My 'Walking Arras' Trip September - October 2009

[JimSmithson]

Hi Jim. The work continues at Tilloy. Don't know if these blokes were cwgc staff but I thanked them anyway for the great work that goes into maintaining the cemeteries.

They are usually contract workers. The ones I met who dug the old walls out were from Belgium. Some walling done on a cemetery local to my house in 2008 was done by a British family firm. They won the contract over French opposition, being told that some of the more local firm's work was not up to standard.

Jim

[ulsterlad2]

Ulsterlad

Really good pics indeed. The Arras is one area I have neglected in the past but your pics have inspired me, maybe when I am out later in November, to try and spend some time there.

Regards, Tommy.

Thanks Tommy.

As a total beginner to the walking/touring battlefields side of things I found Arras to be ideal

[ulsterlad2]

A couple more photos and some questions.

This one was taken on the rue de Wancourt looking back to Tilloy.

Q. Is that woodland the area known as Bois des Boeufs?

[JimSmithson]

The fact that the road in the middle distance is heading towards it means that it must be the château woods next to the cemetery. Bois des Boeufs would be a little to the right of picture.

Jim

[ulsterlad2]

This one, I have went up to the copse of trees that are marked close to Telegraph Hill, have skirted round the back and am standing at the other side.

Q. How far west did the area known as The Harp extend?

[ulsterlad2]

Thanks Jim. Looking at the little map in the book I can now see that these woods appear too close to Tilloy (not to mention the wrong place LOL) to be Bois des Boeufs. Must be those other group that are close beside the Route de Cambrai.

[GlenBanna]

Great pictures Ulsterlad

You have wetted my appetite for walking this area next year. Did you stay in bed and breakfast?

Glen

[ulsterlad2]

Hi Glen. I stayed in the Hotel Diamant in Place des Heros. I thought it was great.

[JimSmithson]

Hi

This overlay of The Harp onto a modern map (thanks to Linesman) will give you a feel for where you were in relation to the trenches.

[JimSmithson]

You will see the Point 93 in the centre of the Harp. The next photo is taken from there. It is west from Point 93 - the wood you were at.

[JimSmithson]

If you walk a little south from Point 93 you can turn into the fields for a way and reach a junction (see map). Here you are on Pol Trench, the next photo is from that point towards Tilloy.

Hope these help you get a feel for where you were.

Cheers

Jim

[JimSmithson]

By the way - Bois des Boeufs is the wood in the top right of the map above although not named that today. In fact les Boeufs is on the other side of the Cambrai road on the map.

Jim

[David McCallion]

I think it would be great to organise a tour there in future ive never been to arras either yet spent manys a day in ypres the somme area and of course you have to see albert was great to meet up at ballysillan hope to see you at an event again will be covering ww1 and 2 at broughshane over remembrance

cheers for the pictures and advice

Davey

[JimSmithson]

A trip to the Arras area would be well worth your while Davey.

Jim

[ulsterlad2]

Jim, that's awesome, thanks very much.

I've caught ( I believe) a portion of the upper left of The Harp on the right hand side of my photo. On the original shot, I can see that the Chateau d'Eau on Ave Charles de Gaulle is bang in the centre.

[ulsterlad2]

Thanks Davey .......... and definitely a great idea about getting over to Arras.

ps. pm about to be sent about Broughshane

[RobertBr]

Ulstelad

I was over there in March 2008 covering the area Arleux, Oppy Bailleul, Gavrelle (56th Div). I somehow missed Point du Jour Cemetery but did get shots of the new Business Park!

Between us we must have almost enough photos to form a montage of the front down to at least the Arras - Cambrai Road.

That has got me wondering about photos by other Pals. I wonder if we have enough photos to produce a montage of the whole British front. We would need to restrict it by date say in winter 1917 - 1918. How you could present it is another issue.

I note that other Pals are now planning trips to Arras. I would certainly recommend a visit to the area and city; not forgetting Vimy and the Wellington Caves. I never went to the main memorial in Arras but did go to a little cemetery in the suburb of Anzin St Aubin. It was immaculate and quite poignant finding the graves of some of my Grandfathers colleagues.

Bob

[ulsterlad2]

Bob. Nice idea. Point du Jour was my most northerly point and Neuville Vitasse in the south.

Did you visit Chili Trench Cemetery near Gavrelle? It is having work done to it at the minute. Not building work like at Tilloy but ground work, new lawns etc.

Some removed lawns at Chili Trench.

[RobertBr]

Ulsterlad

Point du Jour is just within the 56th Divs boundary so it was my southern boundary. I did go to Towy and Gavrelle posts but otherwise I concentrated on the are to the north.

The main cemeteries I visited were at Bailleul, Anzin St Aubin and Maison Blanche. At Maison Blanche I visited the small British cemetery and then walked down the track to the German cemetery. In a relatively small area is a mass grave there it contains 22,000 burials.

A montage may need its own web site or perhaps it could be done via say Google earth.

Bob

[Thorny]

Thanks for sharing those pictures.

It’s all to easy to sometimes forget the hard work & dedication that goes into maintaining the cemeteries, so for me the picture of the men working on the headstones is Particularly pleasing.

Thanks again

Matt

[JimSmithson]

Matt

Those are not headstones Matt. They have removed all the walls etc. at Tilloy and the picture shows the contractors getting the blocks ready to rebuild some of the steps and surrounds. The headstones are all prepared at the HQ in Arras (worth a visit). I'll see if they are finished if I get to France next week and take some 'project complete' photos.

Jim

[ulsterlad2]

Hi Matt, thanks for your reply. Funnily enough when I got to Tilloy and saw the men working further down in the cemetery, I thought they were headstones on their sides too.

[Tony Ring]

Hi Matt, thanks for your reply. Funnily enough when I got to Tilloy and saw the men working further down in the cemetery, I thought they were headstones on their sides too.

Thank you for sharing the informative photographs.

When I look at the peaceful fields its hard to imagine the terrible secrets that they contain.

Tony