Hi Kavmick,
When my husband and i went last year, we went to a small town called Albert, there was a small museum that was dedicated to the first world war, it was extreamly poignant, when you came out the other side you entered a very lovely garden, so much in contrast to the horrors of war.
you are also not far from Thiepval and the other local war graves.
I personally found that they stirred so many different emotions it was diffecult to remain compossed, they are so peaceful, upsetting, anger insticating, I found them compelling and they made me feel that everyone should have to visit them, especially Thiepval.
They are visited by all nations, which in itself can stir some very strange emotions.
jayne.

You might appreciate reading some of Wilfred Owen's War Poems before you go to help you set the scene. It will be a very moving visit, but well worth it. All good wishes.

hope you enjoyed your trip kavmick
i was too late to respond to your request
i do guide trips to the ww1 sites and if any body would like more history and sites to visit i will be happy to assist
derek

Hi

We are hoping to visit Ypres - The Menin Gate next Saturday evening but husband is concerned about parking difficulties. Does anybody know how Ypres stands over this?

Regards

Craine

hi to you craine...we were there last year and from what i can remember there is no place to park at the gate it self but just down the road there was plenty of room to park and i think it was free ....regards..john-doe

It can be an emotional roller coaster to visit military cemeteries in France and Belgium, but well worth while to pay our respects to the fallen.

My brother has done a lot of genealogical research into our family and found relatives we never knew existed. Armed with information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, which can locate cemeteries, maps and even grave or memorial numbers, last May my wife and I went visiting three of them whilst staying in Guines near Calais with Keycamps.

They were at the Arras War Memorial in France, Quarry Cemetery, Montauban, France - The Somme, and the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium - Ypres. Only one had a grave, at the Quarry Cemetery, but it is least a beautiful and quiet place to rest in peace unlike the other two poor souls whose graves are unknown.

In an email to my brother, I wrote in respect of the Tyne Cot Memorial - "Another much fought over landscape with many other military cemeteries nearby. Surprising number of visitors when we visited 2nd May 2006. We there met a retired regular soldier, but not of this war, who was researching his regiment and his lost relatives. Speaking about the missing like our Ernest, he had been able to superimpose plans of the trenches over the modern map, and had located a spot in a field where he thought his grandfather might lie. The farmer asked him what he was doing and when it was explained went and picked some poppies, laid them on the spot, removed his cap and prayed silently for a few moments. "You see these fine crops," said he, "These are your grandfather's legacy."

These three were all from my paternal grandmother's side of the family, from which in total we lost five. Another one was killed on HMS Queen Mary at the Battle of Jutland, and yet another went down with Lord Kitchener on HMS Hampshire.

In recent years we have taken to holidaying in Normandy, and have visited a number of the Battle of Normandy Cemeteries. These really hit home with me because I was born in 1944 and have seen a number of graves for those who fell the day I was born.

If you can retain a dry eye whilst visiting any of these Military Cemeteries, be they Commonwealth, United States, or even German, you are a made of sterner stuff than I am Gunga Din!

Peter

We have visited the trenches and many cemeteries as well as museums, when my son was 12 it made him cry, he is now a Lance Corporal in REME and has served in Kosovo and Iraq twice he is only 22. My Dad was a regular soldier and my FIL enlisted but even with no family involved it is very moving, I suggest anyone should visit if they have the opportunity

I agree with the previous postings!

We visited Courcellete in 2002 after locating the graveof my husbands great great uncle. The starkness and the shock of seeing so many graves dedicated to so many young men touched us all and next weekend we are taking our middle two daughters who are aged 12 & 10.

Courcellette is not far from Albert, and hopefully we will be able to spend time in the town, this time around after making do with a quick coffee last time.

We are travelling down from Bolton - about 5 1/2 hours drive to Dover ( inc loo stops ) if we are lucky, ferry crossing to Calais, two nights in the Du Beffroi in Gravelines then back home after a £15 night in a Travelodge off the M25.

In addition, we are hoping to make in to Ypres to hear the last post at the Menin Gate on Saturday.

Any tips or words of advice would be most welcome.

Regards

Craine

Full index of cemeteries etc in Northern France:

http://www.silentcities.co.uk/mainindex.htm

Recommendation for a B&B:

http://www.avrilwilliams.com

General links with more information which will enable you to get more from the visit:

http://www.westernfrontassociation.com

http://www.fylde.demon.co.uk/welcome.htm#CONTENTS

http://www.1914-1918.net/index.html

Just like to mention that about 9 years ago while on holiday at Valery sur Somme we visited the Commonwealth Cemetary at Etaples not far from Boulougne. This has stuck very firmly in my memory since then. It is set on a hill side overlooking the channel and when you first walk into it from the entrance none of the graves are visible but my word when they come into view it is the most heart wrenching site I have ever seen. Walking round it really made you stop and think what a massive sacrifice was made so that my generation can live how we do today even my two sons who were only 9 and 7 at the time were awestuck. There was such a feeling of peace and calm that I remeber we even spoke to each other in whispers. Also if we approached a particular part where the graves were being maintained the workers just seemed to disappear into the background until you had passed. It was the most amazing place I have ever been to.

The same day after leaving Etaples we were just riding around and ended up this single track road I have no idea where it was there were no houses or anything near by so everything was pretty wild. At the side of the roadwas a walled enclosure so we stopped to see what it was and there was the tiniest War Graveyard there were about 6 graves in all but in contrast the the wildness we were in the grass inside the Walls was like green velvet and it was unbelievable how it was looked after.

Like I said after 9 years I can still remember both these War Grave sites and I doubt I will never forget thm either.

hi ..robby ..my wife and i understand how you felt we were the same,....mankind as still not learned the lesson yet ,...what a shear waste .....regards..........john-doe..

I have done the following in Belgium:

Last Post under the Menin Gate, moved beyond tears.
Museum in the cloth hall, exhibition on mustard gas effects is very moving. At the end you have a choice of going into the last exhibition or going straight to the shop. WARNING, the last exhibition is VERY graphic.
Tyne Cot Cemetary, 12000 graves. Moved me beyond tears.
Hill 62 trench museum is really interesting, the boxes in the room before you go outside contain pictures, some are very graphic. The trenches are authentic and are maintained. The other trench musuem which i think is called Hill 60 has modern replicas of trenches and I've heard is not as good as Hill 62. Not been to Hill 60 so don't know for sure.
The german cemetary at Langemark moved me beyond tears. There is what appears at first to be a large flowerbed in the middle but is infact a mass grave.
There's also a memorial at the corner where the first gas attack was. If I remember right it's called Hellfire Corner.
I've also been to other places which have significance to the organisation TocH.