Living in SW France and choosing to drive to our annual reunions has its advantages. The drive up to and back from the coast at Calais takes me past both WW I and
WW2 battlefields and memorials. I have an interest in both world wars but in particlar the areas fought over in the north of France and Belgium. On my way back
from Preston it had been my intention to visit Mons where my Grandfather was killed in WW1. However, it turned out that time was against us so my old mate Bill and
me decided to spend a day in the area of the Somme (part of what was known as the Western Front South) before heading for my home and the challenges of
shmbo!.
On 1st July 1916 16 British Army divisions together with 5 French divisions attacked the Germans entrenched along the Somme. By the time fighting ended on 17th
November 1916 some 400,000 British casualties had been sustained. 60,000 of these casualties were sustained on the first day because preparatory artilliary
bombardment on the German positions had no doubt not been as effective as thought.
As we only had one day at our disposal, we spent the previous evening in Boulogne We made for Perrone where there is a really first class WW1 museum. En-route
we made a stop at the beautifully maintained Duissans British cemetary where there is an plaque describing both battles of the Somme. From this point onwards
en-route to Peronne one could not but be amazed at the sheer number of memorials and cemetaries that abound in the area. In fact this was found to be the case at
just about every turn in the road as we made our way that day.
The Peronne museum is a large one and contains some remarkable exhibits including posters extolling the need to join the Army (both British German and French),
some excellent paintings by battlefield artists and a hall full of uniformed dummies dressed in the battledress of the day. It was interesting to note just how
ill-prepared the French Army was for modern warfare in that its soldiers were at the beginning of the war anyway, still dressed in red trousers blue tunics, sporting
metal breastplates reminiscent of sword wielding horse dragoons. There was another exhibition with a large collection of machine guns from both sides and a table
full of items dug up from various fields around the area. I found myself touching a steel helmet actually worn by a British tommy as well as various items of mess
cutlery. All very eerie. To end our visit to the museum we watched a film depicting the battle of the Somme which contained some remarkably good film footage.
After Peronne we motored towards the town of Albert as it seemed to be a good place from which to explore more WW1 sites. We decided to get off the beaten and
just see what we came across. Here are just some of what we found.
The day flew past. Time was getting short and we were still well short of our target destination, Albert. We needed to reach our hotel in Beauvais before nightfall so
decided to make one final stop at Visitor Centre created to commemorate the 72,000 missing of the Somme at Thiepval. This centre is located on the site of the
impressive Lutyens Memorial which has got to be one of the most spectacular memorials ever seen. Unfortunately the Thiepval Visitor Centre was about to close
so we were unable to get to see it. Definitely one for a future tour!
One day is not enough to see all of the battlefield sites on the Somme. We intend to return in September. This time the plan is to spend several more days touring
the area. One thing is for sure, the place is extremely atmospheric and one can almost feel the events of the past as you look out over this now beautiful landscape.
WW2 battlefields and memorials. I have an interest in both world wars but in particlar the areas fought over in the north of France and Belgium. On my way back
from Preston it had been my intention to visit Mons where my Grandfather was killed in WW1. However, it turned out that time was against us so my old mate Bill and
me decided to spend a day in the area of the Somme (part of what was known as the Western Front South) before heading for my home and the challenges of
shmbo!.
On 1st July 1916 16 British Army divisions together with 5 French divisions attacked the Germans entrenched along the Somme. By the time fighting ended on 17th
November 1916 some 400,000 British casualties had been sustained. 60,000 of these casualties were sustained on the first day because preparatory artilliary
bombardment on the German positions had no doubt not been as effective as thought.
As we only had one day at our disposal, we spent the previous evening in Boulogne We made for Perrone where there is a really first class WW1 museum. En-route
we made a stop at the beautifully maintained Duissans British cemetary where there is an plaque describing both battles of the Somme. From this point onwards
en-route to Peronne one could not but be amazed at the sheer number of memorials and cemetaries that abound in the area. In fact this was found to be the case at
just about every turn in the road as we made our way that day.
The Peronne museum is a large one and contains some remarkable exhibits including posters extolling the need to join the Army (both British German and French),
some excellent paintings by battlefield artists and a hall full of uniformed dummies dressed in the battledress of the day. It was interesting to note just how
ill-prepared the French Army was for modern warfare in that its soldiers were at the beginning of the war anyway, still dressed in red trousers blue tunics, sporting
metal breastplates reminiscent of sword wielding horse dragoons. There was another exhibition with a large collection of machine guns from both sides and a table
full of items dug up from various fields around the area. I found myself touching a steel helmet actually worn by a British tommy as well as various items of mess
cutlery. All very eerie. To end our visit to the museum we watched a film depicting the battle of the Somme which contained some remarkably good film footage.
After Peronne we motored towards the town of Albert as it seemed to be a good place from which to explore more WW1 sites. We decided to get off the beaten and
just see what we came across. Here are just some of what we found.
The day flew past. Time was getting short and we were still well short of our target destination, Albert. We needed to reach our hotel in Beauvais before nightfall so
decided to make one final stop at Visitor Centre created to commemorate the 72,000 missing of the Somme at Thiepval. This centre is located on the site of the
impressive Lutyens Memorial which has got to be one of the most spectacular memorials ever seen. Unfortunately the Thiepval Visitor Centre was about to close
so we were unable to get to see it. Definitely one for a future tour!
One day is not enough to see all of the battlefield sites on the Somme. We intend to return in September. This time the plan is to spend several more days touring
the area. One thing is for sure, the place is extremely atmospheric and one can almost feel the events of the past as you look out over this now beautiful landscape.
A Visit To the Somme - June 2009
| Entrance To The WW1 Museum At Peronne |
| Cemetaries Like These Abound Along The Somme Battlefield |
| Bell's Redoubt (no relation) 2nd Lt Bell Green Howards was awarded the VC for destroying an enemy machine gun post single handed |
| This impressive memorial to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers faces Mametz Wood where the two British Division including the 38th Welsh took on the German Prussian Guard. Over 4000 Welsh casualties were sustained. |
 |  |  |
| Royal Air Force Administrative Apprentice Association |
RAFAA
A
A
| Multam A Parvo |
| Right: The Lutyens Memorial At ThiepvalOne Of The Most Spectacular On The Somme |