Approaching WW1 100TH ANNIVERSARY (1 Viewer)

[Rob]

You should keep a few days free in September/October next year as a few of us are headed over to do a couple of weeks on the Western Front. I have been a few times, but Wayne and Phil are first timers. Wayne has a couple of relatives buried in France and Belgium so he is keen to do the pilgrimage. One battlefield that doesn't get the publicity here in Australia is Vimy Ridge. I have a big photograph of the statue - which I think is the 'Spirit of Canada - blown up and framed. I used to say no one does commemorations as well as the Brits but in this instance I think the Canadians have run them very close. Just a magnificent memorial. Thank God that most of the WW1 memorials are classically inspired. Even the wording is spot on - 'Their name liveth for evermore'. Ecclesiasticus nailed it. We may live in a secular age but Biblical language still does the job. Beaumont Hamel is also a bit of a favourite if one can use that word in this context. Delville Wood was also moving, although for Australians it is Villers Bretoneux that is our sacred spot. If I can digress, the museum in the village used to be run by this most beautuful young French woman although I have not been there since 2001. I have often wondered whether she is still there.

Anyway, next year on the Western Front if the garden can spare you!

Very tempting my friend, sounds like it will be a great visit. I'll give that some thought and put the suggestion to my missus nearer the time. Hope you guys have a great visit either way.

Vimy Ridge is indeed one of the best memorials on the Western Front no question . The statue of Canada weeping for her fallen is very moving indeed, you can't fail to be moved by it. The rest of the park is also very good including the tunnels beneath that are a bit erratic in their opening times. Am in two minds about the concrete sandbagged trenches, on the one hand they do look a little artificial but they give a superb impression of the trench system. With just a few feet between the two sides trenches in the park , it surely has to be one of the narrowest no mans lands on the front. Heard a very sad story from a staff member there who told us that the two sides would sing to each other during Christmas and easily throw gifts to each other. After regular Carol singing had begun to annoy the commanding officers they waited until one evening the Germans had gathered to start singing as normal and put a shell amongst them.

Vimy has also become one of the most dangerous sites on the front, they now estimate one unexploded shell per sq metre, and in some areas the situation is so bad they only use robotic lawn mowers to cut the grass.

Delville Wood is another must see spot on the Somme, nice memorial in the middle of it, if memory serves it even has deer from South Africa living under its trees. The fields around the wood are still full of shrapnel balls almost one hundred years later, testament to the level of fighting in and around that sacred wood.

The other Wood I really want to explore is high wood. But is private property and also has not been fully cleared and as a result I understand dangers lurk within. Have tried several occasions to persuade my better half to let me just sneek in there and take a look around, but she knows plenty about WW1 and also how bad the fighting in High Wood was, so won't let me go in there! (taking her on the trips has come round and bitten me on the bum there hasn't it!^&grin) When people went into that wood in the 1920's they found a British and German Soldier who had bayoneted each other at the same moment and died locked together like that. There are apparently lots of war debris and remains still lying on the surface in there, so joking aside it wouldn't be either wise or respectful to go in there really, much as I'd like to.

Rob

 

[UKReb]

My Grandfather his brother and two uncles on my mothers side are named or buried on the Western Front to say that I'm keen to visit is an understatment if there ever was one, the opportunity has been offered me to go so it is a nobrainer that I am going. To me it will be a pilgrimage to be able stand before the grave or memorial and honour these men of my family who gave their lives in the Great War, I am really looking forward to the trip and also to meeting the lovely French girl in Villers Bretoneux that Jack has mentioned often....:wink2:
Wayne.

Wayne

I defy anyone who is not moved to tears when entering those immaculately tended war grave sites and memorials. Every single one of them tells a story and I have told Rob my family story before over a few beers- Exactly like your Grandfather's brother and uncles my Grandfather's oldest brother joined The Royal West Kent Regiment 10th Battalion just in time for the great Somme offensive in July 1916. He was just 18 years old. In 1917 his battalion bayonet charged the German positions at Messines Ridge. Later that year he was once again in the thick of it at 3rd Ypres known today as Passchendaele. Unbelievably he survived all three of these horrific battles and returned home in April 1919. Tragically no more than four months later he succumbed to the Spanish flu pandemic that swept across Europe 1918/20.

The family were devastated and my Grandfather who was eight at the time told me when I was a mere boy that his father (my Great Grandfather) dealt with his pain by simply saying "Billy has joined his regimental mates". Just one of thousands of similar stories that cast their shadows over practically every town and village in Britain during those dreadful years.

Bob

 

[jazzeum]

I would dare to say that but for your Great Uncle succumbing to the flu, his story is typical of many who have heard the call to defend or fight for their nation through the ages.

 

[damian]

My wife's great uncle Willy ruined his feet at Delville Wood. She was alwasy told to not bump his feet when she was playing as he had ruined them in the trenches.
He was a communist and atheist to his death bed because he said God and the rich had created a hell on earth.
Hard to argue with that.

 

[Rob]

My two great uncles served in the artillery and fought at Passchendaele, both were very lucky and came home, many of their comrades did not. My wife's great great grandfather Private 49780 Sidney J Baynton was called up late as he had a wife and children, he very nearly made it through, however he was killed on 2/10/18 and lies in the London Rifle Brigade cemetery in Hainaut Belgium near Armentieres. We visit him and place a wreath whenever we go to Belgium.;

Its for my great uncles, my wife's great great Grandfather and all of their comrades from all countries who fought in that terrible war that we will be remembering and visiting in 2014-18.

Rob

 

[Rob]

It should be an absolutely fascinating time to be in Great Britain or Europe. I would expect very little on this side of the pond, even when we reach 2017. The First World War is all but forgotten over here, much the pity. I will eagerly follow what is taking place 'over there' by whatever means I can. Also, I am much looking forward to the avalanche of publications, of all sorts, that is sure to take place. Rob, rest assured that there are a few of us Yanks that do remember and appreciate. -- Al

Al, my sincere apologies I missed your post, as and when any details on services, events, books, tv or anything WW1 100TH related is announced I will happily pass on any details if you'd like mate.

Best

Rob

 

[Isandlwana]

If you're planning a visit to Belgium I can recommend no finer place than Varlet Farm. Dirk is a lovely fellow and his apple pie is always welcome. Popped over there again for a night on Saturday to visit Great Uncle George's grave at Godewaerdsvelde but did my back in bending down to place my poppy. Still hurts but worth it. 39 going on 75.

If you haven't stayed at Varlet Farm don't just take my word for it, read the reviews on Tripadvisor.

 

[Jack]

I documented the history of Old Boys in WW1 and WW2 at a Boarding School I worked at so I thought I might share some of their stories every now and then. I have until 2018 so there should be time!

One of the amazing (given it is a boys' school!) acts of gallantry by a person connected with the College occurred on 22 July at No. 2
Australian Casualty Clearing Station at Trois Arbres near Steenwerck. Jan Bassett in Guns and Brooches records that in one 18 hour period at the beginning of the battle the unit admitted 2800 patients, leading one sister to comment on the nightmare of blood, blood everywhere and suffering. God forgot us, I am certain. One of the staff nurses, Mary Derrer, later to become the second wife of MJ Gallagher who was at the time serving at Vimy Ridge, won the Military Medal for coolness and devotion to duty during the bombing of 2 ACCS by the enemy. She had previously served in Egypt and on Lemnos during the Gallipoli Campaign, and would later work in British hospitals in India. The College thus has the rather unusual distinction of having medical personnel of both sexes decorated for gallantry.

 

[waynepoo]

I documented the history of Old Boys in WW1 and WW2 at a Boarding School I worked at so I thought I might share some of their stories every now and then. I have until 2018 so there should be time!

One of the amazing (given it is a boys' school!) acts of gallantry by a person connected with the College occurred on 22 July at No. 2
Australian Casualty Clearing Station at Trois Arbres near Steenwerck. Jan Bassett in Guns and Brooches records that in one 18 hour period at the beginning of the battle the unit admitted 2800 patients, leading one sister to comment on the nightmare of blood, blood everywhere and suffering. God forgot us, I am certain. One of the staff nurses, Mary Derrer, later to become the second wife of MJ Gallagher who was at the time serving at Vimy Ridge, won the Military Medal for coolness and devotion to duty during the bombing of 2 ACCS by the enemy. She had previously served in Egypt and on Lemnos during the Gallipoli Campaign, and would later work in British hospitals in India. The College thus has the rather unusual distinction of having medical personnel of both sexes decorated for gallantry.
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Jack mate you're useless with a spanner but you do know your history (a CO-ED college? now that would have been fun!)......:wink2:
Wayne.

 

[Rob]

I documented the history of Old Boys in WW1 and WW2 at a Boarding School I worked at so I thought I might share some of their stories every now and then. I have until 2018 so there should be time!

One of the amazing (given it is a boys' school!) acts of gallantry by a person connected with the College occurred on 22 July at No. 2
Australian Casualty Clearing Station at Trois Arbres near Steenwerck. Jan Bassett in Guns and Brooches records that in one 18 hour period at the beginning of the battle the unit admitted 2800 patients, leading one sister to comment on the nightmare of blood, blood everywhere and suffering. God forgot us, I am certain. One of the staff nurses, Mary Derrer, later to become the second wife of MJ Gallagher who was at the time serving at Vimy Ridge, won the Military Medal for coolness and devotion to duty during the bombing of 2 ACCS by the enemy. She had previously served in Egypt and on Lemnos during the Gallipoli Campaign, and would later work in British hospitals in India. The College thus has the rather unusual distinction of having medical personnel of both sexes decorated for gallantry.
View attachment 108159

Truly the 'Roses of no mans Land ' , god bless all of them for helping the wounded so much, even when there was little they could do. Thanks for posting this Jack, just what we want for this thread.

I'll be bringing this thread up often as more events and details are released, here is another site that I'm told by the tourist office for Belgium will have more details of whats going on over there as 2014 draws near.

http://www.greatwarcentenary.be/events?filter[field_event_gemeente][0]=%22111%22

 

[Rob]

My Grandfather his brother and two uncles on my mothers side are named or buried on the Western Front to say that I'm keen to visit is an understatment if there ever was one, the opportunity has been offered me to go so it is a nobrainer that I am going. To me it will be a pilgrimage to be able stand before the grave or memorial and honour these men of my family who gave their lives in the Great War, I am really looking forward to the trip and also to meeting the lovely French girl in Villers Bretoneux that Jack has mentioned often....:wink2:
Wayne.

Hope you have a ball mate, I just know you are going to love it. There is nothing and I mean NOTHING like walking on, taking in, and experiencing the atmosphere of the battlefields you've read about for years. And believe me there is something about both the Somme and Passchendaele that set them apart from many other battlefields, difficult to put in to words but you'll just know it when you get there.

Rob

 

[Jack]

Hope you have a ball mate, I just know you are going to love it. There is nothing and I mean NOTHING like walking on, taking in, and experiencing the atmosphere of the battlefields you've read about for years. And believe me there is something about both the Somme and Passchendaele that set them apart from many other battlefields, difficult to put in to words but you'll just know it when you get there.

Rob

Rob

I have known Wayne for a year now and I can assure you that the image of him lost for words is not one that springs readily to mind.{sm4}

Jack

 

[Rob]

Rob

I have known Wayne for a year now and I can assure you that the image of him lost for words is not one that springs readily to mind.{sm4}

Jack

^&grin

Funny you say that, but my missus often mocks me for the fact that I don't shut up for long when I'm out there:wink2: But Jack, if I don't tell her what went on and where, she'll NEVER learn!{eek3}^&grin:wink2:

Rob

 

[Jack]

^&grin

Funny you say that, but my missus often mocks me for the fact that I don't shut up for long when I'm out there:wink2: But Jack, if I don't tell her what went on and where, she'll NEVER learn!{eek3}^&grin:wink2:

Rob

With 22 000 posts I suspect that the Western Front is not your only venue for extended comment!{sm4}

 

[Rob]

With 22 000 posts I suspect that the Western Front is not your only venue for extended comment!{sm4}

What on earth can you mean?????:redface2::wink2:

Rob

 

[Jack]

What on earth can you mean?????:redface2::wink2:

Rob

Great...now I have mastered subtlety, all I need is humility and then I have it all!

 

[Rob]

Great...now I have mastered subtlety, all I need is humility and then I have it all!

^&grin

Rob

 

[waynepoo]

Rob

I have known Wayne for a year now and I can assure you that the image of him lost for words is not one that springs readily to mind.{sm4}

Jack

Rob,
I have known Jack for a year now and the image of him knowing how to use a spanner (a spanner is a type of tool Jack) is not one that springs to mind......:wink2::rolleyes2:^&grin
Wayne.

 

[Rob]

Rob,
I have known Jack for a year now and the image of him knowing how to use a spanner (a spanner is a type of tool Jack) is not one that springs to mind......:wink2::rolleyes2:^&grin
Wayne.

^&grin

Now you two, no squabbling, don't make me come over there! :wink2:

Rob

 

[Jack]

Rob,
I have known Jack for a year now and the image of him knowing how to use a spanner (a spanner is a type of tool Jack) is not one that springs to mind......:wink2::rolleyes2:^&grin
Wayne.

There are other types of tools as well...

plus, someone had to hold the shelf. There weren't enough spanners to go around.