YOUR VISITS TO THE WESTERN FRONT .

[sabine72]

Will be visiting the Western Front for the first time in June and can't wait.

Pete when you are coming over give us a pm and we could meet up and maybe we could help you out a bit Patrick

[equusv]

I have more than a handful of favorite places; Maple Copse because it's beautiful, remote, peaceful, Talbot House, Essex Farm, Vimy, but one of the most beautiful and meaningful places I've been to is Dozinghem cemetery west of Pop. I was looking for the grave of a young friend of Lt.Col. John McCrae's, Revere Osler.

John McCrae interned under Canadian medical pioneer, Sir William Osler at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore before he went off with the artillery to the Boer War. Sir William married American, Grace Revere, a descendant of the famous Paul Revere. They had one child they called Revere, whom McCrae knew from birth.

In WWI, young Revere had a cushy job in the R.A.M.C.(he had spent many years in England because his father was the head of Medicine at Oxford) as Quartermaster at No. 3 Canadian General Hospital(McGill) where McCrae worked as a physician after 2nd Ypres until his death. However Revere was not happy with his job and wanted to see action in the artillery. Many strings were pulled and he finally got his wish. He was killed in the early stages of 3rd Ypres and of course his parents were devastated. But so was John McCrae.

It is believed that Revere was impressed with stories of McCrae's about the artillery and was much influenced by him in his decision to follow suit. I think McCrae was consumed with guilt when his friend, and the only son of his mentor was killed at age 22.

So, finding Revere's grave in beautiful, isolated Dozinghem had quite an emotional impact for me. I believe that Revere's death was one of a few significant things that hastened McCrae's own.

Bonfire

[geordieguy]

I have only been to Normady, this is a great thread for planning a visit.

Cheers.