From our itinerary:
We leave the hotel this morning to visit the Somme
battlefields and begin at the preserved areas at the Newfoundland Memorial Park
and hear the story of the action of the Newfoundland battalion on July 1st
1916.
We will also see the Ulster Tower, a fitting memorial to
the 36th Ulster Division, before we arrive at the Somme Monument to the Missing
at Thiepval. With the names of nearly 73,000 soldiers listed as missing in
action, this tower dominates the whole area.
We will visit the areas around Mouquet Farm where Pvt
Francis Neal was wounded in the 14th Battalions attack on 27th August 1916
before take lunch at La Boiselle Village.
We will see the largest of the mines blown on the Somme
on the 1st of July . Our final visit is to the Australian battlefields around
the village of Pozieres, including the 1st Division and the Windmill monuments.
We return to Cambrai for dinner and an early night.
I am feeling very remiss now. I cannot remember the names of
these two cemeteries. To the left of the picture is a French cemetery. The one on
the right is United Kingdom and we pause to pay our respects.
We’re on our way to the Newfoundland Memorial Park. As we have travelled Bill has imparted some information about the memorial and its management and prepared us for the context when we arrive. This includes the background
to the memorial, preservation approaches and what we’ll be seeing and doing on
arrival. The Canadians have instated
guides to interpret the site and assist visitors. There is a section of board walk along
remaining trench lines but you can’t just wander over the site as you once
could. There is also a museum dedicated
to the Newfoundlanders on site.
The weather has continued fairly inclement. It’s enough to
keep us in rain gear but so far it’s not causing much of a problem. The park has been planted to give it a
distinctive feel. They have certainly done a marvelous job of making the park
seem like you’re in North America. We are enthusiastically greeted on entry by
a young guide. He realizes quickly that we are with a tour guide and leaves us
to our explorations with some cheerful encouragement to ask if we need anything
and be sure to pay a visit to the visitor centre during our stay. 
We walk out to the preserved system of
trenchlines which overlook the original battlefield. Sheep graze. Grass covers
all, muting the crinkles that remain from the trenches. The trenches
are a couple of feet shallower than originally, they zig and zag this way and
that the purpose being to prevent anyone being able to simply fire along the
trench. There are barbed wire pickets
still in place. In some sections some supports for the trench walls have been
inserted. All sorts of things were cannibalised
when the trenches were established. We
pause and look out and down the gentle slope. It’s a good view from up here.
Bill explains how the battle proceeded. United Kingdom units where involved in
the same battles here across on the flank over there. Although the lumps and bumps of the battlefield
have softened over the years it is still a great experience to see the lines of
the front there before you as you consider the battle and how it
progressed. We turn back and make our
way to the statue of a caribou which stands high and is depicted as giving voice to
a loud strong call. It looks to me like
a cry of anguish over the battlefield. A call to battle perhaps, or maybe just
a call of nationhood and identity.
We walk out to the preserved system of
trenchlines which overlook the original battlefield. Sheep graze. Grass covers
all, muting the crinkles that remain from the trenches. The trenches
are a couple of feet shallower than originally, they zig and zag this way and
that the purpose being to prevent anyone being able to simply fire along the
trench. There are barbed wire pickets
still in place. In some sections some supports for the trench walls have been
inserted. All sorts of things were cannibalised
when the trenches were established. We
pause and look out and down the gentle slope. It’s a good view from up here.
Bill explains how the battle proceeded. United Kingdom units where involved in
the same battles here across on the flank over there. Although the lumps and bumps of the battlefield
have softened over the years it is still a great experience to see the lines of
the front there before you as you consider the battle and how it
progressed. We turn back and make our
way to the statue of a caribou which stands high and is depicted as giving voice to
a loud strong call. It looks to me like
a cry of anguish over the battlefield. A call to battle perhaps, or maybe just
a call of nationhood and identity.
We have about 15 or 20 minutes to explore the museum. As I’ve noted previously I've been struggling with
the detail on most exhibits, but most of what is here is new to me and not
terribly demanding. Hubby and I enjoy following the course of the war for the “newfies”
as we move from panel to panel. I
particularly enjoy one of the humorous anecdotes:
..sometimes we find
amusing things occur. For instance, once a message was sent orally by an
officer as follows: “Pass the word to Captain …. To send up reinforcements” but
when the message reached its destination it was delivered as “Captain so and so
wants you to lend him three and four pence.”
We climb back into the car, our next stop is quite different
as a memorial. The Ulster Tower is a close copy of the tower located on the
estate in County Down where most of the Ulster Division trained. It is not only
a striking memorial but it is located nearby to the Schwabian Redoubt in which
I am interested. We spend a little time inside as Bill chats with the elderly gent who manages the memorial. He's back temporarily as a recent attempt to retire fell through when a replacement manager pulled the pin after only a few weeks.
Lunch is in the Old Blighty café nearby which is run by some English
ladies. It’s nothing particularly fancy
food wise, I can make better quiche than what they're serving. In response to a query I comment to Bill that I reckon I could make sniper's mask from the pastry... then we head back and spend some time at the visitor centre at
Thiepval. By the way, we are informed that "blighty" is a corruption of the hindi for homeland. We are discovering the origins of all sorts of sayings on this trip.Luggage weight is becoming an issue and as we don’t have time to sit and watch the loop of videos playing in the visitors centre at Thiepval, we buy a copy at the gift shop. I also take the opportunity to buy Prisoners of the Kaiser and In the footsteps of Private Lynch - a book about E M Lynch the author of Somme Mud. I could buy these online, but they are much cheaper here than they are at home and it will mean something to me to have bought them here on the battlefields. We also decide that perhaps umbrellas will come in handy tomorrow and splurge on a couple of small folding poppy umbrellas. Haha. That was a stupid purchase. Note to all those heading to the battlefields and in particular to services held at the Australian memorials. The major memorials to the Australians are located at the top of quite exposed high points in the landscape. The wind comes whistling across there and an umbrella will be less than useless. Don’t waste your time with one. Your first instinct of rain gear with hoods is indeed the right way to go. The little folding poppy umbrellas are also very light.. great in your luggage, but not so great out in the elements. Slightest puff of wind and they blow inside out.... I can't see myself using these things much I have to say.
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| V at Lochnagar crater memorial |
The whole earth heaved and flashed, a tremendous and
magnificent column rose up in the sky. There was an ear-splitting roar drowning
all the guns, flinging the machine sideways in the repercussing air. The earth
column rose higher and higher to almost 4,000 feet There it hung, or seemed to
hang, for a moment in the air, like the silhouette of some great cypress tree,
then fell away in a widening cone of dust and debris.
In the bottom of the deep crater poisonous gas settled. Some
men perished when they unknowingly descended into the crater during the fight
that followed. We pause at the memorial
at the crater site and head across to the crater itself. Holy Moly. The rain is threatening we’ve
noted a black and angry looking cloud bank not far off but we’re all keen to go
for a quick walk around the rim. Bill indicates
for us to take our time, he will wait with the vehicle.
The track around the crater is narrow and wet and chalky.
Chalk is slippery. You really do not want to end up in that crater. The sides
are very steep. They only way forward is to pick your way carefully. No
hurrying. I imagine the heavy weight of wet army boots and packs trying to walk
on this slippery surface. It continues
to rain steadily until we are precisely,
that’s right precisely half way. As far away from the car as we can get
here and down she comes. Huey is having a ball pelting us with hail and biting
wind. I laugh. It’s all too
ridiculous. Head bowed, my glasses
speckled with water drops. The hail is bouncing off my raingear in all
directions. The path is so slippery. You
simply can’t hurry. Nothing for it but to pick your way along as though nothing
was going on. Situation normal. We’re
all laughing and joking and in good time we’re quickly stripping our sodden
raingear as quickly as possible and scrambling into the car. Bill laughs with us and when his view is
sought among the laughter he lets us know that we looked like drowned rats.
Arrggh. It’s cold out there now. 
We head
off and indulge in some car based touring. A French memorial to the civilian casualties
and another small memorial to the Lancashire Fusiliers which is of particular
interest to V. Something to do with the a Pals unit.
The rain continues to spoil the party as we explore the Mouquet
farm area and pay our respects at the associated memorial. Extraordinary to see this legendary place. Brought real, converted from the mythology
surrounding it and of course Bill gives us a run down of the progress of the Battle and if memory serves the struggle to take it by a number of different formations from different countries, finally being taken by the Australians. 
 |
| Mouquet Farm |
Our final stop for the day is the memorial to the Australian
1st Division off the Albert to Bapaume Road. Bill draws our attention to the Thiepval
memorial in the distance atop the ridge.
It’s still raining and we’ve climbed up a small wooden lookout to view
the memorial.
With our continued concern
about our injured fellow traveler off in the hospital, Bill urges us to take
great care. The wooden steps are muddy and slippery. He is clearly not satisfied with our
assurances and decides to drive his point home by slipping down the last few
stairs. Alarm and assurances and then what
else is there to do but laugh and congratulate him on his level of commitment
in emphasizing the hazards by giving us a demo.
No great injury. I suspect Bill will have a hefty bruise coming through
in the following days.  |
| The remains of fortifications near the 1st Australian Division Memorial |
Cold. Rain. It’s even more than usually pleasurable to
retire to the plush Hotel Beatus. Our
trips homeward in the evening and here and there during the days of touring are
lightened by Bills “breathy” travel companion. Her name is Sophie and you get
the distinct impression she’d like to be giving directions to somewhere where
she can be alone with Bill. She seems to
take particular pleasure in offering to help him with his change if ever we
have a need to travel on a tollway. These
GPS device voices provide us with much hilarity. Every now and then and increasingly as Anzac
Day arrangements become critical there is discussion between Bill and Chris
about the arrangements for tomorrow morning.
Parking and drop off arrangements have been changed this year.
Requirements are as clear as mud. Some
in the other group have reserved seating and arranged a permit to ferry the
elderly men up to the memorial for a close drop off and pick up, but it’s not
clear whether Bill will be able to drop us younger able bodied folk up where
the coaches deliver their cargo. As we
drive and discuss it, the gendarmes will be out in force at check points. It’s
entirely unclear what they may allow us to do. E comes up with a practical
solution. Change the tomtom to the
Aussie voice. What sort of instructions
would the Aussie tomtom voice give under the circumstances? E suspects the
Aussie navigator voice might go something like “bugger the coppers!Drop off at
the bloody memorial!” We are all in
stitches at E’s humourous GPS imitation… really we’re easy. We will do what we
have to do.
Dinner is early and with much laughter. One of the other group is a funny
b*st*rd. His Dad has slowed down a bit, but the son is clearly a chip off the old block. Between him and his dad they keep us laughing all through our dinner and after and bring out the witty
banter from others among the younger men. I particularly enjoyed one come back from the father, when his son is teasing him mercilessly about his age and infirmity... "Would you like a glass of red wine son? How would you like it served?" But we can’t stay up laughing all
night.. our leaders set us the example and head to bed. We have a ridiculously
early start tomorrow. Be at breakfast at
3 am please.
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