Much like the region around Ypres, there are lots of cemeteries, normally along small, muddy roads. My first planned destination was the Hawthorn Crater. This is one of the mines that was detonated below the German lines at the outset of the Battle of the Somme in 1916. The explosion was captured on film and is frequently shown in documentaries about the Battle of the Somme. After driving around the area for a while, I found the Newfoundland Park Memorial & Visitors Centre and pulled over to have a look.
This was a portion of the British and Canadian Trenches on 1st July 1916 when the Battle of the Somme began. A few of the trenches are well maintained and from the Caribou Monument, you are able to get a really good idea of the landscape as well as the course of attack. It is also frighteningly evident how far the troopers were expected to move across open space in the face of artillery and machine guns.
At Newfoundland Park, I was given instructions that helped me to locate the Hawthorn Crater and as it happened I'd gone right by it. It wasn't long before I arrived back and found the access point via a pretty muddy field. Initially I was hesitant but decided it's all part of the experience. I got to the side of the crater but it was very over grown therefore I didn't venture too far and I was soon going to my next stop, Ulster Tower. This is a memorial to the Ulster Regiments who performed so well on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
Near by is the Thiepval Memorial that is the largest British War Memorial on earth. Each 1st July, a big ceremony is held here to honour the dead. The tower is visible from quite a distance and addititionally there is an interesting visitors centre with information about the battles fought here.
Some distance away is the South African Memorial at Delville Wood. It was dedicated to all South African battles, not only those in The First World War. As with all the memorials, Delville Wood is sacred ground but I found it in particular to be very serene and appropriate. I'm really not sure what made Delville Wood stand out to me but for me, there was really something rather distinctive about this place.
My final stop of the day was a short one at the place to the east of Amiens where the Red Baron was shot down. There isn't actually much to see apart from a tiny notice board by the side of the road. It is situated by a local factory with a notable chimney. The history of the Red Baron is one of the very first I was told about concerning The First World War so although there wasn't a lot to look at, it was something that I wanted to do. The Red Baron was a German air ace called Baron Manfred von Richthofen. In between 1916 - 1918, he shot down a total of 80 Allied planes and was ultimately shot down but ground fire from an Australian unit on 21 April 1918.
This was a portion of the British and Canadian Trenches on 1st July 1916 when the Battle of the Somme began. A few of the trenches are well maintained and from the Caribou Monument, you are able to get a really good idea of the landscape as well as the course of attack. It is also frighteningly evident how far the troopers were expected to move across open space in the face of artillery and machine guns.
At Newfoundland Park, I was given instructions that helped me to locate the Hawthorn Crater and as it happened I'd gone right by it. It wasn't long before I arrived back and found the access point via a pretty muddy field. Initially I was hesitant but decided it's all part of the experience. I got to the side of the crater but it was very over grown therefore I didn't venture too far and I was soon going to my next stop, Ulster Tower. This is a memorial to the Ulster Regiments who performed so well on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
Near by is the Thiepval Memorial that is the largest British War Memorial on earth. Each 1st July, a big ceremony is held here to honour the dead. The tower is visible from quite a distance and addititionally there is an interesting visitors centre with information about the battles fought here.
Some distance away is the South African Memorial at Delville Wood. It was dedicated to all South African battles, not only those in The First World War. As with all the memorials, Delville Wood is sacred ground but I found it in particular to be very serene and appropriate. I'm really not sure what made Delville Wood stand out to me but for me, there was really something rather distinctive about this place.
My final stop of the day was a short one at the place to the east of Amiens where the Red Baron was shot down. There isn't actually much to see apart from a tiny notice board by the side of the road. It is situated by a local factory with a notable chimney. The history of the Red Baron is one of the very first I was told about concerning The First World War so although there wasn't a lot to look at, it was something that I wanted to do. The Red Baron was a German air ace called Baron Manfred von Richthofen. In between 1916 - 1918, he shot down a total of 80 Allied planes and was ultimately shot down but ground fire from an Australian unit on 21 April 1918.
About the Author:
The Somme battlefields are widely recognised as the place where some of the bloodiest fighting of World War I occurred. Today, there are a number of cemeteries and memorials like Thiepval Memorial commemorating those who fell here.. Also published at A Day In The Region Around The Somme.
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