Western Front visit

[squirrel]

Western Front Journey 26^6h to 30^th May 2018 - travelled to France 25^th May

26^th May

Angreau Communal Cemetery – Lt Barnes London Irish Rifles 6^th November 1918

Mons – 1^st battalion Norfolk Regiment – Pte Hardy

St Symphorien Cemetery

Erquilinnes Communal Cemetery - London Irish Rifles Rfmn. Wilmer 15th October 1918

Hautmont Military Cemetery – London Irish Rifles Rfmn. Watson 14^th October 1918

Le Trou Aid Post Cemetery – Harry W Nutkins RFA

 

27^th May

Lochnagar Crater

Thiepval Memorial

Thiepval Wood

Connaught Cemetery

Ulster Tower

Ocean Villers - lunch

Newfoundland Park

Puisieux Trench – 63^rd RN Division – Sub Lt Hardy Anson battalion awarded MM

Neuville Bonjourval Cemetery – London Irish Rifles Rfmn. Banfield 13^th October 1917

Roquiny – Equancourt Road Cemetery – 2^nd Lt. Davis 1^st March 1918 13^{th (}County of London) battalion (Kensington) London Regiment attached London Irish Rifles

 

28^th May

Vis en Artois memorial – Sub Lieutenant Hardy Anson battalion RND MM & bar

Canadian Memorial Vimy Ridge

Willems Communal Cemetery 2^nd Lt. Baxter London Irish Rifles 7^th November 1918

Menin Gate – 1^st Norfolk Regiment Private Hardy Norfolk Regiment

Menin Gate – Last Post ceremony and wreath laying

 

29^th May

Essex Farm Cemetery

Welsh Memorial Langemark

Harry Patch Memorial – Steenbecke

Langemark German Cemetery

St Julian Chuch

Tyne Cot Cemetery

Zonnebeke – museum and trenches

Hill 60 – Pte. Hardy Norfolk Regiment - KIA

 

30^th May

Belgian Battery Corner – Frederick Charles Nutkins - 100^th anniversary

Maple Dump Cemetery – RGA casualty

Poperinghe – Shot at dawn cells and execution post

Talbot House

 

 

 

Edited 31 May , 2018 by squirrel

[Gareth Davies]

You missed the downpours but you will have seen a lot of waterlogged fields.  And aren't the poppies looking good right now?

[squirrel]

The whole countryside looks good and the cemeteries are looking superb - a real tribute to the CWGC gardeners considering the cold winter and the rain we have had since.

Thunderstorm in Ypres on in the early hours of Tuesday morning was a real cracker. Temperatures of 30c plus on Saturday and Sunday - mid 20's c for the rest of the time although yesterday was a little cooler and cloudy. A really enjoyable trip apart from the ferry delay on the return.

Edited 31 May , 2018 by squirrel

[Gareth Davies]

I was on the Somme on Sat and Arras on Sun, it was quite warm. I'm not back out for another 8 days and am getting withdrawal symptoms.

[Don Regiano]

Thunderstorms - tell me about it!  Emergency tripped booked for repairs etc  The corrugated bit in picture 2 is from the roof of our barn.

Edited 31 May , 2018 by Don Regiano

[chaz]

back to ours today, hope all is ok. I worry about one of our chimneys.

[squirrel]

On 31/05/2018 at 20:19, Gareth Davies said:

I was on the Somme on Sat and Arras on Sun, it was quite warm. I'm not back out for another 8 days and am getting withdrawal symptoms.

I am not back until September, also over for Remembrance services in Belgium in November.

[KIRKY]

Hope you had a great trip , weather sounds amazing if you do not suffer damage, back over last weeeknd September on Somme,

Tony

[chaz]

travelling between a few cemeteries today there is evidence of heavy rains and flooding across the roads with soil from the fields being washed into the roads, today it was murky until around 5pm and its still sunny now at 9.30pm. 2 Leffe later might progress to coffee or maybe something stronger...

[squirrel]

More work for CWGC gardeners just when they had the cemeteries looking superb. They'll get them straight again soon when the weather improves. Marvelous work they do.