Mat McLachlan Posted 19 December , 2004 Share Posted 19 December , 2004 Hi all, I'm interested to hear other Pals' opinions about the most beautiful cemetery in France or Belgium. I'm going to cast my vote for Le Trou Aid Post, Fleurbaix. Cheers, Mat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 19 December , 2004 Share Posted 19 December , 2004 Transport Farm (Railway Dugouts) is one of my favourites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marco Posted 19 December , 2004 Share Posted 19 December , 2004 Impossible.... Bagneux is nice, being up a slope: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aur/layout/frames.ht...s/BAGNEUXBC.htm Every big Churchyard Extension with a good church in the background is nice: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aur/layout/frames.ht...ies/etretat.htm http://www.xs4all.nl/~aur/layout/frames.ht...-LE-CHATEAU.htm Out of the way is nice too: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aur/layout/frames.ht...R-CHANCHEBC.htm The well / special designed: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aur/layout/frames.ht...s/MAZARGUES.htm Personally I like those in the middle of a field without a road: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aur/layout/frames.ht...MESNILRIDGE.htm Some communal cemeteries have nice backdrops: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aur/layout/frames.ht...DE-NIEPPECC.htm Some are a change that stands out: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aur/layout/frames.ht...RREKENFARMC.htm EVERY single one in snow with you being the first visitor: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aur/layout/frames.ht.../VILLERETCC.htm http://www.xs4all.nl/~aur/layout/frames.ht...THAUCOURTCC.htm ertc, etc Regards, Marco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycad Posted 19 December , 2004 Share Posted 19 December , 2004 There are many cemeteries that come to mind, not least the one at St Symphorien near Mons, with its mixture of German and British headstones from the early part of the war. But mostly I would favour the Devonshire Cemetery, overlooking the railway halt at Mametz, which has a significance in the course of most of the set battles of the war. The date of the soldiers' headstones of 1st July 1916, the fact that it is a comrades cemetery of only Devonshires, that it is located in their jumping off trench, and overlooks the killing ground has a resonance not only for the Battle of the Somme, but for WW1 as a whole. I have attached the following photograph of the memorial at the cemetery, which to me plays on all the emotions. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 19 December , 2004 Share Posted 19 December , 2004 Don't know why (and I can see why it's not asthetically pleasing) I've always liked Zivy Crater Cemetery. I've whiled away many an hour sat on the lip of the "hole" eating my butties and thinking. Another I've always liked is Poperinge Old Cemetery. It feels like the back yard of the house I used to live in! Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john w. Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 Groetebeke if thats the right spelling.. a small cemetery passed by a river and a number of burials of different commonwealth nations John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soren Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 What a nice subject.... My favourites are Ramparts Cemetery (?): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soren Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 Mud Corner(?) again very nice: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat McLachlan Posted 20 December , 2004 Author Share Posted 20 December , 2004 Marco - Thanks for the great pics. I suspected you would have a few 'favourites'. Soren - Good call. Ramparts is one of my favourites as well, especially since it was the first CWGC cemetery I ever visited. Keep the suggestions coming! Mat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markinbelfast Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 There is something about the trees at Ham magical to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burlington Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 My favourite is the Ancre Military Cemetary on the Somme. Mind you, they are all beautiful in their own way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marco Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 Nice topic indeed. Soren, your photo does not show Mud Corner: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aur/layout/frames.ht...s/MUDCORNER.htm but Prowse Point: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aur/layout/frames.ht...PROWSEPOINT.htm Regards, Marco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOMMESOLDIER Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 Hi Everyone, As the Somme is my First Love, I would have to say The Devonshire Cemetery, prehaps not so pleasing to the eye but beautiful to the heart and THAT Inscription, It breaks my heart everytime I see and read it, and to cap it all the man whos poem(Before Action) sums up the First Day of The Somme for me is buried there. William Noel Hodgson. THE DEVONSHIRES HELD THIS TRENCH THE DEVONSHIRES HOLD IT STILL. Cheers Tim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 Gorre Beuvry British Indian. Not very visited, on a tranquil road. Good parking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisC Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 Belle Alliance, near Ypres. Small "battlefield" cemetery. In summer, completely surrounded by crops. Other candidates, DCLI near the nature reserve or the Rifles CWGC in Plugstreet Wood, not necessarily "beautiful" but very atmospheric. They all tear at your heart, however big or small... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 20 December , 2004 Admin Share Posted 20 December , 2004 Vendresse and Marfaux cemeteries are really lovely in my opinion, also maple Copse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 Mu Corner(?) again very nice: Soren, Marco is correct. Your photo is Prowse Point Cemetery. Mud Corner is the small one some 200 meters south. Sue, We have the same taste. (At least with regard to the cemeteries not in Boezinge territory...) I think Ploegsteert wood Mil. Cem. deserves a second photo. Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Cox Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 Serre Road No 2 for me Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacky Platteeuw Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 Big Cem: Bedford House Small Cem: Maple Copse Jacky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soren Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 Another I've always liked is Poperinge Old Cemetery. It feels like the back yard of the house I used to live in! Dave. You are right, I visited Poperinge Old Cemetery, just like you said, felt really odd but cool, in the middle of this council estate or something! I remember one grave it was a 15 year old Canadian Sgt who had died really early in the war, I wish I could remember his name, I'll check the CWGC. I would have loved to have grown up near this cemetery, it's so diddy and unexpected, I also seem to remember that a S.A.D are buried there. This would make sense with the condemned cell down the road! Wish I came up with that one..... Sozz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soren Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 Mu Corner(?) again very nice: Soren, Marco is correct. Your photo is Prowse Point Cemetery. Mud Corner is the small one some 200 meters south. Sue, We have the same taste. (At least with regard to the cemeteries not in Boezinge territory...) I think Ploegsteert wood Mil. Cem. deserves a second photo. Aurel yes thanks guys you are correct, I think I left a ? after the name, I felt sure that Mud Corner was indeed smaller. From memory was it not at MC that the truce happened?? Soren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soren Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 Slightly skewering the subject, I've just done this drawing montage sort of image of Hyde Park.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 20 December , 2004 Share Posted 20 December , 2004 From memory was it not at MC that the truce happened?? Soren It is said that 0.5 km northeast of Mud Corner Cemetery (or about 0.4 km east of Prowse Point Cem.) is the field where a football match took place. Whether this is true or not ... "It was in this area [st Yvon] that men participated in that curious phenomenon, The Christmas Truce, on 24/25 Dec 1914. (...) Some reports said that football was played, but they have proved difficult to substantiate." (Maj. & Mrs Holt, Ypres, p 193) It's just a field, but maybe using one's imagination ... Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KF Kelly Posted 21 December , 2004 Share Posted 21 December , 2004 This is a great idea. I always liked Gordon Dump and Ancre Military Cemetery on the Somme and Maple Copse near Zillebeke. KF Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 21 December , 2004 Share Posted 21 December , 2004 Ramparts and Ancre Valley Military Cemetery, always so serene, as they all are. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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