Bourlon Wood

[Guest Simon Bull]

Is it possible to walk in Bourlon Wood? If so is there anything of WW1 interest to be seen?

I am planning to visit Bourlon Wood Cemetery and I wondered whether it was possible to walk into the wood from there?

[uncle bill]

there is of course the Canadian monument and a small battlefield cemetery nearby. The wood is very big and yes you can walk around (at least I did ) there is much evidence of shell fire and along the edge facing Fontaine Notre Dame you can see the trace of a deep trench, lots of unexploded stuff lying around so you need to be careful.

[egbert]

Right behind the memorial you'll find trenches , wire, all size shell fragments; walk a wide circle to the right along the old trenches until reching the path that leads again to the memorial parking lot.

[Jack Sheldon]

Simon

Why not buy a copy of the Battleground Europe guide ' Bourlon Wood' by Jack Horsfall and Nigel Cave? Read it before you go, take it with you and you will have a thoroughly interesting visit.

Jack

[Clive Harris]

Simon,

there is an excellent walk starting at Anneux Cemetery and ending in Bourlon Village, its not circular but well worth a few hours of your time. From the cmetery walk east towards Cambrai (there are very wide verges) your access to the wood is the 2nd entrance on the left (open barrier/gate) it is almost opposite the side road to Anneux.

You have just followed roughly the Horseback Recce by Boy Bradford and his staff prior to the 40th Div Attack, It is a steady climb up into the wood but soon shell holes and trenches become visilble.

Stay on the main track, ruins of an old piggery are on your left, after a km or so you are walking on the pre war railway embankment and heading north, there is a large German command bunker in the undergrowth on your left, this links up with a series of three smaller bunkers on the western woodline.

The wood remans undulating, you are in the area of George Clares VC (Cambrai Memorial) and before long you are at the back of the Canadian Memorial for thier 1918 action in the wood. Exit via the side gate to the east (not down the main flight of stairs) and you drop down into the wood again. In the trees to your right is a huge German bunker on two stories (invisible during Summer months). After visiting this head North along the track again retracing your steps and you reach the Resistance memorial, turn right to the CWGC (nearly all Canadians from 1918 with the exception of some Chinese Labour Corps lads and some 47th (London) Div lads from 1917) turn left out of the cemetery and you come out into the village.

As well as the Battleground Europe Books I would recommend taking the 40th Div History great maps and accounts, the 47th Div History for the later stages of the 1917 battle and the Guards Div History who are brought in to support and link up with the Bantams.

Hope this is of some help.... ps if you are a footie fan make sure you visit Lt Fred Wheatcroft in the East Surreys, he played for Fulham and was capped as an England Amatuer prewar, he is in Anneux CWGC

enjoy - Clive

[Guest Simon Bull]

Thanks to all who replied. I am a bit short of time this evening, but will print this out and digest it carefully.

[Graham-McAdam]

Simon - Agree about the Horsfall book. Ph Gorczynski took him walking through the woods and nobody knows the area better than him.

[Guest Simon Bull]

Thanks Graham. I know just how knowledgeable Phillipe is, so I am sure the book will be good.