Aubers Ridge Battlefield

[Mark Hone]

I am planning a visit to Aubers Ridge, where two Bury Grammar School old boys died serving with 1/4th Seaforth Highlanders. I have been to the Neuve Chapelle area in the past, but only to visit the Portuguese Cemetery, The Indian Memorial and Le Touret Memorial to the Missing. Is the Aubers Ridge battlefield itself accessible and recognisable on the ground? I hope to do a preliminary recce in the spring.

[Laurent]

There is no circuit of visit for this battle of Aubers. this sector is not enough tourist to organize a circuit of visit of the battle fields of Aubers, Neuve Chapelle and Festubert.

Regards. Laurent.

[Marco]

Hello Mark,

See http://www.xs4all.nl/~aur/Battlefields/asbf.htm and the e-mail link provided therein. Perhaps Jos can show you around as he did with us. Aubers ridge was part of the tour.

Regards,

Marco

[Tim Birch]

Mark

It's an interesting area. There are a lot of quite well preserved German bunkers on the Fromelles-Aubers Ridge, but I think most of these date from 1917/8 rather than the 1915 Battle. The 1916 Fromelles battlefield had a lot of interest, including the Australian Memorial where there are some destroyed bunkers. There is very little evidence left of the 1915 Aubers battle - there is more at the 1915 Neuve Chapelle battle site.

As others have said you really need to look at the area as a whole to make it a worth while day, and you will be jumping between 1915 and 1918.

Both Rose Coombe's "Before Endeavours Fade", and the Holt's new "The Western Front-North" are useful guides to the area.

Enjoy the recce and the trip

Tim

[andigger]

Mark,

I am thinking about and organizing a similar adventure. I found this one day tour route on Paul Reed's site. Hope it helps.... Andy

http://www.battlefields1418.50megs.com/front2.htm

[Hedley Malloch]

There are some interesting blockhouses on Aubers Ridge, built by the Germans. One famous one was built to look like a peasant's cottage; it still stands with some of its original fittings and a squint for signalling window. Its grid reference is 488356052 on IGN Série Bleue 2404 Armentières.

If you have a school party then presumably you have a bus. One idea might be to park up at Aubers CWGC at Walmonchy, walk up to Aubers past many fine blockhouses, including the above, and thence on to the Neuve Chapelle battlefield via le Bas Pommereau where there is another interesing collection of blockhouses. The farmer there told me that he had spent most of working life trying to demolish them without success; he also said that they were all connected by underground tunnels permitting reinforcements; and by pipes allowing the Germans to flood any ones captured with poison gas.

From there you can walk behind the German lines through key points such as Maquissart, High Trees Corner, Nameless Cottage and the Duck's Bill; thence across no-man's land to the British lines in Neuve Chapele. Somewhere in the area is another blockhouse in which a German soldier painted a clock on the wall; this can still be seen. A short detour takes you to Signpost Lane, scene of a very famous photo showing the effects of a German machine-gun on the massed ranks of charging Scottish Territorials. The scene is still clearly recongisable today and featured in 'The Camera Returns' series in Stand To a few years back.

Ask the bus to pick you up in NC.

It's all quite accessible along quiet country lanes, and easy enough to pick out on the ground. Geoff Bridger's Pen and Sword Battlefield Europe to the Battle of Neuve Chapelle gives full details and you will also need the IGN Série Bleue mentioned above.

[andigger]

Hedley...

You seem to know the battlefield exceptionsally well. Is this all from the Battlefield Europe series, many trips to the site, or a little fo both. As I mentioned I am planning for a similar adventure and would love to tap into your knowledge.

Andy

[Mark Hone]

Thanks for your help. I am doing a recce in the spring, so shall follow your well-directed route, Hedley I was originally intending to take my normal 38 pupils, which makes a battlefields walk relatively straightforward to do, but due to overwhelming popular demand I have increased the roll call to 60 for the second year running. Careful logistical planning is necessary!

[Hedley Malloch]

Hedley...

You seem to know the battlefield exceptionsally well. Is this all from the Battlefield Europe series, many trips to the site, or a little fo both. As I mentioned I am planning for a similar adventure and would love to tap into your knowledge.

Andy

I did not have a car for the first three year of my stay in France. If you do not have a car, then you have to move about by public transport and foot: there is no alternative. If you travel by foot you need Série Bleue maps; and you get to know people in a way that is not possible if you are in a coach. It was force majeur in my case. I now have a car and a bike and I value the independence that they bring.

But my experiences taught me that public transport is a greatly neglected asset for the WW1 buff especially if you are a hiking fan. For example most of the walks in the excellent BE series are circulars. But if you know how the trains or buses work they add a new dimension to your walks on the Western Front in the form of long linear walks. In another thread some time ago I said that one of the most neglected assets on the Somme battlefield was the little used rail link between Miraumont and Albert. Car ownership not withstanding I still take the milk train from Lille to Miraumont; once there you can walk to Albert by any number of routes. My favourite is via Regina Trench, Pozières, Fricourt, La Boiselle via the Willow Patch (?) and the Crater; thence to Albert and the train back to Lille. Do it between November and February when the grass and crops are down.

To stand on Miraumont station platform at half-past stupid o'clock watching the rear lights of the milk train disappear into the gloom knowing that there is 10 miles between you and a warm room, that Tommy's will be shut and that the only shelter to be found from the rain and biting wind will be the Chorley Pals' memorial at Sheffield Park and/or the bloke in the wooden hut with the brazier at Beaumont Hamel Park(another victim of progress) - I wouldn't change that feeling for anything.

Neuve Chappele was one warm Saturday in September. A metro to St. Philibert, 68 bus to Herlies, then get out and walk by the route described to NC. I bought Geoff Bridger's excellent guide, read a little before, but most on the route. I only did it once, but I mean to do it again.

Mark: your two old boys were Scottish Terriers. I would have thought that Signpost Lane was an excellent place to visit.

[Mark Hone]

Hedley-Thanks for your help. I'll have to pinpoint Signpost Lane and track down that 'Camera Returns' feature from my back copies of 'Stand To'. Any idea when it was? I'm keen on those 'Then and Now' shots, having done one at Arnhem two years ago and then the Indians at whitesheet (and Bruce Bairnsfather at the Christmas Truce) on this year's tour.

[Michelle Young]

Hedley-Thanks for your help. I'll have to pinpoint Signpost Lane and track down that 'Camera Returns' feature from my back copies of 'Stand To'. Any idea when it was? I'm keen on those 'Then and Now' shots, having done one at Arnhem two years ago and then the Indians at whitesheet (and Bruce Bairnsfather at the Christmas Truce) on this year's tour.

Hi Mark

Issue 39 page 4

Regards, Michelle

[Mark Hone]

I've hunted high and low but can't find my copy of no 39. Would some kind soul be willing to photocopy or scan it for me? I am happy to pay admin costs.