Touring the Bantouzelle area

[Beselare]

Yesterday I accompanied the grandson of Capt. Herbert Daniel, MC and Bar to the farm where he won the bar (Hurtebise Farm near Esnes on the Hindenburg Line). A friend had arranged a guide for us and for us to meet the current farm owners. The farm itself has a very large bunker just outside the kitchen window! Our guide turned out to be quite a find. His name is Bernard Delsert and his e-mail address is: Bernard.delsert@wanadoo.fr . He was a mine of knowledge about the local area and also quite the best expert I have ever met on artillery, shells, guns and bullets. His English was perfect.

Bernard took us to a nearby museum which I didn't know existed. It is in the Mairie in the village of Bantouzelle which will probably be familiar to students of the Hindenburg Line in that area. The museum was small but excellent with a Vickers MG in perfect condition. Bernard tells me that his own museum in his house is ten times larger than that in the Mairie.

Bernard is very willing to show anyone where the various battle lines were. He does not charge anything, but there are a few restaurants around where you could buy him lunch. The museum in the Mairie is open on the 1st Sunday of each month from 2.00pm to 5.pm. Alternatively, get in touch with Bernard - he has the key and will show you round. For historians of older ages, the ancient Vaucelles Abbey is nearby and definitely worth a visit. If you are touring the Cambrai area it would be well worth your time to make a short southern detour. When you send him an e-mail, the key words to use to identify where you obtained his details from are Bob and Hurtebise Farm.

Bob

[BelgianExile]

If I remember rightly the collection in the museum was collected by a chap who was sadly killed by a shell he was collecting.

[Beselare]

Bernard didn't mention this although I suppose it is a possibility. Bernard has been collecting artefacts from the battlefield area there since he was ten years old so I suppose he was lucky he didn't suffer the same fate!

Bob

[BelgianExile]

Bernard didn't mention this although I suppose it is a possibility. Bernard has been collecting artefacts from the battlefield area there since he was ten years old so I suppose he was lucky he didn't suffer the same fate!

Bob

Is his own museum a private collection then? Or is it a museum proper (if that makes sense!). I'm assuming it's the former as I've not heard of a museum in that area (although I'm not massively familiar with it). I've pinged him an email and will try to get down there at some point, but if it's a formal museum then I'll stick it in my app.

[Beselare]

Bernard's museum is private and is on his own property. I'm sure he would be pleased to show it to you if you ask him.

Bob

[gdc]

-Bernard is a mind of information to anyone interested in this area and artillery.

The museum you speek of is 'Musee de Bantouzelle' (between Cambrai and St Quentin)

              81 Grand Rue (above the Marie),59266, Bantouzelle. Tel:- 0327785024 and is

Open Ist Sunday of each month 1400 hrs to 1700 hrs.(when Bernard is there and will explain all) and

is involved mainly  in the Cambrai battlefield. if you ring the ' Marie' they might contact Bernard for you

for other times---Its worth a try-- However the' Marie' is closed in August.

       If you are in the area it is well worth trying to make the visit to this museum even if you are not an expert,

you will certainly learn alot from Bernard if he is avalable

Edited 25 July , 2017 by gdc
correction