Visiting The Western Front

The events of 1914-18 are the events that have shaped the rest of the 20th century. The Armistice was to have been the end of the power struggle in Europe , but was instead the catalyst for a more widespread conflict 21 years later.

Much has been written about the War. But reading books, as good and factual as they are, is no substitute to gaining a first hand experience of the Battlefields of Northern France and Belgium .

Only an hour from Calais and you can centre a visit on ARRAS or ALBERT in France for the Somme and Arras sectors. Alternatively a visit to YPRES , again only an hour from Calais , is a good base for seeing the northern sectors of the French/Belgian border and the Belgian sectors themselves.

Where would you visit ? There are enough memorials and preserved trench areas to last you a weeks holiday. Below are some suggested sites :-

The Menin Gate, Ypres

This gate to the town, on the Menin Road, contains the names of 54,896 officers and men killed in the sector who have no know grave. It was still not large enough to carry another 34,984 names from 16th August 1917 onwards.They are commemerated on the panels at Tyne Cot cemetery near Passendale.

This memorial is not a passive one. It straddles the busiest road into town, and once a day, every day of the year, buglers from the Ypres Fire Service sound the last post.

A Section of Panelson The Menin Gate

The Canadian memorial at Vimy has to be one of the most striking memorials in France. It stands on the ridge where in 1917 the Canadians finally took the position that defeated earlier attempts by the British and French. It stands on land given, in perpituity, to the Canadian Government after the war, which is now the memorial park. Best visited from a base in Arras.

The Canadian National Memorial, Vimy Ridge

In preparation for The Battle of The Somme, the summer offensive of 1916, several huge underground mines where dug and packed with explosive. The plan was that these mines, when exploded, would remove large section of Enemy trench works and therefore make attack an easier proposition. These mines were the biggest man made explosions up to that point.

The mine at La Boiselle, Lochnagar Crater near ALBERT, exploded with the might of 60,000 lbs of ammonal creating a crater 300 ft across and 90 ft deep, throwing debris 2,000 ft into the air. If you would like to know more about an organisation that looks after this 'living memorial', owned by Englishman Richard Dunning, you can now visit their web site at Friends of Lochnagar.

Lochnagar Crater, La Boiselle

The La Boiselle area was the starting point of attack of my home town's Pals Battalion, 10th Lincolns ( Grimsby Chums ). Their Divisional Memorial (34th Division ) is not far away along a grass path next to a cottage, and contains the names of the rest of the units that made up the Div.

The 34th Division Memorial, La Boiselle

At trip to the CWGC Cemetery at Ovillers threw up many a Lincolnshire Regiment grave. The history of the Grimsby Chums (10th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment) can be found via the link.

Inscription reads :-

321 Private J.W. MOUNTAIN, Lincolnshire Regiment, 1st July 1916 Age 26 " To Live In Hearts We Leave Behind Is Not To Die "

If you do manage stay in ALBERT, or at least have some time to spend there, I would recommend a visit to the Musee des Abris. This is a small but well laid out museum situated at a side entrance to the Basilique. The museum is contained in the underground tunnels below the Basilique, dug as air raid protection during the Second World War, and has well presented audio visual exhibits, as well as the usual artifact cabinets. Allow mabye 1 - 1^1/2 hours for a good look around.

Musee des Abris, signposted outside the Basilique

The image of a CWGC cemetery is something you become accustomed to during a visit to the area. These are easy to spot, as the rows of white headstone contrast easily with the surrounding countryside. There are, however, cemeteries for the French and German dead. These tend to be much more solemn places in both feel and appearance. One such cemetery is the German Cemetery at Langemark ( near Ypres ) , Belgium. Each stone in the ground represents 10 - 20 dead, and this cemetery, as you would expect, contains a concentration of dead from the whole of the Belgian battlefront. After the war the enemy dead were not as welcome as the dead of the Allies.

Langemark German Cemetry, Belgium

The Thiepval Memorial and Cemetery ( Somme Area ) commorates over 73,000 British and South African men who have no known grave. They fell during July 1916 and 20 March 1918. It stands140 ft high on land which dominates the surrounding area, and was designed by Lutyens.

Thiepval Memorial

Not far from Thiepval is the Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont-Hamel. It covers 84 acres and was originally bought by the then Government of Newfoundland. It commemorates the soldiers and sailors of Newfoundland.

Plaque at entrance to the park

Inscription Reads -

Beaumont-Hamel symbolizes the service of Newfoundlanders during the First World War. This park pays special tribute to the role of the Newfoundland Regiment in the Battle of the Somme and the heavy losses it suffered. The park also stands as a memorial to those Newfoundlanders who fell in battle and have no known grave.

The Newfoundland Regiment participated in the great Somme offensive where, on 1 July 1916, strategic and tactical miscalculations led to a terrible slaughter. Despite its horrific casualties, the Regiment fought until 1918. For its valour, it won the right to add "Royal" to its name, the only such honour bestowed during the great war. Once a battlefield, Beaumont-Hamel beacme, in 1922, a memorial park concieved by Padre Thomas Nangle and planned by Rudolph H.K. Cochius. Its design evokes the Newfoundland environment: overlooking the battlefield stands a bronze caribou resting on a granite base surrounded by plants native to the island. Three bronze tablets bear the names of Newfoundlanders buried elsewhere. This memorial park honours those soldiers and ensures that their sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Trenches and Caribou

Back in the Belgian sector of the front ( page 1 ) is the CWGC Cemetery at Tyne Cot. This is the largest CGWC cemetery in the world with 11,871 graves and a further 35,000 names of the 'missing' . The names are a continuation of those on the Menin Gate.

Tyne Cot Cemetery, Belgium

The town of Ypres was totally flattened during the four years of war. However, the rebuilding, carried out by the inhabitants, has faithfully reproduced the Cloth Hall and Market place. The Cloth Hall now house the new ' In Flanders Fields' audio visual museum. Ypres is now a definate stop for the sightseer on a tour of the area.

Modern day Ypres, Cloth Hall and Market

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