hawthorne Ridge had been detonated that fateful morning. We first visited Hawthorn Ridge Cemetery No 1; Over 150 soldiers rest here, nearly half are unidentified. The cemetery was constructed in spring 1917 when the battlefield was cleared, so it's easy to understand how so many men weren't able to be identified. The crater left by the mine detonation is very close by, but unlike Locknagar, nature has started to reclaim it. The crater is thick with trees and vegetation, but the scale of the explosion is still plain to see. If you look closely, you can see Sam standing at the bottom - I was about 6ft down from the top edge when I took the pic; The mine was blown at 07:20 - 10 minutes before zero hour. Both sides would rush to occupy the crater lip which would afford cover for both attackers and defenders. It was blown early as it was felt attacking allied troops could be killed or injured by the falling debris, which would have been propelled thousands of feet into the air. Only a few British troops made it to the crater, and they were dislodged by German counter attacks. As with all areas on the Somme front, the Germans expected the attack to start when the artillery fire from the Allies ceased, and the blowing of a mine signalled this to them as well. Once again the plan had failed, and the German defence stayed solid and effective. The next pic shows us looking from the German position at the crater, down onto an area of no mans land. The British lines would have been to the left of the white monument you can see, the German trenches would be to the right; Our next stop would be that monument, and another infamous place in the history of the Somme battle. Dusty
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 19, 2017 20:03:54 GMT 1
The last pic shows a line of trees to the left of the monument. It was at the extreme left of the trees that Geoffrey Malins, the war photographer and camera operator for the film "The Somme", was stationed for zero hour on 1st July. There is a famous scene which he captured from this position, of the Hawthorn Ridge mine exploding - a huge eruption of soil propelled into the air. His position is approximately half a mile away, down hill from the ridge. The white monument you can see is dedicated to many of the regiments that fought in the Somme region. It is sited at the end of an infamous "Sunken Road". Photgraphs taken here, by Mallins, are of men of the 1st Lancashire Fusilliers waiting for zero hour. The sunken road was in No Mans Land, and the 1st Lancs had formed up in the road at approx. 3am. A shallow tunnel had been dug from their lines which kept them concealed from any German observation. The lane is almost exactly as it was 101 years ago; Looking back, the trees on the left are where the mine was detonated Ian is holding a book with the photo of the men waiting for the whistle to blow. When it did, they crested the bank to the right, and attempted to advance on the German trench across a narrow meadow. The Germans were already manning their machine guns when the 1st Lancs appeared. Not only that, but the failure of the Hawthorn mine meant German observers on the high ground had a perfect view, and called in an artillery barrage. Machine gunners on the ridge were also able to direct fire down towards the Sunken road, so the 1st Lancs were facing fire from the front and the side. The attack was a disaster. The men were cut down within a few yards in the open meadow. Some wounded managed to crawl back to the Sunken road, and by midday it was full of wounded and dying men. The 1st Lancashire Battalion lost 163 killed, 312 wounded and 11 missing. Sam created a great pic - 101 years apart; When you climb the bank and walk towards the German trench line, it is easy to see how so many men fell here, completely exposed to enemy fire from the ridge and the trench in front of them. Dusty
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 19, 2017 20:44:33 GMT 1
The Sunken Road is a surreal place. So quiet - it's a farmers track now, but a place of misery and death on July 1st 1916. The ploughed field to the left (British) side of the lane was full of shrapnel - we walked along the edge and this is some of what was laying on the surface; I laid my watch next to it to show the scale. The large part of shell weighs loads and must be half an inch thick. You can understand how men "disappeared" on the battlefield, with lumps of metal like that flying through the air with explosive force. We left the Sunken Road behind and headed for Railway Hollow. On the way we stopped at Serre Road Cemetery no 1; There are over 2400 soldiers laid to rest here. Ian had an interesting story regarding this cemetery After the war finished, many men settled in the area, often marrying local women and finding work as gardeners tending the grave sites. When the 2nd World War started, many of the gardeners left the area as the Germans swept through in mechanised formations - so different to the 1st war ! Thankfully they did little to damage the Cemeteries. One Englishman did stay - Ben Leech, who had taken part in the capture of Montauban on July 1st with the Manchester Pals. The German Commander allowed him to carry on tending to the Cemeteries, not knowing he had joined the local French Resistance group ! Over the next 4 years, Ben Leech aided the escape of 27 allied airmen after they had been shot down over the Somme ! He hid them in the Cemetery tool sheds, which you can see in the corners near the road; German soldiers often wandered around the cemetery, never knowing that allied airmen were feet away hiding in the sheds ! He was never found out, and died in 1965. Dusty
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 21, 2017 20:54:08 GMT 1
Railway Hollow is just up the road From Serre No 1. and forms part of the Sheffield Park memorial. We parked the van by the road side and started up the farm track that leads to the hollow. A few yards up the track we found more of the "iron harvest", lying next to the track; There are 3 cemeteries in this area, and we were heading down into the old British line that had been held by the 31st Division, made up of 12 Battalions, all but two of which were recruited from Yorkshire. In the rush to join up at the start of the war, many men from towns, or factories, football teams etc joined up together, forming "Pals" Battalions. They joined together, trained together and would go into battle together. And unfortunately for so many, they would die together. This place was the starting point for the "Accrington Pals" on 1st July; That is a shell crater in the foreground. There was a light railway at the bottom of the slope, where the cemetery is now, which was out of sight of the Germans. It was used to bring in supplies, hence the name "Railway Hollow". No trees were left standing here on July 1st, just shattered stumps from German artillery fire. In fact, German shells were falling before the men went over the top, the enemy having been alerted to the imminent attack by a smoke screen drifting across no mans land. The 2nd Barnsley Pals suffered 30% casualties even before leaving their trench. The air was thick with metal as men climbed the ladders to attack, with many falling backwards as they became visible above the surface of the trench. By the end of the day, each Battalion had recorded several hundred men dead, wounded or missing. This memorial stands to the men of the "Accrington Pals", who attacked from here on July 1st; It was late afternoon now, and the day had been red hot - the van display said outside temp was 30 degrees !! We found a bar in a village for a few beers, and then back to "Ocean Villas" for tea, and a couple more beers before bed. Monday will mean going home, but we've decided to head to Ypres for a look around before heading back to the tunnel. Dusty
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Post by dusty350 on Apr 22, 2017 12:48:51 GMT 1
So, Day 4, our last day. The "Chunnel" is booked for 5.20pm, so we leave "Ocean Villa's" and the Somme behind and head for Ypres, or "Wipers" as the British soldiers called it back then ! A free Europe means driving into Belgium from France is no more complicated than any other road - no customs, checkpoints or even signs saying you are now in Belgium !! We wont have long today so the visit to Ypres is just a taster. We parked up in the centre and made our way to the Menin Gate; Like Thiepval, this monument stands as a memorial to the missing British and Commonwealth soldiers who fought in Belgium. Over 54,000 names are inscribed on the Portland Stone. Every night, at 8 o clock, Buglers from the local Fire Service sound the "Last Post" here, a tradition that started in 1927, and has occurred every night since, apart from when Ypres was occupied by the Germans in the second world war. We couldn't be here for it this time, but definitely something I want to see on a future trip. Ypres suffered terribly during ww1 and the "Cloth Hall", which stands in the square was almost completely levelled by shell fire. It was rebuilt after the war to mirror how it was before it's destruction; There is so much to see here but we are bound for Poperinghe about 7 miles away, for lunch. Before the war, the population of "Pop" was approx. 12,000. The British used it as a centre - billets and a Divisional HQ were based here. In 1917, it was estimated there were 250,000 soldiers based here !! It was also a place where condemned men were executed - held in cells within the Town Hall, and shot at dawn. They weren't necessarily deserters - some that were shot had committed murder, and would have been hanged if they were back in England. The cells have been preserved, and the post to which the condemned men were tied is preserved in the courtyard; Back to the van and the run for home ! All in all, an amazing, sobering trip. We will be back - we have only had a taster of the history of the Somme and Ypres. The Somme region is as near to London as York is, and the Channel Tunnel makes it so easy to get there. The area is so quiet, we hardly saw anyone when we were out and about. The Cemeteries are so beautiful, the monuments so thought provoking. The scale of death and destruction is still really hard to comprehend. The first day of battle - July 1st, is still the worst loss of life the British Army has ever suffered in one day, and is regarded as a battle in it's own right, irrespective of the fact it carried on until November. On that one day, 19,240 men were killed, 35,493 were wounded, 2,152 were missing and over 580 were taken prisoner. In one area it is estimated that for every German soldier killed, 18 British soldiers died. The whole of the Somme battle is estimated to have caused 1,300,000 casualties between the British and Germans. Many men died from wounds that would have been non life threatening had they been tended to in time. Heavy rain on July 2nd saw some wounded men , stranded in shell holes in No Mans Land, actually drown, unable to pull themselves to safety. All the time, walking around the Cemeteries looking at headstones, I'm seeing soldiers the same age as my 18 year old son Sam. It's impossible to imagine their experience, and I'm sure many that survived in body never regained who they were before the war. My Grandfather never spoke about the War, apart from telling my mum about his favourite horse called Peggy. His injury to his arm meant his war was over and he eventually returned to England, and was invalided out of the Army in October 1917. He married Winnie, had 2 children, and found work with Debenham and Freebody as a buyer. When the second war started he was still keen to "do his bit", and was a Fire Watcher charting fires started by bombs during the air raids in central London - a dangerous job with bombs falling all around. He died, a week after a heart attack, in 1972 - I was 6 at the time. His story only got told when I was old enough to understand. He was 20 years old when he joined up and went to France - hard to imagine someone so young going to war. Dusty
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