Visiting The Memorials Part 2 – Friday, 10th June 2016

This is the second part of the daily diary for Friday, June 10th 2016. In the first part we visited Thiepval, including the memorial and the village, Connaught Cemetery, and then lunch at Auchonvillers.  For the first part of this days saga see Our First Day On The Somme.

Our next stop would be Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial.

Beaumont-Hamel

The last stop of the busy day was a trip into Albe blah blah

Y Ravine

The last stop of the busy day was a trip into Albe blah blah

Highland Division

The last stop of the busy day was a trip into Albe blah blah

Hunters Cemetery

The last stop of the busy day was a trip into Albe blah blah

Hawthorn Ridge Cemetery No 2

The last stop of the busy day was a trip into Albe blah blah

Beaumont-Hamel

The last stop of the busy day was a trip into Albe blah blah

Albert

The last stop of the busy day was a trip into Albert, the nearby town. I had hoped to go to the Musée Somme 1916 under the church. Unfortunately, we were too late and it had already closed for the day. We took the opportunity to walk around and

Do they have Americans in stock ?

The Somme Trench Museum in Albert

Note this is a Second World War era howitzer

Very snazzy poppies in Albert

Basilica of Notre-Dame de Brebières, in Albert

The church was faithfully rebuilt after the war

Basilica of Notre-Dame de Brebières, in Albert. Complete with the statue of Mary and the infant Jesus.

The wooden wheels contrast with the rubber tyres of the WW2 era British gun at the right.

The 77mm was the main German field gun in the Great War

The circular metal piece is a detachable turntable

Observations

After a day of driving, and walking, around some the battlefields of 1916 I was began to see a previously unappreciated feature of the Somme countryside. This is especially so when compared to the English countryside, and even to that of the land to the south, or that seen many times to the south west in Normandy. The land above the River Somme consists of gentle rolling hills, interspersed with woods and villages. The chalky landscape meant excellent farmland for arable crops. There was little need for hedgerows, or extensive fencing, to restrain livestock. The line of sight from almost any vantage point allowed for a excellent field of view of the surrounding countryside. This made wonderful terrain for tanks, or defending German machine guns.

The next day we would head towards Longueval, and Delville Wood. For the next day see We Venture East.

Tim

7th 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)