Five people, four bikes and an attempt to follow some of the events in chronological order.
I met up with Ryan and Milda at their place in Hampshire. We loaded his recently acquired 1150GSA for the first time. He'd only had the bike about ten days at this point so loading it up and setting off two-up, plus his first real ride on knobblies it must have all seemed a little daunting.
Undeterred, we set off one sunny(ish) Friday morning to meet Clive at Fleet Services (M3) and spotted him waving madly from the Al Fresco coffee bar. I put the big daft grin down to his relief that this year he was going to make it on the trip and not be sidelined with a re-occurrence of his illness as per last year.
A quick coffee, some fuel and we headed off for the Tunnel, stopping for a sandwich and a stretch at Ashford Services.
The Tunnel was the usual uneventful and slick experience.
First base-camp, Boiry notre Dame (just east of Arras) and set-up camp for the next five nights.
At this point we were still four. Stan planned to meet us here, travelling as he was from Oop North, it made more sense than trying to arrange an RV.
Not knowing what time Stan would arrive the first thing after putting up the tents was to repair to the bar-restaurant for refreshment!
When we got back to the tents, there was an F650GS and another tent alongside. Either Stan had arrived or GS's naturally flock together.
It turned out to be Stan. After introductions we packed him off to the restaurant to grab a meal before it closed. We then sat around under the tarps drinking coffee and chatting until quite late.
Rather than repeat much that I've posted before about this trip, I'll try and keep this report to the additional bits.
My plan was to keep the activities as chronological as possible, so we would start with Mons 1914.
Last year there was a diversion in place in Le Cateau, so I was unable to take the party to the Matisse Museum that was the HQ of Sir John French and the BEF.
The real purpose of this stop was to demonstrate just how far away HQ BEF was from the two fighting Corps in Mons. Even today, using decent modern roads (that follow the original ones) and having modern vehicles, it is staggering how long it takes to get to the scene of the fighting.
How Sir John French imagined that he could control any battle from so far away, relying on despatch riders and the existing telephone network, is staggering!
This time I was able to find the memorial stone and plaque north of Mons that commemorates the first engagement of the BEF with the advancing Corps of Von Kluck's army.
I've searched in vain for this monument twice in the past. After a seemingly fruitless search and having ridden past it dog knows how many times, I'd passed it again when Clive spotted it after we'd given up!
The wording explains the significance.
There are umpteen different locations given for this monument, none of them are particularly helpful (once I've downloaded the updated Waypoints from my Nav II, I'll make it and others available to those who want them).
Then it was time for lunch. We had the makings for a picnic with us. Clive spotted a lake nearby on the GPS and suggested that it might be a decent spot so off we went. When we arrived we found an open cafe (surprising for Belgium, somewhere open that is! ). A decision was made to eat there.
(Note for visitors, Belgian gastronomy, away from major towns, isn't anything to write home about ).
Then it was off to Nimy, on the Mons-Conde canal to visit the scene of the first two VC's won by Lt Maurice Dease and Pte Sid Godley 4th Royal Fusiliers in the Battle of Mons, 23rd August 1914.
Where I can be seen spouting forth upon the actions of 2nd Corps here.
While Clive tries to slink away unnoticed from the class!
While in Mons, we slipped south-east and visited the combined German and CWGC cemetery at St. Symphorien where Lt Dease VC is buried. Also here you can find the first and last casualties of the Great War.
The Germans buried the 1914 British dead here with their own fallen. Here they laid a group of Middlesex Regiment men in a circle together:
I've said it before and it won't stop me saying it again; if you only ever visit one CWGC cemetery, make it this one.
Owing to a shortage of time, we had to curtail a trip to the east of Mons to where a brave stand was made by two battalions and keeping the forest of Mormal on our left (as did 2nd Corps), we retraced our steps, south, to Le Cateau to where 2nd Corps turned and dealt the German advance a "stopping blow."
Sir Horace Smith-Dorien, commander of 2nd Corps was never forgiven by Sir John French for succeeding here against his better judgement if not his outright instructions not to stand and fight.
(Smith-Dorien is an interesting man. He was one of the few survivors of Islandwanah and the only Infantry commander in the field. 1st Corps commander was Douglas Haig).
Here we rode down the Sunken Road that crosses the battlefield and gives a fantastic view of the place where the action took place in this early engagement in what was still a war of mobility.
We decided to try the track that leads back into Le Cateau on the basis that it should lead to a high piece of ground where a battalion of the Suffolk Regiment made a valiant stand.
Ryan decided to test Milda's falling off skills and his bikes resilience here. Unfortunately he had it upright again before anyone could snap a picture (this time ).
One broken auxiliary lamp on Ryan's bike, some damaged pride for Ryan and some bruises for Milda (not the last either!).
Arriving at the approximate location of the Suffolks stand, Clive managed to find a hidden rut.
Just outside Le Cateau there's a CWGC cemetery and alongside it a mixed German, French and Russian one.
Next day we headed south to the Somme. First stop was Lochnagar crater.
While we were there, a coach load of Blue Rinse Mafia arrived. While I was giving my spiel, some came over and listened-in. I should have charged them!
Near the lip of the crater is this:
If you are not aware, the crater is private having been purchased by a Briton who has kept it preserved as it is. Good man! I've not seen any requests for donations to maintain its up-keep but I'd be happy to contribute.
Next stop, Thiepval and find the name of a great-uncle I didn't know about until recently.
I'm not certain how he came to be in the Royal Scots but he was a sergeant in 1916 and a veteran of the Boer War.
Time for lunch and a pannier was pressed into service as a wind-break for the cooker.
Then it was a picnic of pate, Camembert, tomatoes in Olive Oil (I discovered a sachet that I'd bought in Spain in 2005!) followed by hot-dogs (in French bread) with ketchup and Dijon mutard, all washed down with tea or coffee (espresso from my pot of course).
After lunch we headed off for Beaumont-Hammel and the first day of the Somme, 1st July 1916. On the way, Ryan managed to topple off again! This was another of those great little cross-country routes that France has in abundance but are sometimes a bit over-grown. (Last year the GPS tried to route us this way. Our bikes were fully loaded that time and the track was waist high in long grass. We decided against then, just as well really).
I caught this one on film with a rear facing bullet camera. (YouTube one day soon).
The track was worse ahead so I took Milda on my bike to give Ryan a chance to struggle along on his own for a while. These are after his last fall, Milda caught the others coming up to where I had stopped.
And of course the obligatory wild poppies.
We pulled up in another sunken road, just outside Beaumont-Hammel. This one was a forming-up point for 1st Lancashire Fusiliers on the morning of 1st July 1916. Unfortunately the early detonation of a mine under Hawthorn Redoubt (just across the modern road), signalled the coming assault. The Germans had registered machine guns and artillery on this road as a likely spot. The Lancashires took heavy casualties here.
(Note for Twotter: the Bergwerk is the copse to the right as you look up the sunken road from the memorial).
Looking back across the modern road, the copse on the hill top surrounds the crater that was Hawthorn Redoubt.
The field divide is a ditch (where the small trees are).
This was the front-line trench. This was the start-line for 2nd Royal Fusiliers (my paternal grandfather among them).
The mine under Hawthorn Redoubt was set off ten minutes before the planned 0730 start time of the Somme Offensive. Those ten minutes were enough of a warning for the surviving German defenders to get into position.
2nd Royal Fusiliers, 1st Lancashire Fusiliers and 1st Dublin Fusiliers, together with 16th Middlesex made-up the 'Fusilier Brigade' of 29 Division (self titled the Immortal 29th).
The division (my grandfather among them) had landed at Gallipoli in 1915, 1st Lancashire Fusiliers famously winning six VC's before breakfast.
2nd Royal Fusiliers actually managed to reach the near lip of the Hawthorn crater but the destructive fire brought down upon the Lancashires to their left and the Dubliners on their right, stopped these battalions in their tracks with massive losses. All because the mine was set off ten minutes before the others and it was planned that way!
The Royal Fusiliers were now being attacked from the flanks and had to give-up their small gains.
Beaumont-Hammel wasn't taken until November 13th that year, even though the town is clearly in sight from these places and is not more than 500 metres away!
Over the hill, on the other side of Hawthorn crater is Newfoundland Park.
Newfoundland wasn't part of Canada at this time. The park has left trench lines and shell craters without any attempt at restoration. To my mind it has more feel than the restored places such as Vimy.
It was time to call it a day and head back to camp.
Clive was in need of a power nap.
Next day was a bit damp in the morning so we opted to stay under the tarps until it eased.
I had to look after my charges so braved the elements to purchase victuals.
It was past mid-day when the weather cleared, so we headed off to Vimy and the restored Canadian Memorial.
They've done a fantastic job. Up close the quality of the workmanship is stunning. A most effective way for a nation to show respect.
After doing some shopping in Arras, when we arrived back, there was a clue that the rain had returned while we were away!
Despite it being my birthday, the buggers made me do the cooking!
They all survived and next morning we toddled off to Arras to the newly opened Wellington Quarry.
This chalk quarry had been here for hundreds of years but in the war the tunnels were extended by Kiwi, Aussie and British miners formed into specialist tunnelling units. In fact the whole of Arras is under-cut by caves that have been used by the locals in time of war for shelter.
In the build-up to the Arras 1917 battle, these were extended to provide shelter for the troops that were to assault the German front-line. Tunnels were extended out into No-man's Land, where the troops emerged on the morning of the 9th April.
With the Germans in possession of Vimy Ridge, they were able to direct artillery onto any troops seen moving-up. The caves and tunnels not only gave shelter from fire but obviously from view too.
Outside there is a wall with all the units that were engaged in the offensive.
Entry is a very reasonable 5 Euro. Inside is a small exhibition of the 14-18 conflict in general (if you are Stan's age, you'll get a reduction too ).
The tour is guided, the tour guide bi-lingual but ear phones are provided because they pick-up on a recorded soundtrack that starts as you reach certain parts of the exhibitions.
Warning! These headsets seem to have side-effects.
A lift takes you down 20 metres and then you follow a route through a section of restored tunnels. The painted directions on the walls are original.
Number 10 Exit is one of those that lead out into No-man's Land.
These tunnels were put to use again as shelters by the local populace during the Battle of Arras 1940.
Arras itself never fell into German hands in the 14-18 conflict. The narrative makes a great deal about the feelings of gratitude of the locals towards the British and Empire troops that fought here. That sense of gratitude lingers today.
We spent some time in Neuville Vitasse and covering the Battle of the Scarpe but I've reported on that before.
Jumping forwards so as to not repeat previous posts, on our way to Ypres, we sought out St. Mary's Advanced Dressing Station Cemetery.
The interest here was the second grave from the left of this row.
It is that of John Kipling, Lt. Irish Guards.
If you don't know the story of Rudyard Kipling's son, his body being lost and only recently positively identified, I won't go into it here. There was a drama-documentary titled "My Boy Jack" on TV recently.
Another site I wished to find is near Aubers, on Aubers Ridge (one of the objectives of the battle of Neuve Chapelle 1915 and a battle I researched for last years trip).
Who lived in a bunker like this?
Ryan thought it best to check that no-one was in!
Here's a clue.
Yes this was the home of Corporal Hitler in 1915.
On his one visit to France after the fall in 1940, apart from visiting Paris, he came here to look at his old bunker. Either to reminisce or to get some ideas for his new one in Berlin!
Ryan was wondering why his head was itching.
Just along the road is the village of Fromelles. It is near here that a recent find led to the discovery of a mass grave of Australian and British dead. The find has been re-covered and work stopped for now. A full archaeological examination will be undertaken in due course and the dead interred properly.
The actual location has been kept a secret but it is near this Australian memorial commonly known as Cobbers.
There's some kerfuffle owing to this find. Rather like the Gallipoli Myth that only Diggers and Kiwi's did the fighting there, the Battle of Fromelles has been portrayed as an Aussie only affair. Part of this was due to the fact that it was a bloody episode that was intended as a diversion during the Somme Offensive. Understandably, those involved were not told this for the obvious reasons. When later it became known, the story was put about that the attacks were made using only Diggers because they were not Brits.
The reality and that of the whole Somme debacle is much more complex.
The British did not want to attack on the Somme. The Allies decided that to break the stalemate in 1916, there needed to be a concerted effort by all the allies at the same time to prevent the Germans from shifting reserves to counter local offensives.
The Somme was chosen for the British assault only because it was contiguous with the French at that point. Haig wanted to attack at Ypres where the British held a huge salient into the German front.
It was a sound idea but we know now that the British were unable to stop their offensive because the French faltered and to stop would have allowed the Germans to concentrate on the weakened French.
Originally, the British also wanted to start an assault in the Ypres sector while the Somme Offensive continued. General Plumer was to attack along the Messines Ridge but this had to be postponed until July 1917 (more of this later) because his reserves were drawn away into the charnel house that was the Somme.
Instead. all that could be done was to make several diversionary attacks along the front where conditions and manpower allowed.
Fromelles was one such place.
Far from it being a case of the Diggers being needlessly sacrificed, their efforts did keep the Germans from transferring troops to the other parts of the front.
The statue is of a real life Digger. A sergeant, 40 year old ex-farmer from Victoria, Simon Fraser who returned time and again to recover the wounded. He selected the worst injured and carried them back one at a time to safety. Fraser was later Commissioned but he was killed at Bullecourt in 1917. He has no known grave.
The statue is titled "Cobbers" because it was reported that one of the wounded called out "don't forget me Cobber."
We pushed on to Ypres and set-up camp in a great site within spitting distance of the Mennin Gate.
Last year, I couldn't get into this camp site right on the edge of Ypres (there was some music festival taking place). It's very handy for the town centre but it's a bit noisy during the day as it is bounded by a sports complex with facilities used by (apparently) hyper-active kids!
There is however, a very pleasant walk from here into the town. It follows the old (and now rebuilt) town wall and moat.
There are three options, you can either walk along the road beside the moat or use a modern footbridge and then walk along the top of the ramparts. The third option is to walk along the road on the inside of the wall.
Any of these routes leads the walker to the Mennin Gate.
Mid-week, it's quiet in Ypres (apart from groups of Brits wandering around pontificating on events of 90 years ago ).
I won't bore you with pictures of dinner and the large glasses of Belgian beer, instead, I'll move on to the next day.
We headed off to Hill 62.
The views over the Ypres salient are excellent and useful to orientate the visitor.
Near Hill 62 and on the same road is Sanctuary Wood.
Those of you who have read my blog entry on last years visit won't be surprised that I left it out of this years itinerary! I told Clive, Stan and Milda that Ryan and I would be happy to wait outside if they wanted to experience this awful place.
(For those who haven't read the blog and are curious; Sanctuary Wood is private land. The original owner decided to preserve the trenches at the end of the war and allow people to visit. Somewhere along the line, his grandson has lost the plot. The small museum - about the size of two domestic garages - has become the repository for WWI artefacts. Many are genuine but are just heaped haphazard and covered in dust. There's no explanation for the visitor. Among the artefacts are a WWII Jerrycan, a suitcase of undistinguished provenance but probably 1950's and of course that well known WWI weapon, a Bren!!
When you walk around the trench-lines you can see the evidence that the shell holes have been recently re-dug!
Behind the 'museum' there's a pile of modern pig-arcs, steel pickets and other chunks of metal left exposed to weather, ready for installation.
All in all, it's a thoroughly unpleasant experience, made worse by the owner who is a living manifestation of some of the seven deadly sins, notably greed and sloth as he sits with his gut on the counter slurping beer and demanding money for entry. Angry).
It was decided to give it a miss and we pushed on to Messines. Here we were going to locate some of the mine craters that still scar the country.
Before dealing with the 1917 battle of Messines, we stumbled upon an interesting information board (there are many all along the minor roads here).
This cross is the approximate position of No-man's Land, Christmas 1914.
The information board explains that this was one of the locations of the unofficial Christmas Truce where fraternisation occurred.
It's another of those now accepted "facts" that the truce occurred all along the British-German front-line. In truth it was patchy. In some places games of football did take place, in others there was some meeting and greeting while in much of the line, no truce was observed at all.
As mentioned earlier, the Messines Battle was planned for 1916 but had to be postponed because of the draw upon troops made by the Somme Offensive.
General Plumer is another of those interesting WWI generals inasmuch as in appearance he resembles that classic 'Blackadder' vision of a WWI general. In reality he was anything but.
Plumer was an advocate of 'Bite and Hold' tactics before his contemporaries learned the lesson. He was also a bit like Monty in that he believed in detailed planning and rehearsal (ideal attributes for a general engaged in a static war).
24 massive mines had been dug and placed under the various strong-points on Messines Ridge. The Germans had been in possession of the Ridge since late 1914 when there had occurred one of the last engagements of the original BEF here. They knew the importance of the Ridge from an observation point of view, they had made good use of their ability to observe British movements and direct artillery into the Ypres Salient. They had also strongly fortified their positions with reinforced concrete bunkers housing machine guns with enfilade fields of fire.
The tunnels were dug with as much secrecy as possible, however the Germans dug counter-tunnels and tried to under-mine some of them. It was a war of nerves and great courage.
The Germans actually believed that their counter-measures were totally successful. A report states that all the British efforts had been thwarted and that no assault on Messines was therefore anticipated.
Of the 24 mines, one was flooded by the Germans and four were not used as their locations were no longer relevant (owing to movements in the line).
On the morning of the 1st July 1917, 19 mines were detonated at the same time. The tremor was felt in London. In a nearby town a geologist believed that an earthquake had occurred, he spent the next few hours trying to convince the locals that a second 'quake would follow and that they should evacuate their homes. Unsuccessfully apparently!
It had been calculated that it would need twenty seconds for the displaced debris to fall to earth when it would be safe for the troops to advance. Then a massed artillery barrage would open-up on the German second-line positions.
Plumer had planned well. Some of the battalions had crept out into No-man's Land under cover of darkness and were only a few yards from the enemy lines when the mines were set off. This allowed them to quickly rush the dazed survivors before they could become organised (this was the idea of the CO of one of the battalions. He had been an observer in the Russo-Japanese War of 1905. He had seen this tactic used then).
It was an acknowledged feature of the Germans that they could often re-occupy ground more quickly than the British could take advantage of the mines (as happened at Hawthorn Redoubt on the Somme, 1st July 1916).
Additionally, Plumer prepared routes for elements of his artillery to move forward at the same time as the assault went in. This obviated the old problem of a successful infantry assault advancing beyond the effective protection of their artillery support. It is true that this was partially permitted by the advances in British artillery in counter-battery fire as enemy artillery interdiction was virtually nil.
(Arguably, the BEF, by mid-1917 and onwards, was the most effective All-Arms army in the world. This fact is often lost in the welter of "Oh What a Lovely War" mentality that took root post WWII).
Opps! Sorry. Too much waffle and not enough pictures. Lips sealed
This is one of two craters known as St Yvon.
Standing by this crater, two others are in view. It makes you realise how close they were to each other but defies the imagination as to what it was like to be here when they were detonated.
Just visible here is another, one of a pair called Kruistraat Craters.
One, Spanbroekmollenkrater, is now designated a 'Pool of Peace'.....
It's a pleasant spot these days and ideal for a picnic lunch.
Walking around the external perimeter gives an impression as to why the ridge was important.
The Battle for Messines Ridge was a success, a costly one but it achieved the objective of knocking the Germans off the high ground and securing it for Allied use. Today, like Arras 1917 and Neuve Chapelle 1915, Messines is hardly known. It's a strange phenomena that we concentrate on the failures of the Great War.
You may have done the sums; 24 mines, one nullified by the Germans, 19 set off and that leaves four. After the war, the whereabouts of these four were lost (well the plans were). That means that there are thousands of pounds of ammonal sat under the ground. One was set off in the 1950's by a thunder storm, the only casualty was a cow. We did keep an eye on the dark clouds building-up and were prepared to beat a strategic withdrawal from the locality should a storm break-out.
Whilst bimbling between the crater sites, we happened upon this little CWGC site.
There is a large shell crater in the cemetery.
This is Prowse Military Cemetery, named after Major Prowse, 1st Somerset Light Infantry. On 31st October 1914, the Germans over-ran a part of the British line. Major Prowse led his men in a counter-attack without artillery support, armed only with rifles they retook the position without loss. Prowse was promoted and awarded the DSO.
On 3rd January 2000, near this cemetery were found the remains of Private Harry Wilkinson, 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers who was killed in action 10th November 1914. His name was removed from the lists of the missing and buried here with full military honours in October 2001.
It is amazing to think that despite the war that raged over this ground for nearly fours years and the intervening 80+ years, Harry was found and identified. I'm constantly aware when riding around this countryside that the names of the missing at Tynecot and on the Mennin Gate are out here somewhere.
Just outside the village of Messines, is the Island of Ireland Peace Park.
This photo of the plaque explains its purpose better than I can:
It is a non-sectarian, non-national memorial.
Some of these are worth reading:
To the north of Ypres, on the bend in the Ypres Salient near Boezinge, is Yorkshire Trench and Dugout.
This is a tiny little site on an industrial estate. A local group of amateur archaeologists were given permission to dig here when the new industrial site was being developed. They found the trench line and then pumped out the dugout. The soft Ypres mud had preserved everything in perfect order. The finds are now displayed in the Flanders Field exhibition in Ypres Cloth Hall.
The local authorities decided to keep the site as it is. It's another free place to visit and speaks to the sense of gratitude that the people here still feel towards those who fought and died around Ypres.
The dugouts have since re-filled with water (not surprising given the high water-table here).
There are duckboards on the surface that trace the dugouts subterranean layout.
Some pictures from the information boards.
Tyne Cot was on the itinerary, I'm still struck by the 'voice of an Angel' reading the names and ages of the dead.
If anything, compared to the small CWGC sites, Tyne Cot is overwhelming by its sheer size.
I feel that as I cannot read all the names on the headstones here, it's somehow unfair to even make an attempt. Then of course, because of its size it attracts a lot more people and that removes the peace, tranquillity and intimacy of the smaller cemeteries.
After a late breakfast in Ypres,
We made our way to the Cloth Hall and the In Flanders Fields exhibition.
Although it is a museum, the theme is not to document the facts of war, rather it tells personal stories along with the more general displays.
That evening, Milda and I both had a huge helping of Moules and Frites! When in Belgium.........
A return to Polygon Wood was on the list. We are all giggling like school boys here:
In the field adjoining the cemetery is a donkey (last year we fed him Digestive biscuits)....
This year Milda made a fuss of him with certain priapic results (no photo's for the weirdos among you). That's the cause of our schoolboy smirks (above).
Polygon Wood Cemetery and the view from the Butte.
Just down the road is a little place that we decided to try for breakfast.
Outside sits the remains of a British 4.5 inch Mk 1 Howitzer.
Inside there is a mantle-piece object with a difference.
Breakfast was a cheese and bacon omelette for some and Croc Monsieur for the others.
The chap who owned the place was very chatty. He came over with a photo album. It turns out that he's another amateur archaeologist. He and his friends have discovered another dugout system. He also showed us some photo's of five bodies he's helped to uncover in the last few months. Two of these have been identified.
This is his website:
http://www.polygonwood.com/index.htm
As a comparison with the awful museum at Sanctuary Wood, we set off for Zonnebeke. Here in this building is a real gem.
This place has great exhibits, well laid out and with very clear information. Like other official museums, the price of entry is very reasonable.
Milda, being only 24 got in for a single Euro and Stan got a reduced price, again.
Under the building is a faithful replica of a trench dugout.
All this activity meant another power nap was needed by some.
Then it was last night, some shopping, a decent meal and the Last Post ceremony.
Typical isn't it? There we were sat admiring the scenery, four blokes, all bike owners and when some interesting combinations puttered past, who was the only one to take any photo's?
The only girlie in the group.
Dinner.
Then it was a case of waddling up to the Mennin Gate in time for the Last Post Ceremony.
As it was a Saturday, the crowds were quite large.
All that was left to do was to wander back to the camp site via the town walls.
Where Milda demonstrated the effects of the dinner upon her figure.
Next morning the tents were packed away and the bikes loaded for the journey home.
Stan was first away. He is only little but he left a big hole when he was gone.
Here she is, always smiling, always cheerful and always good company.
A short wait for the train......
So that Clive could have another power nap!
Well that's all folks!
Thanks for reading this.
I met up with Ryan and Milda at their place in Hampshire. We loaded his recently acquired 1150GSA for the first time. He'd only had the bike about ten days at this point so loading it up and setting off two-up, plus his first real ride on knobblies it must have all seemed a little daunting.
Undeterred, we set off one sunny(ish) Friday morning to meet Clive at Fleet Services (M3) and spotted him waving madly from the Al Fresco coffee bar. I put the big daft grin down to his relief that this year he was going to make it on the trip and not be sidelined with a re-occurrence of his illness as per last year.
A quick coffee, some fuel and we headed off for the Tunnel, stopping for a sandwich and a stretch at Ashford Services.
The Tunnel was the usual uneventful and slick experience.
First base-camp, Boiry notre Dame (just east of Arras) and set-up camp for the next five nights.
At this point we were still four. Stan planned to meet us here, travelling as he was from Oop North, it made more sense than trying to arrange an RV.
Not knowing what time Stan would arrive the first thing after putting up the tents was to repair to the bar-restaurant for refreshment!
When we got back to the tents, there was an F650GS and another tent alongside. Either Stan had arrived or GS's naturally flock together.
It turned out to be Stan. After introductions we packed him off to the restaurant to grab a meal before it closed. We then sat around under the tarps drinking coffee and chatting until quite late.
Rather than repeat much that I've posted before about this trip, I'll try and keep this report to the additional bits.
My plan was to keep the activities as chronological as possible, so we would start with Mons 1914.
Last year there was a diversion in place in Le Cateau, so I was unable to take the party to the Matisse Museum that was the HQ of Sir John French and the BEF.
The real purpose of this stop was to demonstrate just how far away HQ BEF was from the two fighting Corps in Mons. Even today, using decent modern roads (that follow the original ones) and having modern vehicles, it is staggering how long it takes to get to the scene of the fighting.
How Sir John French imagined that he could control any battle from so far away, relying on despatch riders and the existing telephone network, is staggering!
This time I was able to find the memorial stone and plaque north of Mons that commemorates the first engagement of the BEF with the advancing Corps of Von Kluck's army.
I've searched in vain for this monument twice in the past. After a seemingly fruitless search and having ridden past it dog knows how many times, I'd passed it again when Clive spotted it after we'd given up!
The wording explains the significance.
There are umpteen different locations given for this monument, none of them are particularly helpful (once I've downloaded the updated Waypoints from my Nav II, I'll make it and others available to those who want them).
Then it was time for lunch. We had the makings for a picnic with us. Clive spotted a lake nearby on the GPS and suggested that it might be a decent spot so off we went. When we arrived we found an open cafe (surprising for Belgium, somewhere open that is! ). A decision was made to eat there.
(Note for visitors, Belgian gastronomy, away from major towns, isn't anything to write home about ).
Then it was off to Nimy, on the Mons-Conde canal to visit the scene of the first two VC's won by Lt Maurice Dease and Pte Sid Godley 4th Royal Fusiliers in the Battle of Mons, 23rd August 1914.
Where I can be seen spouting forth upon the actions of 2nd Corps here.
While Clive tries to slink away unnoticed from the class!
While in Mons, we slipped south-east and visited the combined German and CWGC cemetery at St. Symphorien where Lt Dease VC is buried. Also here you can find the first and last casualties of the Great War.
The Germans buried the 1914 British dead here with their own fallen. Here they laid a group of Middlesex Regiment men in a circle together:
I've said it before and it won't stop me saying it again; if you only ever visit one CWGC cemetery, make it this one.
Owing to a shortage of time, we had to curtail a trip to the east of Mons to where a brave stand was made by two battalions and keeping the forest of Mormal on our left (as did 2nd Corps), we retraced our steps, south, to Le Cateau to where 2nd Corps turned and dealt the German advance a "stopping blow."
Sir Horace Smith-Dorien, commander of 2nd Corps was never forgiven by Sir John French for succeeding here against his better judgement if not his outright instructions not to stand and fight.
(Smith-Dorien is an interesting man. He was one of the few survivors of Islandwanah and the only Infantry commander in the field. 1st Corps commander was Douglas Haig).
Here we rode down the Sunken Road that crosses the battlefield and gives a fantastic view of the place where the action took place in this early engagement in what was still a war of mobility.
We decided to try the track that leads back into Le Cateau on the basis that it should lead to a high piece of ground where a battalion of the Suffolk Regiment made a valiant stand.
Ryan decided to test Milda's falling off skills and his bikes resilience here. Unfortunately he had it upright again before anyone could snap a picture (this time ).
One broken auxiliary lamp on Ryan's bike, some damaged pride for Ryan and some bruises for Milda (not the last either!).
Arriving at the approximate location of the Suffolks stand, Clive managed to find a hidden rut.
Just outside Le Cateau there's a CWGC cemetery and alongside it a mixed German, French and Russian one.
Next day we headed south to the Somme. First stop was Lochnagar crater.
While we were there, a coach load of Blue Rinse Mafia arrived. While I was giving my spiel, some came over and listened-in. I should have charged them!
Near the lip of the crater is this:
If you are not aware, the crater is private having been purchased by a Briton who has kept it preserved as it is. Good man! I've not seen any requests for donations to maintain its up-keep but I'd be happy to contribute.
Next stop, Thiepval and find the name of a great-uncle I didn't know about until recently.
I'm not certain how he came to be in the Royal Scots but he was a sergeant in 1916 and a veteran of the Boer War.
Time for lunch and a pannier was pressed into service as a wind-break for the cooker.
Then it was a picnic of pate, Camembert, tomatoes in Olive Oil (I discovered a sachet that I'd bought in Spain in 2005!) followed by hot-dogs (in French bread) with ketchup and Dijon mutard, all washed down with tea or coffee (espresso from my pot of course).
After lunch we headed off for Beaumont-Hammel and the first day of the Somme, 1st July 1916. On the way, Ryan managed to topple off again! This was another of those great little cross-country routes that France has in abundance but are sometimes a bit over-grown. (Last year the GPS tried to route us this way. Our bikes were fully loaded that time and the track was waist high in long grass. We decided against then, just as well really).
I caught this one on film with a rear facing bullet camera. (YouTube one day soon).
The track was worse ahead so I took Milda on my bike to give Ryan a chance to struggle along on his own for a while. These are after his last fall, Milda caught the others coming up to where I had stopped.
And of course the obligatory wild poppies.
We pulled up in another sunken road, just outside Beaumont-Hammel. This one was a forming-up point for 1st Lancashire Fusiliers on the morning of 1st July 1916. Unfortunately the early detonation of a mine under Hawthorn Redoubt (just across the modern road), signalled the coming assault. The Germans had registered machine guns and artillery on this road as a likely spot. The Lancashires took heavy casualties here.
(Note for Twotter: the Bergwerk is the copse to the right as you look up the sunken road from the memorial).
Looking back across the modern road, the copse on the hill top surrounds the crater that was Hawthorn Redoubt.
The field divide is a ditch (where the small trees are).
This was the front-line trench. This was the start-line for 2nd Royal Fusiliers (my paternal grandfather among them).
The mine under Hawthorn Redoubt was set off ten minutes before the planned 0730 start time of the Somme Offensive. Those ten minutes were enough of a warning for the surviving German defenders to get into position.
2nd Royal Fusiliers, 1st Lancashire Fusiliers and 1st Dublin Fusiliers, together with 16th Middlesex made-up the 'Fusilier Brigade' of 29 Division (self titled the Immortal 29th).
The division (my grandfather among them) had landed at Gallipoli in 1915, 1st Lancashire Fusiliers famously winning six VC's before breakfast.
2nd Royal Fusiliers actually managed to reach the near lip of the Hawthorn crater but the destructive fire brought down upon the Lancashires to their left and the Dubliners on their right, stopped these battalions in their tracks with massive losses. All because the mine was set off ten minutes before the others and it was planned that way!
The Royal Fusiliers were now being attacked from the flanks and had to give-up their small gains.
Beaumont-Hammel wasn't taken until November 13th that year, even though the town is clearly in sight from these places and is not more than 500 metres away!
Over the hill, on the other side of Hawthorn crater is Newfoundland Park.
Newfoundland wasn't part of Canada at this time. The park has left trench lines and shell craters without any attempt at restoration. To my mind it has more feel than the restored places such as Vimy.
It was time to call it a day and head back to camp.
Clive was in need of a power nap.
Next day was a bit damp in the morning so we opted to stay under the tarps until it eased.
I had to look after my charges so braved the elements to purchase victuals.
It was past mid-day when the weather cleared, so we headed off to Vimy and the restored Canadian Memorial.
They've done a fantastic job. Up close the quality of the workmanship is stunning. A most effective way for a nation to show respect.
After doing some shopping in Arras, when we arrived back, there was a clue that the rain had returned while we were away!
Despite it being my birthday, the buggers made me do the cooking!
They all survived and next morning we toddled off to Arras to the newly opened Wellington Quarry.
This chalk quarry had been here for hundreds of years but in the war the tunnels were extended by Kiwi, Aussie and British miners formed into specialist tunnelling units. In fact the whole of Arras is under-cut by caves that have been used by the locals in time of war for shelter.
In the build-up to the Arras 1917 battle, these were extended to provide shelter for the troops that were to assault the German front-line. Tunnels were extended out into No-man's Land, where the troops emerged on the morning of the 9th April.
With the Germans in possession of Vimy Ridge, they were able to direct artillery onto any troops seen moving-up. The caves and tunnels not only gave shelter from fire but obviously from view too.
Outside there is a wall with all the units that were engaged in the offensive.
Entry is a very reasonable 5 Euro. Inside is a small exhibition of the 14-18 conflict in general (if you are Stan's age, you'll get a reduction too ).
The tour is guided, the tour guide bi-lingual but ear phones are provided because they pick-up on a recorded soundtrack that starts as you reach certain parts of the exhibitions.
Warning! These headsets seem to have side-effects.
A lift takes you down 20 metres and then you follow a route through a section of restored tunnels. The painted directions on the walls are original.
Number 10 Exit is one of those that lead out into No-man's Land.
These tunnels were put to use again as shelters by the local populace during the Battle of Arras 1940.
Arras itself never fell into German hands in the 14-18 conflict. The narrative makes a great deal about the feelings of gratitude of the locals towards the British and Empire troops that fought here. That sense of gratitude lingers today.
We spent some time in Neuville Vitasse and covering the Battle of the Scarpe but I've reported on that before.
Jumping forwards so as to not repeat previous posts, on our way to Ypres, we sought out St. Mary's Advanced Dressing Station Cemetery.
The interest here was the second grave from the left of this row.
It is that of John Kipling, Lt. Irish Guards.
If you don't know the story of Rudyard Kipling's son, his body being lost and only recently positively identified, I won't go into it here. There was a drama-documentary titled "My Boy Jack" on TV recently.
Another site I wished to find is near Aubers, on Aubers Ridge (one of the objectives of the battle of Neuve Chapelle 1915 and a battle I researched for last years trip).
Who lived in a bunker like this?
Ryan thought it best to check that no-one was in!
Here's a clue.
Yes this was the home of Corporal Hitler in 1915.
On his one visit to France after the fall in 1940, apart from visiting Paris, he came here to look at his old bunker. Either to reminisce or to get some ideas for his new one in Berlin!
Ryan was wondering why his head was itching.
Just along the road is the village of Fromelles. It is near here that a recent find led to the discovery of a mass grave of Australian and British dead. The find has been re-covered and work stopped for now. A full archaeological examination will be undertaken in due course and the dead interred properly.
The actual location has been kept a secret but it is near this Australian memorial commonly known as Cobbers.
There's some kerfuffle owing to this find. Rather like the Gallipoli Myth that only Diggers and Kiwi's did the fighting there, the Battle of Fromelles has been portrayed as an Aussie only affair. Part of this was due to the fact that it was a bloody episode that was intended as a diversion during the Somme Offensive. Understandably, those involved were not told this for the obvious reasons. When later it became known, the story was put about that the attacks were made using only Diggers because they were not Brits.
The reality and that of the whole Somme debacle is much more complex.
The British did not want to attack on the Somme. The Allies decided that to break the stalemate in 1916, there needed to be a concerted effort by all the allies at the same time to prevent the Germans from shifting reserves to counter local offensives.
The Somme was chosen for the British assault only because it was contiguous with the French at that point. Haig wanted to attack at Ypres where the British held a huge salient into the German front.
It was a sound idea but we know now that the British were unable to stop their offensive because the French faltered and to stop would have allowed the Germans to concentrate on the weakened French.
Originally, the British also wanted to start an assault in the Ypres sector while the Somme Offensive continued. General Plumer was to attack along the Messines Ridge but this had to be postponed until July 1917 (more of this later) because his reserves were drawn away into the charnel house that was the Somme.
Instead. all that could be done was to make several diversionary attacks along the front where conditions and manpower allowed.
Fromelles was one such place.
Far from it being a case of the Diggers being needlessly sacrificed, their efforts did keep the Germans from transferring troops to the other parts of the front.
The statue is of a real life Digger. A sergeant, 40 year old ex-farmer from Victoria, Simon Fraser who returned time and again to recover the wounded. He selected the worst injured and carried them back one at a time to safety. Fraser was later Commissioned but he was killed at Bullecourt in 1917. He has no known grave.
The statue is titled "Cobbers" because it was reported that one of the wounded called out "don't forget me Cobber."
We pushed on to Ypres and set-up camp in a great site within spitting distance of the Mennin Gate.
Last year, I couldn't get into this camp site right on the edge of Ypres (there was some music festival taking place). It's very handy for the town centre but it's a bit noisy during the day as it is bounded by a sports complex with facilities used by (apparently) hyper-active kids!
There is however, a very pleasant walk from here into the town. It follows the old (and now rebuilt) town wall and moat.
There are three options, you can either walk along the road beside the moat or use a modern footbridge and then walk along the top of the ramparts. The third option is to walk along the road on the inside of the wall.
Any of these routes leads the walker to the Mennin Gate.
Mid-week, it's quiet in Ypres (apart from groups of Brits wandering around pontificating on events of 90 years ago ).
I won't bore you with pictures of dinner and the large glasses of Belgian beer, instead, I'll move on to the next day.
We headed off to Hill 62.
The views over the Ypres salient are excellent and useful to orientate the visitor.
Near Hill 62 and on the same road is Sanctuary Wood.
Those of you who have read my blog entry on last years visit won't be surprised that I left it out of this years itinerary! I told Clive, Stan and Milda that Ryan and I would be happy to wait outside if they wanted to experience this awful place.
(For those who haven't read the blog and are curious; Sanctuary Wood is private land. The original owner decided to preserve the trenches at the end of the war and allow people to visit. Somewhere along the line, his grandson has lost the plot. The small museum - about the size of two domestic garages - has become the repository for WWI artefacts. Many are genuine but are just heaped haphazard and covered in dust. There's no explanation for the visitor. Among the artefacts are a WWII Jerrycan, a suitcase of undistinguished provenance but probably 1950's and of course that well known WWI weapon, a Bren!!
When you walk around the trench-lines you can see the evidence that the shell holes have been recently re-dug!
Behind the 'museum' there's a pile of modern pig-arcs, steel pickets and other chunks of metal left exposed to weather, ready for installation.
All in all, it's a thoroughly unpleasant experience, made worse by the owner who is a living manifestation of some of the seven deadly sins, notably greed and sloth as he sits with his gut on the counter slurping beer and demanding money for entry. Angry).
It was decided to give it a miss and we pushed on to Messines. Here we were going to locate some of the mine craters that still scar the country.
Before dealing with the 1917 battle of Messines, we stumbled upon an interesting information board (there are many all along the minor roads here).
This cross is the approximate position of No-man's Land, Christmas 1914.
The information board explains that this was one of the locations of the unofficial Christmas Truce where fraternisation occurred.
It's another of those now accepted "facts" that the truce occurred all along the British-German front-line. In truth it was patchy. In some places games of football did take place, in others there was some meeting and greeting while in much of the line, no truce was observed at all.
As mentioned earlier, the Messines Battle was planned for 1916 but had to be postponed because of the draw upon troops made by the Somme Offensive.
General Plumer is another of those interesting WWI generals inasmuch as in appearance he resembles that classic 'Blackadder' vision of a WWI general. In reality he was anything but.
Plumer was an advocate of 'Bite and Hold' tactics before his contemporaries learned the lesson. He was also a bit like Monty in that he believed in detailed planning and rehearsal (ideal attributes for a general engaged in a static war).
24 massive mines had been dug and placed under the various strong-points on Messines Ridge. The Germans had been in possession of the Ridge since late 1914 when there had occurred one of the last engagements of the original BEF here. They knew the importance of the Ridge from an observation point of view, they had made good use of their ability to observe British movements and direct artillery into the Ypres Salient. They had also strongly fortified their positions with reinforced concrete bunkers housing machine guns with enfilade fields of fire.
The tunnels were dug with as much secrecy as possible, however the Germans dug counter-tunnels and tried to under-mine some of them. It was a war of nerves and great courage.
The Germans actually believed that their counter-measures were totally successful. A report states that all the British efforts had been thwarted and that no assault on Messines was therefore anticipated.
Of the 24 mines, one was flooded by the Germans and four were not used as their locations were no longer relevant (owing to movements in the line).
On the morning of the 1st July 1917, 19 mines were detonated at the same time. The tremor was felt in London. In a nearby town a geologist believed that an earthquake had occurred, he spent the next few hours trying to convince the locals that a second 'quake would follow and that they should evacuate their homes. Unsuccessfully apparently!
It had been calculated that it would need twenty seconds for the displaced debris to fall to earth when it would be safe for the troops to advance. Then a massed artillery barrage would open-up on the German second-line positions.
Plumer had planned well. Some of the battalions had crept out into No-man's Land under cover of darkness and were only a few yards from the enemy lines when the mines were set off. This allowed them to quickly rush the dazed survivors before they could become organised (this was the idea of the CO of one of the battalions. He had been an observer in the Russo-Japanese War of 1905. He had seen this tactic used then).
It was an acknowledged feature of the Germans that they could often re-occupy ground more quickly than the British could take advantage of the mines (as happened at Hawthorn Redoubt on the Somme, 1st July 1916).
Additionally, Plumer prepared routes for elements of his artillery to move forward at the same time as the assault went in. This obviated the old problem of a successful infantry assault advancing beyond the effective protection of their artillery support. It is true that this was partially permitted by the advances in British artillery in counter-battery fire as enemy artillery interdiction was virtually nil.
(Arguably, the BEF, by mid-1917 and onwards, was the most effective All-Arms army in the world. This fact is often lost in the welter of "Oh What a Lovely War" mentality that took root post WWII).
Opps! Sorry. Too much waffle and not enough pictures. Lips sealed
This is one of two craters known as St Yvon.
Standing by this crater, two others are in view. It makes you realise how close they were to each other but defies the imagination as to what it was like to be here when they were detonated.
Just visible here is another, one of a pair called Kruistraat Craters.
One, Spanbroekmollenkrater, is now designated a 'Pool of Peace'.....
It's a pleasant spot these days and ideal for a picnic lunch.
Walking around the external perimeter gives an impression as to why the ridge was important.
The Battle for Messines Ridge was a success, a costly one but it achieved the objective of knocking the Germans off the high ground and securing it for Allied use. Today, like Arras 1917 and Neuve Chapelle 1915, Messines is hardly known. It's a strange phenomena that we concentrate on the failures of the Great War.
You may have done the sums; 24 mines, one nullified by the Germans, 19 set off and that leaves four. After the war, the whereabouts of these four were lost (well the plans were). That means that there are thousands of pounds of ammonal sat under the ground. One was set off in the 1950's by a thunder storm, the only casualty was a cow. We did keep an eye on the dark clouds building-up and were prepared to beat a strategic withdrawal from the locality should a storm break-out.
Whilst bimbling between the crater sites, we happened upon this little CWGC site.
There is a large shell crater in the cemetery.
This is Prowse Military Cemetery, named after Major Prowse, 1st Somerset Light Infantry. On 31st October 1914, the Germans over-ran a part of the British line. Major Prowse led his men in a counter-attack without artillery support, armed only with rifles they retook the position without loss. Prowse was promoted and awarded the DSO.
On 3rd January 2000, near this cemetery were found the remains of Private Harry Wilkinson, 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers who was killed in action 10th November 1914. His name was removed from the lists of the missing and buried here with full military honours in October 2001.
It is amazing to think that despite the war that raged over this ground for nearly fours years and the intervening 80+ years, Harry was found and identified. I'm constantly aware when riding around this countryside that the names of the missing at Tynecot and on the Mennin Gate are out here somewhere.
Just outside the village of Messines, is the Island of Ireland Peace Park.
This photo of the plaque explains its purpose better than I can:
It is a non-sectarian, non-national memorial.
Some of these are worth reading:
To the north of Ypres, on the bend in the Ypres Salient near Boezinge, is Yorkshire Trench and Dugout.
This is a tiny little site on an industrial estate. A local group of amateur archaeologists were given permission to dig here when the new industrial site was being developed. They found the trench line and then pumped out the dugout. The soft Ypres mud had preserved everything in perfect order. The finds are now displayed in the Flanders Field exhibition in Ypres Cloth Hall.
The local authorities decided to keep the site as it is. It's another free place to visit and speaks to the sense of gratitude that the people here still feel towards those who fought and died around Ypres.
The dugouts have since re-filled with water (not surprising given the high water-table here).
There are duckboards on the surface that trace the dugouts subterranean layout.
Some pictures from the information boards.
Tyne Cot was on the itinerary, I'm still struck by the 'voice of an Angel' reading the names and ages of the dead.
If anything, compared to the small CWGC sites, Tyne Cot is overwhelming by its sheer size.
I feel that as I cannot read all the names on the headstones here, it's somehow unfair to even make an attempt. Then of course, because of its size it attracts a lot more people and that removes the peace, tranquillity and intimacy of the smaller cemeteries.
After a late breakfast in Ypres,
We made our way to the Cloth Hall and the In Flanders Fields exhibition.
Although it is a museum, the theme is not to document the facts of war, rather it tells personal stories along with the more general displays.
That evening, Milda and I both had a huge helping of Moules and Frites! When in Belgium.........
A return to Polygon Wood was on the list. We are all giggling like school boys here:
In the field adjoining the cemetery is a donkey (last year we fed him Digestive biscuits)....
This year Milda made a fuss of him with certain priapic results (no photo's for the weirdos among you). That's the cause of our schoolboy smirks (above).
Polygon Wood Cemetery and the view from the Butte.
Just down the road is a little place that we decided to try for breakfast.
Outside sits the remains of a British 4.5 inch Mk 1 Howitzer.
Inside there is a mantle-piece object with a difference.
Breakfast was a cheese and bacon omelette for some and Croc Monsieur for the others.
The chap who owned the place was very chatty. He came over with a photo album. It turns out that he's another amateur archaeologist. He and his friends have discovered another dugout system. He also showed us some photo's of five bodies he's helped to uncover in the last few months. Two of these have been identified.
This is his website:
http://www.polygonwood.com/index.htm
As a comparison with the awful museum at Sanctuary Wood, we set off for Zonnebeke. Here in this building is a real gem.
This place has great exhibits, well laid out and with very clear information. Like other official museums, the price of entry is very reasonable.
Milda, being only 24 got in for a single Euro and Stan got a reduced price, again.
Under the building is a faithful replica of a trench dugout.
All this activity meant another power nap was needed by some.
Then it was last night, some shopping, a decent meal and the Last Post ceremony.
Typical isn't it? There we were sat admiring the scenery, four blokes, all bike owners and when some interesting combinations puttered past, who was the only one to take any photo's?
The only girlie in the group.
Dinner.
Then it was a case of waddling up to the Mennin Gate in time for the Last Post Ceremony.
As it was a Saturday, the crowds were quite large.
All that was left to do was to wander back to the camp site via the town walls.
Where Milda demonstrated the effects of the dinner upon her figure.
Next morning the tents were packed away and the bikes loaded for the journey home.
Stan was first away. He is only little but he left a big hole when he was gone.
Here she is, always smiling, always cheerful and always good company.
A short wait for the train......
So that Clive could have another power nap!
Well that's all folks!
Thanks for reading this.