# World War 1 Battlefields



## Irish_Rover (Apr 30, 2006)

We will be heading over to France in the middle of June for five weeks and for the last week of the trip we hope to finally go and visit WW1 battle sites. We have passed by so often en route to the Alps and have always promised ourselves that we would take time out sometime to spend a week in the region. Finally this is to be the year!

What I'd appreciate is recommendations for "must visit/see" places and recommendations for good places to stop. Her indoors doesn't really like using Aires for anything other than overnights so recommendations for good camp sites would be appreciated. We are booked to return home via Dunkirque with Norfolk Line in the middle of July so we need to be somewhere handy for the ferry.

Any and all recommendations and advice gratefully received.

Gerry
Irish_Rover


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## StAubyns (Jun 4, 2006)

Hi Gerry

Vimy Ridge just off junction 7 of the A26 is an easy start and most impressive it is. You can go into the tunnels that were used to get to the front line trenches and the view from the memorial and the museum make you realise what the troops there had to face.

Other places I would definitely visit

The South African Memorial at Delville Wood - the tommies called it Devils Wood - read the story of six days in July 1916 - 3,000 South Africans went into the wood, after 3 days they asked to be relieved, but they were told to hold their positions. They were relieved on the 6th day and only 128 men came out of the wood. The rest are still there as the wood was never cleared of the dead.

Visit Serre, and walk over no mans land that was literally a killing field and stand in the trenches left by the pals on the morning of the 1st July 1916. The dead were still hanging on the German wire 17 months later.

Newfoundland Park - the memorial to the Newfoundland regiment - and stand in the trenches from were they left to die on the 1st July. The majority were killed before they reached the front line.

Also, Ulster Tower, the Irish memorial, The Welsh Dragon at Mametz wood, The British Memorial at Theipval, and of course, pay your respects to the dead at the numerous cemeteries.

The most visited cemetery is Devonshire Cemetery famous for the placard placed there " The Devonshires held this trench, They hold it still" 122 left this trench on the 1st july 1916, and were buried in the trench they left, which is now the cemetery.

There are many more sites, but if you want to walk the Somme, buy this book by Paul Reed. It covers the whole of the Somme battle with easily followed informative walks

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Walking-Somme-Battleground-Europe-Paul/dp/0850525675

We stayed here, because we stored our tourer there

http://www.select-site.com/campsites/overview.cfm?mc=283&regionID=881_886

There are municipals at Albert & Peronne, but I have never used them. There is also a selection here

http://www.somme-battlefields.com/liens/listings_srit/campings_haute_somme

Wherever you go, you will find it a most emotional visit


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## scept1c (May 10, 2005)

Hi Gerry, last year we spent about 4 weeks visiting different WW1 sites and found it extremely interesting and a very emotional experience. My wife's grandfather won the Military Medal in France when he was with the 12th Royal Irish Rifles so our visit had a special meaning for us.

We visited 3 different areas, the Somme, Verdun and Ypres (Iper).

We stayed on an ACSI site in Albert when we visited the Somme and spent over a week touring the area. There is an underground museum in Albert which is worth a visit. There were so many highlights but some which spring to mind are the Lochnagar crater, Thiepval Monument and the Ulster Tower. There is a cafe and museum at the Ulster Tower and it is managed by a very friendly couple from Belfast. If you check the times, you can join a guided tour of the trenches used by men of the 36th Ulster Division before they went "over the top". If you live near Bangor in NI you may like to pay a visit to the Somme heritage centre to get some background info before your trip.

There are quite a few places to see in Iper Belgium (the French call it Ypres), the Menin Gate memorial, there is an excellent museum in the city centre and the Irish Peace tower at Messines Flanders Belgium. The German Langemark cemetary near Paschendaele is a lot different to the British cemetaries and worth a visit if you get a chance.

Verdun is the main area where the French took part in WW1, there is a lot to see in that area with many fortresses and trenches but if you go there be sure to visit the Douaumont Ossuaire which is one of the main memorials in the area.

There is so much to see, if you search on the downloads part of the forum for "battlefields" you should find some very informative WW1 guides created by one of the members. We followed quite a lot of the info and found it invaluable.


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## Levvo001 (Jun 11, 2009)

Don't forget that this year is the 70th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation - ok WW2 rather than WW1 but you should have a look as you will be so close.


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## blongs (Jan 12, 2009)

We stayed here

http://www.parcdescygnes.com/gb.html

We were in a tent though for that trip, pre MH days.

It was June and we just turned up without a booking.

No problems at all with the site, very friendly.

When it rained on us we just moved our BBQ upto the reception undercover area which was shut at the time and cooked under there.


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## Irish_Rover (Apr 30, 2006)

Many thanks to all for the excellent information posted so far. It seems that one week in the area is not going to be half enough time to do it justice.

Gerry


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## steco1958 (Mar 5, 2009)

Irish_Rover said:


> Many thanks to all for the excellent information posted so far. It seems that one week in the area is not going to be half enough time to do it justice.
> 
> Gerry


You are absolutely correct with that statement.


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

It is a pity that politicians do not take time to stroll along these tunnels and trenches along with the other war cemetaries in Normandy. Then think about the young troops that we send half way round the world in "defense of our country".
I found them quite sobering and brought the value of a life into perspective.

As Tony Benn used to say
"Lets jaw jaw not have war war"

We end up talking with the other side anyway


dave p


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## Freddiebooks (Aug 9, 2008)

What a terrific thing to do Irish Rover,

My own personal reservations about doing such a trip would be the sadness i would feel. Thou i feel as a British fella that it in someway it is my duty to swallow the grief and visit these places at least once in my lifetime. 

My Grandad lied about his age to join up and fought at Ypres (Wipers) amongst other places. We have a postcard that he sent from the front called "The Last Gunner" if my memory serves me well. 

Goodness me, just thinking about the slaughter that occured of normal working men on the blow of a whistle is something very hard to come to terms with. How on earth was it aloud to happen. The pure madness. I well up just thinking about it. 

It would be interesting to read your reflections on your return Irish.

Freddiebooks


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## dovtrams (Aug 18, 2009)

Tyne Cot Military Cemetery and the church in Messines village, the bells play Danny Boy, both are very emotional and moving experiences. 

Dave


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## teal (Feb 23, 2009)

Amongst the many downloads on my Tom Tom 700 i have the Somme battlefields.


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## scouter (Dec 14, 2007)

Hi there,

Rather than try to cover the area in one go we chose a different bit each year and spent a couple of days at the end of several hoildays visiting the WW1 battlefields.

Vimy Ridge, Verdun, Thiepville, Ypres etc

Strangely enough it was the war cemetry at Etaples which probably moved us most apart from the Last Post at the Menin Gate. The groups of school children laying wreaths was very moving.

There were military hospitals at Etaples and the cemetry contains over 10,000 graves. There's probably a section for nearly every country in the Empire/Commonwealth including Chinese, Indian etc etc and quite a few who died after the armistice,

alan


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

*WWI*

We have been visiting WWI and WII for a few years now and yet every year on the way out or back we find something new to see.
A few of the main sites have already been mentioned.
Our Surname is not exactly common yet we found 146 killed my wifes maiden name is a one off and yet there is one on the Menin Gate and we found out he was lost relative.

An absolute must is Ypres (Wipers)(Ieper)Just about flattened during the war) every night there is the last post at the Menin Gate and a municipal Camp site a short walk away. We tend to forget how much of the trenches past through Belgium. The magnificent Town hall at Ypres was rebuilt with British Contributions.
Lots to see and visit it will take you weeks. We find that after a few days we start getting a bit morbid and so move on untill the next time.
Steve


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## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

The two real centres of the Somme campaign with museums are Albert and Peronne. Albert has a museum with a focus on Trench war, Peronne has a museum which looks at the war from German, French and British viewpoints. We've just returned from visiting this site and used the municipal campsite in Peronne (Camping Camp Municipal Du Brochet Rue Georges Clémenceau, 80200 Peronne with free wifi) which was within walking distance of the museum. We stayed on an aire at Doullens too which is the site of the Hall of Sole Command where General Foch took over command of the allies. Everywhere you pass on the roads especially on the "Circuit of Remembrance" has evocative roadside cemetaries we stopped at one that had the graves of 102 Gordon Highlanders killed on the first day of the Somme campaign. We found it was too much to take in really. Amiens in the centre is worth a visit as a relief from the WWI with the Qaui Bleu restaurants and the Hortilonnages (Floating gardens) Must see places in the Somme would include Valery-sur-Somme which has an excellent aire.

Steve


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## Levvo001 (Jun 11, 2009)

Mt Grandfather was killed on the 1st day of the Battle of the Somme, 1916, and he's one of the 73000plus names on the Thiepval Memorial. They are on there because they have no known grave, very hard to come to terms with that sort of number, gets me every time I've visited.

Will definitely be there for the 100th anniversary to lay a wreath. 

On a slightly brighter note, there's also a steam railway running through the Somme valley which is worth a look.


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## 1946 (Jan 5, 2006)

Freddiebooks said:


> What a terrific thing to do Irish Rover,
> 
> My son, Laurens, is a seacadet and will lay a wreath, with his fellow cadets, at Ypres on Saturday 17th July.
> We have visited the Menin Gate several times with him but it will be so much more moving as he will be part of the ceremony.
> ...


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## Seamusg (Jun 5, 2007)

Verdun is worth a visit if you are nearby. The ossuary and fort at nearby Douaumont/Fleury are very impressive as is the souterrain in the town itself.

The battle sites still have abandoned emplacements and tunnels you can walk into at the side of the road - falling down, neglected and dripping water.

I know this is not a WW1 site and not on your way to the Alps but if you find yourself further south west then Oradour sur Glane is a must-see. The 600 or so inhabitants were massacred in 1944 and the town ransacked. It was never rebuilt and was left as a monument. You can still see cars in garages half buried in rubble, ruined shops, rusty bicycles at the side of the street, the old tramline with its overhead wires....- it is like time stood still. A fascinating and emotional experience.

Sorry for going off the point but It's difficult not to get carried away. 
Enjoy your holiday.


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## hblewett (Jan 28, 2008)

The Menin Gate at Ypres for the 8.00pm last post. The tunnels at Arras where 20,000+ soldiers 'assembled' to attack from behind the front line. Tyne Cot - the largest british cemetery.


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