My father in law lost his uncle at The Somme in 1916. He always wanted to visit and we went about 7 years ago. Last year I did some family history digging and discovered that my great great uncle was killed near Ypres and so I visited last spring. All of the cemetaries are perfectly maintained and even if you are not visiting a relative I defy anyone not to be moved by reading the names and ages of the lads buried there. I will visit again some time. I think all school children should have the chance to visit. Incidently, in Poland all school kids make the visit to Achwitz as part of their studies.
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Been to quite a few. Always moving.
Went over with Addickted and a few other Charlton fans to Belguim last year and did a bit of a tour.
Also went to Anzio while in Rome a few years back.
Bit of a difficult one to raise with the missus though. "Where are we going on holiday this year then?" "Oh, I quite fancy northern France to look around a battlefield". I wouldn't be very popular.
The only alternative is to go with a couple of mates, but equally she would probably think I was just going on a jolly - which I guess is maybe what it would turn into.
It was one of the most moving experiences of my life and I firmly believe that every politician or prospective politician should be compelled to visit the battlefields as a condition of being allowed to stand.
We may then just possibly become rather more circumspect about getting involved in the criminal waste of human life which is war.
I realise that war is sometimes unavoidable but there are also instances where it is avoidable in my opinion.
More recently I visit the Allied graveyard at the "Death Railway" near the bridge over the River Kwai. I had some very personal reasons for wanting to go there. Again it was a tremendously moving experience.
As I kid I visited East Germany on a school trip and went to Sachsenhausen whilst I was there. It's one of two things I've done in life that I think should be compulsory for all as a reminder of how good our lives are compared to those of some poor souls. The other is going down a coal mine.
I am putting my great grandfathers military cross and the details from which his act of galantry ment it was bestowed to him in a musuem in Watham Abbey for a first world war exhibition he got it for a battle that happened near Ypres.
i researched as much as i could in to him and came up trumps with a few things but i have drawn a blank on a piture of him in service (wont stop tryin)
they do fantastic stuff there at the old royal gunpowder mills the exhibitions of the great war and the 2nd world war left me exteemly humble and thankfull i suggest to anyone it is well worth a visit
it is very hands on lots for youngsters to do and extreemly well put together
think it is mate
That's the spirit chaps, nice one.
Thats really good to hear NLA. My Grandfather was injured at Passendaele and also fought on the Somme.
They called it "The war to end all wars", yet within a generation, it all started up again. We should be immensely proud of those who fought for our country, we should never forget those who died, but we should remain ever vigilant against the scourge of nationalism which, especially in the second world war, led to the deaths of 50 million people.
Anyone who goes must visit the Memorial for peace at Caen. There is a film which uses modern day images of Omaha beach and shots from The Longest Day cut together. It was one of the most powerful images I have ever seen.
Outside the museum you can see the remains of the old town and how battered they were.
Also went to Arromanches and Point du Hoc.
When my youngest reaches or nears double figures I am going to take both my boys to see the beaches and hopefully it will make them appreciate the sacrifices that were made by so many young men in both the Great and Second World Wars.
Normal service will be resumed tomorrow mate ;-)
Never seen the medal though it is with an uncle in Tasmania allegedley - families eh.....My Grandfather was in the Surrey Rifles - and he died the year before I was born.
the strangest thing is his meddals got sent from Enfield post office (where i live now after coming from sth london) and his family orriganted from Totteham and ended up in hoddeson which is literally 5 mins up the road from me, when i took the medal to the Gunpowder mills museum the fella pointed me in the direction of those 2 museums as alot of the stuff in the national archives got destroyed in the blitz,
His description in his army papers that we have he sounds more like my son that anyone else in our family with his hair and eye colour
His story is truely remarkable as he got injured with shrapnel and got sent home, went back and was involved in the Battle of Cambai one of the first succesful battles where tanks and small arms were used together took charge of his pals when their commanding officer got killed and took a german machine gun post whilst heavily out numbered, he was one of a few non officers to recieve the the MC, he got mustard gassed and more shrapnel got sent home again only to go back for a third time when he got so injured he couldnt return.
really doesnt bear thinking about what those Tommy's saw and endured.
I am reading Harry Patch's book now and it is an amazing story and i believe he is still around and at 110 is one of the few remaing tommy's.
To think that when he finally goes there will be no remaining people alive that fought in that war is remarkable and a sobering thought
you mention Luton and Hertford.
Was your Great Grandfather in The Bedfordshires or Hertfordshires by any chance?
My Great Uncle was and I contacted Steve Fuller and he was very helpful although as yet I also have been unable to locate a photo.
Here is the link in case it could be of use to you.
http://www.bedfordregiment.org.uk/
i bet they proberly knew each other and served together
he ended up finishing his service with them
somehow someway he went from the Ox and Bucks regiment into them but and fought along the hindenberg line
Reading the war diaries from that particular day, his battalion suffered heavy casualties in an attack on the German lines at Loos & the subsequent counter-attack they fought off.
I fell in a trench. There was a fella there. He must have been about our age. He was ripped shoulder to waist with shrapnel. I held his hand for the last 60 seconds of his life. He only said one word: 'Mother'. I didn't see her, but she was there. No doubt about it. He passed from this life into the next, and it felt as if I was in God's presence. I've never got over it. You never forget it. Never.
—Harry Patch, last survivor of Passchendaele, 12/07/2007
Some of the boys buried here are the same age as me, killed on the same day I was fighting. Anyone of them could have been me. I didn't know whether I would last longer than 5 minutes. We were the Poor Bloody Infantry and we were expendable. What a terrible waste.
—Harry Patch 29/7/07[9]