For the previous days shenanigans see Nous Sommes Arrivés
Visiting The Memorials – Friday, 10th June 2016
With the weekend approaching, the number of visitors to the area was expected to increase. Weekend tourists, and coach parties, would make the relatively short trip from Britain. Knowing this, the plan for the day was to visit the large memorials while there were less people around.
Thiepval Memorial
The five of us, Hazel included, headed off to nearby Thiepval, less than 4 miles away from Pozières. Located near the site of the former Thiepval Chateau is the imposing Thiepval Memorial.
The full title is the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme. This betrays the purpose in that is it solely for those fallen who could not be found, or those who could not be identified. Encompassing the fallen from both the 1st Battle of the Somme in 1916, and the 2nd Battle of the Somme in 1918. The memorial commemorates over 72,000 British and South African dead. Although that number is staggering, it does not include all of the British Empire missing from the Somme battles. In the words of the CWGC “The dead of other Commonwealth countries, who died on the Somme and have no known graves, are commemorated on national memorials elsewhere.”
This was the largest of the many memorials designed by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. As we would experience several times during our short time in the area, the large physical size of the memorial means that it can be seen from several miles away.
To the west of the Thiepval Memorial, as the land begins to slope down towards the Ancre Valley, lies the Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery. Here lay 300 from France, and 300 from the British Empire. The majority of those who lay there are unidentified. “Inconnu” (in French) on the stone crosses, “Known Unto God” on the Commonwealth headstones.
“That the world may remember the common sacrifice of two and a half million dead, here have been laid side by side Soldiers of France and of the British Empire in eternal comradeship.”
Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery Cross of Sacrifice inscription
The Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery serves as a poignant example of the cultural difference between the two empires that were allied together against a common foe. The plain stone cross, with a simple metal plate, for the French graves was in contrast with the British carved headstone. The headstones were, where known, adorned with the cherished regimental crest. This regimental crest is rich in tradition and history, a badge of family to bind the British soldiers together. It seems as though, in French terms you belong to the French Army, in the British terms you belong to your regiment. Such is the contrast between the mass conscript army of the French Republic, fighting and dying in droves side by side with the British Army that is being forced, by necessity, to transition from a small professional force into a mass conscript army.
I am not sure what the girls were thinking as we left the Thiepval Memorial, were they aware beforehand of what it represented. My own initial thoughts were of how hard it is to imagine the scale of the tragedy that this portrayed by the memorial. The numbers are staggering, they were large then, and they are larger now as modern society has placed more value on individual peoples lives. It is difficult to imagine the thoughts, and feelings of those who survived. How did the families, and the survivors, managed to make sense of the loss of so many? I would ponder this many times during, and after, this trip.
Thiepval Village
The nearby Thiepval village, rebuilt after the war like so many villages, is just outside the memorial park entrance. Between the two is a museum that is cunningly located out of sight being located partially below ground. After the emotion experience of the memorial it was good to stroll around the grounds, and to admire the vintage cars that were part of a commemorative rally.
Connaught Cemetery
A short distance from Thiepval village is the Connaught Cemetery. From this small plot by the road to Hamel you can clearly see Thiepval village. The Connaught Cemetery is strongly associated with the brave exploits of the 36th (Ulster) Division on the fateful 1st of July 1916. Although not all of the men who reside there where from Irish Regiments, nor all were killed on that tragic day.
Ulster Tower
The vintage car rally had overtaken us by the time we had move onto the nearby Ulster Tower. The many cars, and a few coaches, forewarned us that the tower tea shop would be busy. With this popular watering hole already full of the British tourists we would need to find an alternative lunch location.
Auchonvillers
Across the River Ancre was our next destination, Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial. It was wise for us to grab some lunch first as the park is quite large. A small detour took us to lunch at a British run cafe, and bed and breakfast called “Ocean Villas“. The establishment was named after the bastardized pronunciation of “Auchonvillers” by the British soldiers. There is a wide variety of artifacts around the property, and some reproduction trenches in the field behind. The recent rains had left some of the trenches waterlogged. This added an authentic touch to the scene as it showed how quickly this land could turn into mud. We first grabbed lunch in the cafe, the fare was familiar as it was mainly aimed at British tourists. Not wanting to miss the chance to explore I then dragged the girls to the field at the rear of the buildings. The authenticity of these trenches was a little suspect, with plastic and modern corrugated iron sheets plainly in view, even so I stormed down the steps to investigate.
I gleefully stomped around the muddy trenches like a 5 year old, all the while lecturing the girls about details of the trenches, and trench warfare. They responded with a mixture of interest and bemusement. At this time they must have been aware of the predicament that they had got themselves into. I was in my element, and oblivious to their plight. Soon enough, I was eager to move on. Our next stop would be the nearby Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial.
To continue with the days saga see the next chapter see Our First Day On The Somme – Part 2.
Tim
9th June 2017
Links
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, abbreviated to CWGC (link) the organization responsible for the commemoration of 1.7 million British and Commonwealth people, in cemeteries and memorials at 23,000 locations in 154 countries.
The Somme 100 Commemorations (link).
Thiepval Memorial, the full title is the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme
Wikipedia (link).
Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery (CWGC link)
Thiepval Museum (link)
Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, Veteran Affairs Canada (link)
madein1966 