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Archive for the ‘News from the front’ Category
Historial de la Grande Guerre, Peronne – big advertising!
Just back from two days on the battlefields of Arras and the Somme – a top class trip. I thought it worth noting that I saw this new sign going up yesterday on the Pozieres-Thiepval road. As you come from Pozieres you will see a huge white barn on the left hand side – it is about 100 yards after the ‘Mouquet Farm 1km to go’ – the new banner is on the side of this barn. If you are coming from Thiepval, well, you won’t miss it…
Sign for the Historial de la Grande Guerre on the Pozieres-Thiepval road
I was at the Historial yesterday and am always impressed with the place. The Gas! Gas! Gas! Chemical Warfare exhibition is well worth a look and was very well done (it ends on 14 November). Let’s hope that the sign encourages some battlefield visitors to visit Peronne. I understand Thiepval Visitor Centre and the memorial gets about 150,000 visitors per annum and the Historial just over half of that. Those tens of thousands don’t know what they are missing – the museum really is top class and is only a hop and a skip from the British 1916 battle areas.
Click HERE for the Historial’s website.
Whilst away for three weeks on the recent Somme archaeological dig I managed to get as many bike rides in as possible. I always try and take my road bike when I am in France for any length of time as it is such a great country to cycle in with the average Frenchman having a real respect for cyclists. Coupled with the huge open spaces, sparse population and traffic free roads, it is a cyclist paradise. On occasions I would squeeze in a quick 20 mile ride after a day on site – these rides were mainly a circle around the Peronne area. However, when time permitted I would drive up to the main British 1916 battlefield with the bike in the boot and set off from there. It would be a busy day if I saw a dozen cars per ride – the roads were delightfully quiet.
Proof that I did indeed cycle around the Somme - my bike at the Newfoundlanders Caribou Memorial at Gueudecourt
But what has any of this to do with ‘News from the Front’? Well, for one thing, I would recommend cycling the area for all the reasons outlined above but also for a real appreciation of the lie of the land. As much as I huffed and puffed up some inclines, my constant thought was that any difficulties I endured were nothing compared to those faced by the average British infantryman in 1916, weighed down with equipment on his back, buy alprazolam online overnight rifle, grenades and faced with German artillery, MG and rifle fire. The relative slow speed of cycling enables one to spot features easily missed in a car and get a greater understanding of the battlefield.
To illustrate this, whilst travelling between Ginchy and Morval I came across the following sign regarding ten new wind turbines or ‘aérogénérateurs’ in the area – a brief translation shows that they are planned for the Flers, Ginchy, Lesboeufs, Gueudecourt locality and the cut-off for public consultation is 14 June.
Public Notice on the road between Ginchy and Morval concerning ten new wind turbines
These will cover much of the ground fought over in the Battle of Morval (25-28 September 1916). This area of the battlefield is rarely visited, especially compared to the 1 July line. I won’t comment on whether these ‘aérogénérateurs’are a good thing or not (the jury is still out on wind-power) but am pretty sure that they will get the go-ahead as there are so many of these in this part of France. They will alter the old battlefield but at least may focus some minds on this area. One can only hope that appropriate archaeological procedures are followed when the foundations are dug. I cannot imagine that earthworks on the scale required for these turbines will not disturb numerous Great War related features, perhaps also bodies of the fallen.
Area of proposed wind turbines. Image courtesy of Google Maps.
Aubers Ridge Commemorations – 9 May 2010
Along with Peter Barton, Tony Pollard & Iain Banks (GUARD) & Gary Andrews I again attended the Aubers Ridge 9 May commemorations at the Australian Memorial Park at Fromelles. The battle in May 1915 (ninety-five years to the day) was an unmitigated disaster for the British Army – losses were particularly heavy in the 8th Division. I went last year for the first service of commemoration and was delighted to see that the turnout was similar. It was organised by the wonderful Victoria Burbidge who does so much to ensure that British endeavours over that blood-soaked piece of land are remembered with the same vigour as are the actions of their Australian counterparts a year later.
Dr Tony Pollard, Johan Vandewalle, Dr Iain Banks, Peter Barton & Jeremy Banning
The service was simple but dignified and I would commend it to anyone as a very good example of heartfelt remembrance. I was honoured to lay a wreath on behalf of the ‘Breathing Fire’ documentary crew. It was good to see a few friends there, especially Johan Vandewalle who had driven down from Polygon Wood. We had to miss the reception afterwards as had meetings lined up in Peronne but I congratulate all who worked so tirelessly to make this event such a success.
Some pictures of the day are attached.
With Johan Vandewalle - the numerous wreaths are laid behind
Close up on some of the wreaths
Cobbers Memorial, Australian Memorial Park, Fromelles
Chatting after the ceremony. Victoria Burbidge speaking with some of those who attended.
It was reported in November 2009 that the bodies of fifteen men from the York and Lancaster Regiment were found in the French village of Beaucamps-Ligny. It seems likely that these men (from the 2nd Battalion) were killed in the fighting of 18 October 1914 and their bodies lay undisturbed until found by workmen working on a building site. Apparently their regiment has been determined from surviving buttons.
There are two things about this discovery that I want to comment on. Firstly, I will be most interested to see what decision is made about using DNA samples to try and identify these bodies. The decision to excavate the mass grave at Pheasant Wood, Fromelles and use DNA in the aim of establishing identities for the remains now means that a precedent has been set. It would be unthinkable that DNA testing be carried out on the Pheasant Wood remains but denied to the bodies of the York & Lancs men found at Beaucamps-Ligny. After all, only it is less than three miles between Fromelles and Beaucamps-Ligny. I would be amazed if the CWGC refused DNA testing for these remains, especially considering the high probability of successful identification. These fifteen remains amount to nearly half of the known ‘missing’ of that Battalion when in that area. Pitting this against the Pheasant Wood mass grave where the chance of successful identification is much less, there is simply no way that the CWGC can refuse DNA techniques. It certainly means that a real can of worms is now open. Fromelles was always going to be a test case – having announced that the usual “decisions regarding investigation or attribution of identity are a matter for the relevant service authority – in this case the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence and their Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre” it will be fascinating to see the long-term CWGC response for this and other cases.
Secondly, I know I was not alone in being disgusted at photographs published in the French newspapers of the remains being excavated. A group of Frenchmen surrounded a hole in the ground. Another colleague was digging into the skeletal remains. I should think a few archaeologists shuddered when they saw that photo. It is simply unbelievable that the remains of fifteen men can be removed in such a way. The whole process should have been done archaeologically – in a systematic and dignified way as opposed to the (frankly awful) mess as seen on the photos. Even a the most casual viewer of television programmes such as ‘Time Team’ & ‘CSI’ would know that bodies are removed delicately, layer after layer – most definitely not by having a workman’s spade dug straight into a mass of bones. The pictures show a shameful scene – at the graveside is Martial Delebarre – curator of the Fromelles Museum and member of the Association Souvenir de la Bataille de Fromelles. It is simply beyond belief that someone with his knowledge and position in local matters can stand idly by and watch this amateurish excavation without thinking to halt it and call in professional archaeologists.
It is about time that standardised and proper archaeological practices surrounding the finding of human remains on the old battlefields are brought in so we do have to witness a mess like this again. I know I am not alone in this opinion. Surely this is the least these men deserve?
CWGC climate change trials
Back in early December I spent a long day on a research jaunt to Ypres with friends and colleagues Peter Barton and Nigel Steel. We had a number of stops planned but still had time to stop in at Railway Chateau Cemetery to witness first-hand the experimental work carried out there. This work, in the words of the CWGC meant the “cemetery has completed its transformation: geotextile and a dolomite limestone surface have been laid and borders planted.” What this means is that the grass has been removed and a part-gravel, part hardcore put in its place. I noticed that the surface has been rollered with no care at all and it was easy to see and feel underfoot the rise and fall of the ground where the aggregate has been pushed. The plants looked in a sorry state and the whole place has the air of desolation about it. The worst bit was that the surface is a compromise – it was neither pea shingle or hard standing. So, the surface moves under your feet and it is easy to kick divots out of it (as happened when Nigel nearly tripped over).
The CWGC visitors’ book was terrifyingly like reading the Daily Mail but, for once, I agreed with the sentiments written. They have made a beautiful cemetery look a right mess. One can only hope that they regard this purely as an experiment. CWGC info on the project is available here.