Paul Reed Posted 3 January , 2003 Share Posted 3 January , 2003 In their review of the year, local Somme newspaper Courier Picard reports that an all-party working committee is going to meet in May 2003 to decide once and for all whether a third Paris airport will be built on the Somme, and if so, exactly where. This is very different to what we were led to believe from WFA sources, who told us the whole thing had been sidelined. The tone of Courier Picard seemed to imply that this was far from the case. I know that quite a few of us keep an eye on the press over here - perhaps we can all be vigilant and keep everyone informed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 3 January , 2003 Share Posted 3 January , 2003 Paul you are quite right about vigilance in this respect. Whilst carrying out some research last summer for a comparative article about Vermandovillers and two Warwickshire villages threatened by a new "Heathrow", it became quite clear that, although Vermando had received a reprieve, there was still very much a possibility that the French proposal could still go ahead on the Somme. Terry Reeves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zijde26 Posted 4 January , 2003 Share Posted 4 January , 2003 French newspapers wrote that the 'Chaulnes airport' was over. Gilbert Deraedt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Carter. Posted 23 March , 2003 Share Posted 23 March , 2003 If you remove all the countries that made up the former U.S.S.R., France is the largest country in Europe. Surely there is enough room within its borders to build another airport without touching the Somme or any other part of the Western Front. I can see no reason whatsoever to disturb historical areas, and in the case of the Somme, British soldiers' resting places in such a large country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 23 March , 2003 Share Posted 23 March , 2003 Paul, British, French, German, Australian, Canadian, South African, Indian they all rest there and deserve to remain in peace. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 24 March , 2003 Share Posted 24 March , 2003 How on earth could Ian forget the New Zealanders who had a significant presence? What about the Chinese Labour Corps who played their part? How about the Newfoundlanders that we remember at the sign of the Caribou? Even then the list is not comprehensive and could go on and on. One only has to think of places like the Portuguese Cemetery at Neuve Chapelle to start extending the list of those who fought on the Western Front. They all deserve proper burial places and to be remembered and modern developments should take account of this wherever and whenever possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 24 March , 2003 Share Posted 24 March , 2003 Martin, Huge apologies for forgetting anyone - in trying to be inclusive to friend and foe that were, I missed some out. However I hope everyone understood the sentiment and gist of what I was trying to say. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somme1916 Posted 24 March , 2003 Share Posted 24 March , 2003 South of Paris, south west of Paris, east of Paris, south east of Paris, in the middle of Paris, for all I care but to the north West! MY GOD why does the French Gov. seem to have an need to *^ things up. Praying that it dies once and for all in May, Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 25 March , 2003 Share Posted 25 March , 2003 Ian, Yes, I think it's clear that your list was meant to represent full inclusiveness and I think Martin is being a tiny bit pedantic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Carter. Posted 25 March , 2003 Share Posted 25 March , 2003 I seem to have inadvertantly stirred up a hornets' nest. I should, and mean, that EVERY soldier of EVERY nation who lies on a battlefield, either in a known or unknown grave, is owed the chance to rest in peace because they all died in hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 26 March , 2003 Share Posted 26 March , 2003 Paul, I totally agree with your sentiment of Every Soldier, Every Country. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Hornby Posted 26 March , 2003 Share Posted 26 March , 2003 Gentlemen, With the current situation in the Gulf and the breakdown in European relations, could we not be faced with the sighting of the airport on the Battlefields! Just a thought Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Simon Bull Posted 26 March , 2003 Share Posted 26 March , 2003 Martin, Even if your logic is right I doubt that the present war will affect the siting of the airport, bearing in mind that the worst affected country would be Germany with the huge cemetery at Vermandovillers, and that Germany and France stood together against the present war. What are more likely to affect its siting are economic factors - the proposed site is in a place which will be very easily reached by many millions of Europeans (including those in the south of England) and it could (if ever built, which I sincerely hope not) be economically extremely successful. Leaving aside the threat to the battlefields it is a very logical place to put an airport - e.g. far more logical than the proposed new London airport at Cliffe. Simon Bull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 27 March , 2003 Share Posted 27 March , 2003 It would be great if you could keep us up to date with this airport development Paul. We most likely won't hear much about this in Australia as the newspapers previously reported this issue as being over. Regards Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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