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Remembered Today:

Western Front - The Girls Tour 2020


Marilyne

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Good Morning,

 

Planning my last three months at the Bn, including leave time, I figured that a tour was needed to make the pictures for the Women Buried on the Western Front project. And this would have to be done within these next months … because Staff Course is starting 2nd September! 

So while eating my cereals this morning, I started plotting… and came up with a four day tour, which, Corona permits, would take place early July… long days for visiting and taking pictures…

this is the idea:

 

plan.png.bbb5fa91fcc2ca5f5e1a3f1bf0a4fb75.png

 

Anyone in the vicinity in that period and up for a coffee and a chat?? 

Anyone around can tell me if and under which conditions hotels and B&Bs are open again???

First step: present plan to Boyfriend, who will probably NOT come with because work ... but will probably moan about me leaving him alone at home with Nestor the Penguin.

 

M.

 

PS: it's called "The Girls Tour" and I'm passing Cambrai… Deborah fits in, right???

 

M.

 

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good luck Marilyne, presumably not a route march, in 4 days..

we are about 10 mins from Doullens , but as yet have not been told if or when we can get there, early July would be a target date to return as mrs W birthday. 

presumably the 100km limit will be lifted by then?

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On 03/06/2020 at 08:46, Marilyne said:

it's called "The Girls Tour" and I'm passing Cambrai

 

Deborah is a very good inclusion. I take it the little detour to Bony is to visit Helen Fairchild? Please say hello from me. Bony is worth seeing anyway. I've been up the Opal coast many years ago and remember it looking direct but it being full of climbs and descents and quite windy around some of the estuaries; no problem for the tank, provided you haven't got the rocket launcher attached to the back......

 

Pete.

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18 hours ago, chaz said:

good luck Marilyne, presumably not a route march, in 4 days..

we are about 10 mins from Doullens , but as yet have not been told if or when we can get there, early July would be a target date to return as mrs W birthday. 

presumably the 100km limit will be lifted by then?

 

The 100km limit has already been lifted.

 

We've been back on the Somme for a couple of weeks and life is pretty much 'normal', apart from masks and social distancing.

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6 hours ago, Ken Lees said:

We've been back on the Somme for a couple of weeks

 

Ken, did you travel under the auspices of "work" or something.  We were wondering at what stage we would be allowed to travel to our place over there.  Presumably if we had an "emergency" with the house, they might let us in, though I guess we would have to self-isolate there for 2 weeks.

 

Reg

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16 hours ago, Don Regiano said:

 

Ken, did you travel under the auspices of "work" or something.  We were wondering at what stage we would be allowed to travel to our place over there.  Presumably if we had an "emergency" with the house, they might let us in, though I guess we would have to self-isolate there for 2 weeks.

 

Reg

 

Primary residence - with evidence to prove.

 

We didn't have to self-isolate as we arrived before the UK brought that rule in. And, unlike the UK, the French have said the 2 weeks is voluntary, apparently.

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1 hour ago, Ken Lees said:

 

Primary residence - with evidence to prove.

 

We didn't have to self-isolate as we arrived before the UK brought that rule in. And, unlike the UK, the French have said the 2 weeks is voluntary, apparently.

 

Thanks Ken.  I had forgotten about the primary residence bit.  I guess the wait will continue for a while yet.

 

Reg

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On 04/06/2020 at 20:44, Fattyowls said:

 

Deb I take it the little detour to Bony is to visit Helen Fairchild?

 

of course!! 

Boyfriend warned ... he's going to be alone. 

I'll have to put all that in THREE days... Wednesday to Friday, early July probably. 

 

So Ken, when you say "normal" means the hotels are up and running again?? I'll have to book next week, once my boss gives me the days off. 

 

M. 

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6 hours ago, Marilyne said:

 

of course!! 

Boyfriend warned ... he's going to be alone. 

I'll have to put all that in THREE days... Wednesday to Friday, early July probably. 

 

So Ken, when you say "normal" means the hotels are up and running again?? I'll have to book next week, once my boss gives me the days off. 

 

M. 

 

I believe the hotels are now open, but I haven't checked for myself.

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  • 2 weeks later...

With two weeks and a bit to go, now's the time to set in stone the list of cemeteries that The Tank will be passing on it's last big WWI tour.

so if you have any requests for pictures, feel free to fill up my agenda!

  • Caudry British Cemetery
  • Bony - Somme American cemetery
  • Flesquières Hill (Deborah crew)
  • Pozières memorial
  • Devonshire trench
  • Forceville
  • Louvencourt
  • Bagneux
  • Abbeville
  • Noyelles-sur-Mer
  • Neuville Indian (Montreuil)
  • Etaples
  • Boulogne Eastern
  • Wimereux
  • Terlincthun
  • Malo-les-Bains

M.

 

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Could you say hello to Sgt. Richard Wynn for me? He's in LXXII F.28, which is over in the north east corner. I've got a small photo from the regimental site but I'd appreciate if you could get a trademark high quality MM one with the rocket launcher. No problem if not.

 

I contributed to a thread about a nurse who worked at Etaples and who corresponded with the family of a man who died at the hospital. She describes him being buried in the 'little cemetery in the dunes'. I'll try and find the reference out of interest; it's a really poignant story. As she survived and is buried in North Wales she isn't within the scope of the girls' tour but it might be interesting to get her description.

 

Pete.

 

P.S. Are you trading in the tank for something new?

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Marilyne, have a chat with @Bethany Moore and vice versa. 

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17 hours ago, Fattyowls said:

Could you say hello to Sgt. Richard Wynn for me? He's in LXXII F.28,

 

P.S. Are you trading in the tank for something new?

 

Etaples, I gather???

 

yes, trading the tank for a slightly smaller one… we'll have to take it for a spin on the Western Front!!

 

M.

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Hi Marilyne,

 

Sounds fantastic! Although slightly jealous, I wish you well, and I hope you are able to get everything organised. You may be aware of much of this already, but I've attached a bit of information which might be useful. You may not have time to visit them all, but looking at your route map I think that you'll pass many of these places along the way.

 

As you know we were meant to visit last month with the pupils from Perth Academy. We had planned to visit three of our own former pupils, who are buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, and we found out that Ethel Fearnley is also buried there. The first nurse to die on active service in the Great War. The photo is of  Peter and Susan Lord who live in Ethel's home town. When I got in touch they very kindly sent a wee pebble from her house which we were going to leave at her grave. People are so kind! We MUST make it next year.

 

I've also just finished reading the book about the largely unknown but fascinating story of Endell Street Hospital. It is a brilliant read, and I highly recommend it. Before these amazing women opened Endell Street in London they ran hospitals in France; firstly at Claridge's hotel in Paris and then at the Chateau Mauricien, Wimereux. I've contacted the author @wendymoore99 on twitter about her book, and I'm sure she'd be interested in your project.

 

And finally Clare Gass "Our Clare!". She mentions so many of these places in her book, far too many to mention, but you will certainly be following in her footsteps. Another one for next years trip when we visit James Amess at Esquelbecq.

 

Best wishes,

Dave

 

 

Marilyne.pdf

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4 hours ago, Marilyne said:

Etaples, I gather???

 

Correct. That was the key bit of missing information, but you followed all the clues. It's down to thinking on an empty mind, apologies. As to your new tank I will look forward to a trip in it; the current one is very comfortable, and high up enough to see over hedges. I'll try and find the link to the nurse who wrote about Etaples as the 'little cemetery in the dunes'.

 

Pete.

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This is the story of a letter that Sister Lucy Deakin wrote mentioning Etaples; the full quote about the cemetery is in post 13. I think it is one of my favourite threads......

 

Pete.

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On ‎23‎/‎06‎/‎2020 at 10:05, DoubleD said:

Hi Marilyne,

 

Sounds fantastic! Although slightly jealous, I wish you well, and I hope you are able to get everything organised. You may be aware of much of this already, but I've attached a bit of information which might be useful. You may not have time to visit them all, but looking at your route map I think that you'll pass many of these places along the way.

 

As you know we were meant to visit last month with the pupils from Perth Academy. We had planned to visit three of our own former pupils, who are buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, and we found out that Ethel Fearnley is also buried there. The first nurse to die on active service in the Great War. The photo is of  Peter and Susan Lord who live in Ethel's home town. When I got in touch they very kindly sent a wee pebble from her house which we were going to leave at her grave. People are so kind! We MUST make it next year.

 

I've also just finished reading the book about the largely unknown but fascinating story of Endell Street Hospital. It is a brilliant read, and I highly recommend it. Before these amazing women opened Endell Street in London they ran hospitals in France; firstly at Claridge's hotel in Paris and then at the Chateau Mauricien, Wimereux. I've contacted the author @wendymoore99 on twitter about her book, and I'm sure she'd be interested in your project.

 

And finally Clare Gass "Our Clare!". She mentions so many of these places in her book, far too many to mention, but you will certainly be following in her footsteps. Another one for next years trip when we visit James Amess at Esquelbecq.

 

Best wishes,

Dave

 

 

Marilyne.pdf 2.46 MB · 7 downloads

THANK YOU!!!

 

I'll bring that with me… very interseting info.

I've bought Wendy Moore's book in Kindl, it's in the waiting list … but moving up as my project has gotten me interested in Women doctors. They were leading a kind of gender revolution in their own right, or so I find.

 

I'll send you the pics from Ethel's grave and also the other three, just give me the references. I'll take the time it needs.

And I do hope you'll be able to make it next year … and please tell me when you're coming, I'll try to join you!

 

Marilyne

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Hi Marilyne,

 

Here are the three Perth Academy former pupils and their grave references at Boulogne (Eastern) Cemetery. They don't appear to be too far apart and I think they all have headstones which are flat on the ground, so may be a bit more difficult to find. I think Ethel's may be flat as well. 

 

I'm sure you're going to have so much to tell after this trip! If we do manage a trip from the school next year it would be brilliant if we could meet up so that you can share it with us all. The book about Endell Street tells a fascinating story, and I think you're right about these women being right at the start of a gender revolution.

 

Dave

 

 

Boulogne Cemetery.jpg

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  • Admin

At Etaples can you please say hello to Ernest Young buried in 4 B 8A? Thank you

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21 hours ago, Michelle Young said:

At Etaples can you please say hello to Ernest Young buried in 4 B 8A? Thank you

of course!

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Hello Marilyne,

 

Thank you for your kind offer.

 

I would be very grateful for four Headstone photos, please.

 

Etaples Military Cemetery

Pte J. GREAVES       VIII. D. 8

Gunner B.E. ELLIS    LXVII. D. 18

 

Terlincthum British Cemetery

Drvr Ernest MANSELL   XI. B. 30

Pte F. TURTON              XVII. C. 8

 

It would be nice to have a general photo of each Cemetery if possible.

 

Do have a good safe tour.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

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No problems, Grant. 

Noted!!

 

M.

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only a few days left for you to tell me what pictures you want!! 

 

M.

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and we're ready !!! 

 

20200707_183628.jpg.7be388fd300e5a32e56c81883ffdfc7e.jpg

Off tomorrow morning! 

 

M.

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Snap! Here's our Royal Navy teddy who should have been going on our trip with us this year. Maybe there could be an opportunity for some inter-service co-operation in the future!

 

Only one sleep to go, have a brilliant time,

 

Dave

IMG_0109.jpg

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