SOMME - PERSONAL JOURNAL

Friday.

Be at Hopehill by 7.30am as the coach must leave at 8am, the last e-mail
I received had said. It's now 7.45. The Leaders mobile starts ringing, he
walks in to the outer car park which has been left empty ready for the
coach. He returns to the group of Explorers, Leaders and parents waiting
in the inner car park.

"That was the coach driver, some ones let a dog loose on the Dartford
Bridge, and the coach is still on the M25!" he tells us.

Eventually the coach arrives and we quickly load all our luggage and then
set off for the M20 and the Channel Tunnel. Making good time on the journey
down we have time at the Shuttle terminal to make use of the facilities and
visit the shops.

Returning to the coach we head for our shuttle only to be told it's got a
technical fault, manoeuvring the coach we board another shuttle and we're off.
Arriving in Calais, a text tells us we are now in France. The driver makes her
way onto the Auto Route and we head for Belgium, crossing the border another
text confirms we have entered Belgium.

Eventually we reach the largest Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at Tyne
Cot. After Network have laid a wreath there is the chance to look around the
Cemetery, looking at all the graves, brings back memories for this author of the
trip to Normandy in 2006. Again the sight of graves with no name and the number
of names on the remembrance wall of those who are missing from the war with
no known grave provides a stark and thought provoking reminder.

Leaving Tyne Cot we make our way back to the Auto Route and head back to
France and Sanctuary Wood, Hill 62. Due to the recent wet weather the trenches
at Hill 62 are muddy but one assumes that is nothing to how they were between
1914 & 1918. Fortunately none of our party has the same 'brilliant' idea of
another school girl who thinks it is a clever idea to wade into a flooded bomb
hole up to her waist.

From Hill 62 we depart for Hill 60 as we arrive the rain ceases enough for even
the faint hearted to shun the comfort of the coach and climb to the top of the hill
so see the memorial. We return to the coach and continue to our Hostel near
Cambrai. After Dinner we travel in to Cambrai for a relaxing beverage.

Saturday.

After breakfast we travel to the town of Peronne for a visit to the town's
museum. Arriving ahead of schedule we leave our bags and coats in a room
within the walls of the old castle behind which the museum has been built.
Looking at the various uniforms laid out in the floor of the museum memories of
Mr Thompson's history lessons, when he told us of how the French started off
wearing Blue uniforms, come flooding back. After having had a look round we
are able to collect out coats and with time to spare we head off to have a look
around the town.

Walking through the market it turns out that others from our party have found
the patisserie shop. Having proceeded to make a purchase they then congregate
outside enjoying their purchases. Your author spying a Haribo banner purchases
EUR8 worth of various French sweets and as predicted they are all eaten by the
end of the first day back in the office!

Returning to the museum before the rain returns, lunch is taken and then it's
back to the coach for the afternoons guided tour. Our guide Sylvester joins us
and we head for Fricourt which is a German cemetery. Other than the starkness
of the black crosses the first thing that jumps out at your author is the presence
of some head stones featuring the Star of David. Thinking how odd that is,
realisation sets in that it's not that odd, as this cemetery was created before the
Austrian painter came to power.

Back on the coach we head for La Boiselle and the Lochnagar crater. The sheer
size of this crater is what strikes you most along with the thought that it was
actually bigger but has reduced in size over the ninety or so years since it was
created.

Next stop on our tour is the Theipval memorial. Having seen it standing out on the
horizon as you approach, one finds themself even more awe struck when you
actually get up to the memorial. Looking at 72,000 or so names on it, all of which
are still missing with no known grave makes one realise the total futility and
waste of human life that was trench warfare of World War I. Amazingly out of all
this names your author manages to find one of the 1,000 or so names which
have been removed from the memorial as their body has since been found.

Our final stop on the tour is the Canadian memorial park at Beaumont-Hamel.
Being technically Canadian land the number of countries visited can now be
claimed as three. Walking through the preserved trenches one begins to get an
appreciation of what it meant to have stuck you head up to see into man's land.

Reaching the trench which was the front line for the Newfoundlanders and being
told that it took 5 months to reach the German frontline which is now the
Cemetery not that far away is astonishing. Yet this is nothing compared to the
explanation when you move about 100 yards further on, that of the 760 odd men
who went over the top on day one. Come roll call on day two at this point
only 68 were left. It leaves you asking only one question, why?

Returning our guide to the museum in Peronne we head back to the hostel to find
that the parents of the French scouts have dropped them of early.

An enjoyable night is then spent watching our Explorers and the French Scouts
interacting and using music as a universal language. This follows a game of
asking the others to say a tongue twister in your language. The French did quite
well with Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry etc. Finally an hour later than scheduled the
French parents arrived, not than anyone was complaining. All in all it is believed
everyone had a good time.

Sunday.

After breakfast we head for Arras and visit the Wellington caves. Originally
build by the mining of stone for buildings, like churches they were then expanded
during World War I by New Zealand miners. It was an amazing feat and hard to
comprehend from the small section visited as was the idea that 24,000 men had
lived in them during the war.

Having returned to our Hostel we have dinner and then load our baggage on the
coach and depart the Hostel for the last time. Our destination is Vimy Ridge
and then the highlight of the weekend the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate
near Ipres.

Reaching Vimy Ridge you find yourself again awestruck by the scale of the
memorial. Vimy Ridge is again technically part of Canada and is on the site of the
first battle where all three Canadian Divisions fought together. Having spent what
turns out to be longer than planned taking in the sheer size of the memorial we
make our way down to an area of preserved trench. Passing as we do more land
like that at Beaumont-Hamel which still shows the signs of the bombing during
WWI and is fenced off with electric fences as there are still unexploded
ammunition and soldiers bodies under the ground. Having looked at the
preserved trenches we board the coach for the journey back towards Ipres
(Ypres or Wipers as the British Tommy in WWI called it) for the ceremony at the
Menin Gate.

Arriving near the Menin Gate the decision is made that we can keep our coats on
for now. We walk back through the town to the gate and spend time studying the
records for names that may be linked to our families and again try to
comprehend the number of names all of whom have no known grave.

We meet up again in advance of the Last post ceremony which has occurred
every night since 1920, except for WWII. After our Leader has spoken to
organiser of the ceremony we are asked to form the guard of honour on the
inside of the barriers. Once the road under the gate is closed to traffic our two
colour parties form up opposite the buglers of the local Fire Brigade. Behind our
flags are Scouts from Warwickshire. But unlike out honour guard who all look
smart in their Uniforms, they keep their coats on.

After the last post a member of the RAF gives a reading and then as a bagpipe is
played the wreaths are laid. Your author must admit to being moved as our
wreath is laid.

After the ceremony we grab our coats and endeavour to move with speed back
to our coach. As soon as we are on the coach the drive against the clock is on to
reach the Shuttle in time. We manage to make it and eventually return to Hopehill
at eleven pm.

Your author for one found the trip emotional, enlightening and enjoyable. I have to
say that I was grateful for the opportunity and glad that I took it up.

PJR 18/11/09