Fattyowls Posted 19 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 19 May , 2020 I'm trying to figure out which cemetery Mr I; I've narrowed it down to about six but wondered if any clues were available? Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Regiano Posted 19 May , 2020 Share Posted 19 May , 2020 It's nearly that time of year again. The first photo is the site of Waterlot Farm, which often features in the actions of the Longueval/Guillemont area (with Delville Wood just showing on the left edge). Unfortunately, some time after I had taken the photo, someone decided that the top surface needed scraping and last year's display was virtually non-existent. I will only be able to surmise as to what it will be like this year. The other 2 photos are of the Suzanne Valley on a misty morning, home to a plethora of heavy French and British artillery on 1 July 1916. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knotty Posted 19 May , 2020 Share Posted 19 May , 2020 Ok I better start adding or Pete will pick on me. This first one, taken 2014, is looking from the Sugar Factory in the direction of Audregnies from which a cavalry charge was made by the 4th Dragoon Guards and the 9th Lancer in supporting the Cheshires & Norfolks during the retreat from Mons on 24th August 1914. They charged up on either side of the road towards the massed infantry and guns, and were stopped aound this point. Unfortunately a heroic failure even though Capt. Francis Grenville of the Lancers ended up winning the V.C. for his actions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 19 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 19 May , 2020 38 minutes ago, Knotty said: Pete will pick on me As if. But good additions gentlemen; you can't have enough poppy pictures in my opinion. Just to go back to Croonaert Chapel cemetery above I couldn't work out why I didn't have a photo of it looking the other way. Then I took a closer look at the best candidate of mine. Obscured by cows - you couldn't make it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knotty Posted 19 May , 2020 Share Posted 19 May , 2020 Taken from the Sommepy American monument, it is looking south. On the horizon (just off centre right) you can just pick out the Navarin Farm Oussary Memorial, which was the approx front line on July 15th 1918, the Americans reached the summit of Blanc-Mont Ridge on October 2nd, so in 3 months US and French troops advance some 8-9 kms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 19 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 19 May , 2020 John, that is brilliant. About 19 years ago I had a picnic just in front of the hedge on the left. Blanc Mont is, to paraphrase Smashy and Nicey on the Fast Show, my all time favourite American memorial of all time. The view in the photograph has a lot to do with that. Montsec is stupendous but there's something about looking out over the rolling chalk and thinking of all the poor French, German and American soldiers who are still out there. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 19 May , 2020 Share Posted 19 May , 2020 It gives me no pleasure to say this, but Smashy and Nicey were not on The Fast Show. Although Paul Whitehouse was involved, it was in Harry Enfield's programme, spinning off into a televisual life all their own, that S & N appeared. Carry on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knotty Posted 19 May , 2020 Share Posted 19 May , 2020 (edited) Glad you like that one, as you say there are many soldiers still unfound and lost to time. I’m sure you must have been into the Navarin Oussary, strangely I find that it is a more “humbling” experience (if that’s the right word) than the Verdun one. John Edited 20 May , 2020 by Knotty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Regiano Posted 19 May , 2020 Share Posted 19 May , 2020 (edited) One of my favourites ... Ruyaulcourt ... and the CWGC mean it when they say "wheelchair access impossible". My car really was parked just to the left of the entrance (or to the right from the position the first picture was taken) Edited 19 May , 2020 by Don Regiano Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 19 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 19 May , 2020 39 minutes ago, Steven Broomfield said: It gives me no pleasure to say this, but Smashy and Nicey were not on The Fast Show. Although Paul Whitehouse was involved, it was in Harry Enfield's programme, spinning off into a televisual life all their own, that S & N appeared. Carry on. I feel suitably admonished and will stand in the corner/sit on the naughty step. It will teach me a valuable lesson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knotty Posted 19 May , 2020 Share Posted 19 May , 2020 Mametz Wood from the base of the Dragon. And the Dragon as featured on the cover of The Welsh at Mametz Wood by Dr Jonathan Hicks😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knotty Posted 19 May , 2020 Share Posted 19 May , 2020 Ovillers British Cemetery, me experimenting with black & white Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knotty Posted 19 May , 2020 Share Posted 19 May , 2020 This one is taken from the 155mm cannon in front of Fort de le Pompelle (also known as Fort Herbillion) but for the life of me I cannot remember the direction and target area that it’s pointing towards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Regiano Posted 19 May , 2020 Share Posted 19 May , 2020 (edited) 2 photos taken about 8 weeks apart from the adjacent spots in Citadel cemetery. The first was one I took on an unusually warm day at the end of October 2016 and the second, a much better photo courtesy of Forum member Frajohn, was taken by him at the end of December 2016: Edited 19 May , 2020 by Don Regiano Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knotty Posted 19 May , 2020 Share Posted 19 May , 2020 Last one for today. A subject overlooked by most of us, is that of the Russian Expeditionary Force in France, it saw action in the Champagne area, and buried its dead (c4000), at the St Hilaire-le-Grand Russian Cemetery. This link tells a bit more https://www.champagne-ardenne-tourism.co.uk/what-do/visiting/sites-visit/saint-hilaire-le-grand-russian-cemetery-127863. My outstanding memory of the visit was the number of horsefly bites I suffered😡 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomisitt Posted 20 May , 2020 Share Posted 20 May , 2020 On the Italian Front (and yes, I probably have photos of every battlefield there) it doesn’t much matter which way you look, there is always something to blow your mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 20 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 20 May , 2020 50 minutes ago, tomisitt said: On the Italian Front (and yes, I probably have photos of every battlefield there) it doesn’t much matter which way you look, there is always something to blow your mind. I'm prepare to risk having my mind blown Tom; wouldn't be the first time after looking at your photos. Superb as ever. Post as many as you would like, or link to your other posts, I'm sure some may not have seen them. 13 hours ago, Knotty said: A subject overlooked by most of us, is that of the Russian Expeditionary Force in France, Been there a few times John, so thanks for the reminder. On a related subject there were many Russian prisoners used as forced labour on the Western Front; this is one sad case from Erquinghem-Lys Churchyard Extension - an escaped Russian labourer I believe shot by mistake by the British trying to cross no man's land....... Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dickaren Posted 20 May , 2020 Share Posted 20 May , 2020 14 hours ago, Don Regiano said: 2 photos taken about 8 weeks apart from the adjacent spots in Citadel cemetery. The first was one I took on an unusually warm day at the end of October 2016 and the second, a much better photo courtesy of Forum member Frajohn, was taken by him at the end of December 2016: Another view-May 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 20 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 20 May , 2020 12 minutes ago, dickaren said: Another view-May 2014 A great addition, which also begs the question how do they keep the slimy critters off the hostas? I'm going to try to source industrial quantities of garlic in the next day or so to make garlic wash for ours; I'll also eat some (garlic not hostas obviously). I'm not mixing with many members of the public at the moment so I won't need to stay downwind. Citadel is another one I've never been too either; I'm not sure I've ever been down by the runway of the aerodrome/factory. Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Regiano Posted 20 May , 2020 Share Posted 20 May , 2020 2 hours ago, dickaren said: Another view-May 2014 That's a nice addition from a different part of the year - gives a good contrast. 1 hour ago, Fattyowls said: Citadel is another one I've never been too Another relatively small one, a bit like Ruyaulcourt and I suspect not as "popular" to visit as some. I was there to photograph the headstone of someone in 10 Lancs Fusiliers who was KiA on 27 June 1916 when 10LF had been temporarily attached to 7 Divn and were relieving the Devonshires at Mansel Copse. His brother, with 2 LF, was killed 4 days later and believed to be buried at Redan Ridge no. 2. Try leaving some garlic bread Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 20 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 20 May , 2020 1 minute ago, Don Regiano said: Try leaving some garlic bread Pete. Since seeing Peter Kay's brilliant 'garlic bread? Garlic? Bread?' monologue I have been unable to say the phrase normally; I fear that treatment is likely to involve prescription medication and the doc probably has more important things to deal with. And I wouldn't waste good garlic bread on my creepy crawlies. There have been some nice pictures of cemeteries that don't often feature, and John's frosty photos are always a joy in my not so humble opinion. Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Regiano Posted 20 May , 2020 Share Posted 20 May , 2020 1 minute ago, Fattyowls said: Peter Kay's brilliant 'garlic bread? Garlic? Bread?' I did think about referring to that when I posted but thought better of it. Yes, it ranks with the "dogging" episode of Car Share soon to be repeated on BBC! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dickaren Posted 20 May , 2020 Share Posted 20 May , 2020 Thiepval Memorial from north of Ovillers June 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomisitt Posted 20 May , 2020 Share Posted 20 May , 2020 4 hours ago, Fattyowls said: I'm prepare to risk having my mind blown Tom; wouldn't be the first time after looking at your photos. Superb as ever. Post as many as you would like, or link to your other posts, I'm sure some may not have seen them. Thanks Pete. As you say, there are more photos of the Italian Front in the “Extreme Battlefield Tour” thread, but here are a few from the battlefields of the Carso, rarely visited and slowly returning to nature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sly Posted 20 May , 2020 Share Posted 20 May , 2020 Hi, great photos on this thread, thank you very much for sharing. Sly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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