The Somme

Sunday 1st April we went on a truly inspirational and moving visit to the huge area of the Battle of the Somme. We were shocked by the vast area of this one battle and the number of cemetery’s, museums, memorials and visitor sites for different regiments from allied countries around the world. We could spend all week in this area but in one day we managed to visit four sites…
1. Thiepval, Franco - British Memorial.
Its impressive architecture (Standing 45metres tall) is the work of the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. Its pillars bear the names of 73,367 British and South African soldiers who died between July 1915 & March 1918.
2. Newfoundlers’ Memorial - Beaumont-Hamel.
Commemorates all Newfoundlanders who fought in the first World War. An imposing site that provides a moving and realistic retrospective, due mainly to its extremely well preserved network of trenches.
3. Lochnagare Crater. (La Grande Mine) - La Boisselle.
Impressive blast hole (100m diameter & 30 metres deep), a vestige of the series of explosions on 1st July 1916 that marked the start of the Battle of the Somme by the British.
4. Mametz Wood - Mametz.
Small but very impressive stands the Red Welsh dragon gripping barbed wire to commerorate the 38th Welsh Division, who came over the top of the hill and at the second attempt took the Mametz Woods from the Germans. Heavy losses ensued over the 4 days of fighting from 7th until they were relieved on the 12th July 1916.

see our dedicated photo gallery here