Early in October, I was lucky enough to be included in the second batch of teachers and students to take part in the WW1 Centenary Project, which is aiming to provide the opportuntiy for two students from every Secondary school in the country to visit the battlefields of the First World War. I've been meaning to update but haven't got round to it yet, but I thought i'd share a few of the pictures to give you a flavour of what it was like.
This is us at Vimy Ridge - see me somewhere on the right...
Vimy Ridge is on the site of an important German stronghold in the war which dominated the surrounding area, and which was successfully captured in a textbook assault by the Canadians, working together as an army rather than invidivually for the first time. The site has enormous importance for the Canadians, and today is the site of their memorial to the missing.
From Vimy, you can also get an excellent view of the 1915 Loos battlefield, which is still dominated by the twin 'crassiers' (slag heaps). My great-grandad started his war here, joining his unit the Royal Fusiliers shortly after their blooding in the battle.
Here we are at the Theipval memorial to the missing, which contains 70,000 names of British and Commonwealth soldiers who fell in this area but have no known grave.
I was drawn to this shaft of light that seemed to be shining on these names...
I paid a visit to a local man of mine - Herbert Nobbs of March, who is commemorated on my local war memorial. I stood opposite his name today during the ceremony.
Near Sheffield memorial park - part of the 'Iron Harvest' that is still being recovered from fields almost 100 years later.
Sheffield memorial park - the ditch near the fence is the former front line trench, from which the Pals battalions (who are commemorated here) advanced from on the 1st day of the Somme, and met with such terrible losses in their attempts to capture Serre.
View towards their objective - Serre, and the former site of No Man's Land.
Touching memorial to the 'Acrington Pals'
Shell crater behind Sheffield memorial park
Railway Hollow cemetery, behind Sheffield memorial park. A beautiful little site - so called because of the narrow gauge railway that ran up to the former British front lines.
I find the inscriptions on many of the graves especially moving.
Ulster Tower, Somme - site of the German stronghold 'the Schwaben redoubt', and one of the few successes on the 1st July 1916. Look closely in the field to the right of the tower, and you can see a thin chalky line in the field - this is the remains of the German front line.
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Tyne Cot cemetery, in the early morning mist. I've visited several times but i've never seen it look so striking.
This is us at Vimy Ridge - see me somewhere on the right...
Vimy Ridge is on the site of an important German stronghold in the war which dominated the surrounding area, and which was successfully captured in a textbook assault by the Canadians, working together as an army rather than invidivually for the first time. The site has enormous importance for the Canadians, and today is the site of their memorial to the missing.
From Vimy, you can also get an excellent view of the 1915 Loos battlefield, which is still dominated by the twin 'crassiers' (slag heaps). My great-grandad started his war here, joining his unit the Royal Fusiliers shortly after their blooding in the battle.
Here we are at the Theipval memorial to the missing, which contains 70,000 names of British and Commonwealth soldiers who fell in this area but have no known grave.
I was drawn to this shaft of light that seemed to be shining on these names...
I paid a visit to a local man of mine - Herbert Nobbs of March, who is commemorated on my local war memorial. I stood opposite his name today during the ceremony.
Near Sheffield memorial park - part of the 'Iron Harvest' that is still being recovered from fields almost 100 years later.
Sheffield memorial park - the ditch near the fence is the former front line trench, from which the Pals battalions (who are commemorated here) advanced from on the 1st day of the Somme, and met with such terrible losses in their attempts to capture Serre.
View towards their objective - Serre, and the former site of No Man's Land.
Touching memorial to the 'Acrington Pals'
Shell crater behind Sheffield memorial park
Railway Hollow cemetery, behind Sheffield memorial park. A beautiful little site - so called because of the narrow gauge railway that ran up to the former British front lines.
I find the inscriptions on many of the graves especially moving.
Ulster Tower, Somme - site of the German stronghold 'the Schwaben redoubt', and one of the few successes on the 1st July 1916. Look closely in the field to the right of the tower, and you can see a thin chalky line in the field - this is the remains of the German front line.
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