After a slow start we drove 330 kms across France to the Valley of the Somme and the town of Corbie , to stay in a van park for two nights.
The following day we visited
Villiers -Bretonneux war memorial, a war cemetery for the Australians who died at the Somme.
and the John Monash centre which was really informative and some of the interactive areas were quiet confronting but extremely well done.
After a brief look at the town of Villiers – Bretonneux which other than the Marie and the church didn’t have much in it, we bought a Baguette and ate lunch in the van.
Next, we drove to Pozieres British war memorial
and then La Boisselle to the Lochagar crater. It was created at the start of the battle of the somme July 1 1916 it was formed as a diversion tattic to distract the Germans but the subsequent attack was unsuccessful and it took another five months to force the Germans back. The crater is biggest man made crater and ejected the earth 400 m into the air when the blast occurred.
Then we drove to Beaumont-Hamel to see the German and English trenches, the actual trenches preserved for the last 110 years.
The Newfoundland Memorial (canadian) is there where the Caribou on top points to the direction the Newfoundlanders were fighting.
This memorial is in remembrance of Le Translay Oct 1916.
In the middle of no mans land sits the Dangar tree thus named for its exposed position.
July 1 in the battle of the Somme was the worst day of fighting with 60,000 from 100,000 lost to injury or death(20,000). Such a waste of life.
Back to Corbie van park.
The red poppy often seen growing wild by the road and beautiful countryside.
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