Help planning an itinery for a four day stay in Hardecourt

[gedburke3]

Dear all,

I'm inexperienced when it comes to planning a trip to the battlefields.

I am in the early stages of planning a short trip (3 nights / four days) to Hardecourt in late March and wondered if anyone could suggest some sites to visit.

I see that Albert, Peronne and Cambrai are all fairly local so I guess we will look to spend a day in each.

I really wanted to visit a museum that replicates the trenches and something related to Cambrai and the tank battles.

Can anyone recommend suitable sites?

Regards

Gerry

 

[Michelle Young]

Tank D51 Deborah is housed in a museum at Flesquieres. There is also a tank walk signposted around the village and environs.  

Michelle 

[mancpal]

Its a long time since I visited but I remember the WW1 museum in Peronne being very good in the way exhibits were displayed, It was, at that point Frances museum of the year.

Have a good trip.

 

Simon

[Don Regiano]

Glory Hole at La Boisselle (pre-book to go underground) and nearby Lochnagar Crater

Delville Wood (about 7 minutes from Hardecourt)

Newfoundland Park, Sunken Lane, Hawthorn crater

[Andy davidson]

 Hardcourt is a great place to stay, loads on your doorstep. Try a walk from Hardcourt to Guillemont, walk across the fields looking towards Trones/Bernafay/Delville woods, your more or less on the front lines. Noel Chavasse won a VC in the fields just before Guillemont cemetery and England's first black football player, Walter Tull fought in the fields just behind the cemetery. In Guillemont there is a road named after the German Ernst Junger,  Google him, amazing military story during WW1. 

 

I'm due there for 2 weeks walking in June and will spend a fair amount with my new linesman tablet in the above fields. Have a look at the Chavasse Farmhouse accomodation web site, loads of great stuff on their site re the initial area. Have a great time.

 

Ps

 

There is a great pen and sword book on Guillemont which is a smashing guide for that part of the Somme, plus, it's really easy to get to all other areas of the battlefields, all within no longer than 30 mins ish, drive of your base.

 

Andy

Edited 22 January , 2020 by Andy davidson

[gedburke3]

Dear all,

Thank you for spending the time to reply to my query, I appreciate it.

There certainly seems to be enough to fill the time.

I will start booking some trips now based on your suggestions.

Many thanks once again

Gerry

[gedburke3]

Andy,

By coincidence, Chavasse farm is where i am looking to stay.

It looks like a great spot and a bar to boot...……...

Just read Ernst Jungers Bio on Wikipedia.

Ill need to read his book before I go and will buy a copy of the pen and sword book too. 

Regards

Gerry

[Don Regiano]

German bunker entrances in Rue Ernst Junger, Guillemont::

[Andy davidson]

13 hours ago, gedburke3 said:

Dear all,

Thank you for spending the time to reply to my query, I appreciate it.

There certainly seems to be enough to fill the time.

I will start booking some trips now based on your suggestions.

Many thanks once again

Gerry

Hi Gerry

 

By the way, check out Edward Dwyer, won a VC at hill 60 in Ypres, was sent back to England for the recruitment drive. Was recorded telling of his war experiences, retreating from Mons etc, and can be listened to on youtube by searching Edward Dwyer VC. He died at Guillemont and is buried in flat iron copse cemetery, just up a path, drivable with care, from Mametz woods, or by leaving the main road near Bazentin.

 

I went in May and there was a photo of him on his grave, very moving to hear his voice from youtube on my phone, signal permitting. I've seen surviving old soldiers speaking on TV but am not aware of any of those who died during the fighting still being able to be heard across the years, maybe unique ?

 

Cheers

Andy

[Guest]

On ‎21‎/‎01‎/‎2020 at 18:01, gedburke3 said:

Andy,

By coincidence, Chavasse farm is where i am looking to stay.

It looks like a great spot and a bar to boot...……...

Just read Ernst Jungers Bio on Wikipedia.

Ill need to read his book before I go and will buy a copy of the pen and sword book too. 

Regards

Gerry

There is a bar. But it's not "manned", & you'll need to take your own beer in there. We just had a beer (or 2), in the house that we were staying in. It's a lovely place though.

[MaxD]

Are you tracking any one particular unit/individual?

 

Max

[gedburke3]

Hi Max,

 

My grandad was shot and injured in March 1918 during the final German push.

At that time he was serving with 'A' Company 9th North Irish Horse battalion of the Royal Irish Fusiliers and is listed as missing in their war diary.

He was shot in the brachial artery and paralysed due to the damage to his brachial nerve, eventually ending up at Netley hospital.

I have his canvas pay wallet with his name and service number on the cover.

I would like to visit the areas where the Battalion were in March 1918.

Grand Seraucourt

Essigny

Happencourt

Ollezy

Fleuesele (cannot identify this place)

Guiscard

Bussy

Avricourt

Tilloloy

Popincourt

Grivillers

Marquivillers

Guerbigny

Erches

 

Regards

Gerry

 

 

[gedburke3]

This his wallet, still bloodstained top right.

 

[Michelle Young]

I would suggest 

Grevillers

Tilloy

Havrincourt

[MaxD]

A bit of a tidy up with names from the war diary, understandably not always right:

 

Present day name for Grand Seraucourt is Seraucourt le grand. 

Essigny is Essigny le grand

Fleuseule is more than likely Villeselve which is en route from Ollezy to Guiscard

Erches is about 1 mile north of Guerbigny on the road to Bouchoir.

 

 

 

 

Starting at the furthest east, Essigny and Seraucourt are on the trench map/image at:

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=14&lat=49.7757&lon=3.2495&layers=101465335&right=BingHyb

 

I then found it more convenient to take a normal on line map and get the "directions" facility to plot a route, staring at Essigny where the battalion were in the line before withdrawing to east of Seraucourt..That gives a skeleton (attached) on which you can base planning.

 

I shall defer to others more knowledgeable than I to recommend specific places of interest along the way.  

 

The title of this thread refers to Hardicourt which may mean others (Michelle excepted!) may not input to the area you are interested in.  You might like to start another thread specifically referring to the area to the west of Seraucourt and referring in the text to this thread to save nugatory work.

 

Alternatively, Michelle may be able to magic it?

 

Max

[Michelle Young]

Thank you Max, I didn't have a map handy, or the time to plot the routes. That will certainly keep you busy for at least a day I would say. It might be better to stay nearer the area. There's an excellent B&B at Beaurains Les Noyon. 

Michelle