VISIT TO THE SOMME

A roup of us are going across to France mid June, and are staying in or around Arras for 3 days. We intend visiting several of the WW1 sites etc. I know that several members on this site have been to this area before, so can anyone here recommend particular sites, places of interest etc which are worth a visit?

There is just so much to see it's difficult to know where to start but try......in a North to South order the main sites for the Somme Battle are


The cemeteries clustered around the village of Serres ( site of the demise of the Bradford Pals Battalions)
The "sunken lane" and the mine crater to the west of Beaumont Hammel
The Canadian Memorial & preserved battlefield between Auchonvilliers and Hamel
The Thiepval Monument to the "missing"
The museuum in Albert
The huge exploded mine crater just to the south of La Boisselle
High Wood Cemetery (the "Bois de Fopurcaux" on the D107)
The South African Memorial just to the East of Longueval, in the Bois Delville

If you want to see the point of furthest British advance, go to a monument 1km North East of Guedecourt on the D74e ( for reference the front line on 1st July roughly ran Gommecourt-Beaumont Hamel-Hamel-Thiepval-La Boisselle-Fricourt

For the Candaian battlefied travel north out of Arras on the N17 to the Canadaian Memorial at Vimy Ridge. Here there is a preserved battlefield and you can still walk through the underground tunnes theyconstructed to surprise the Bavarian forces and sweep them off the ridge. Of all the sites, this is the most impressive ( although of course all have their own sadness and poignancy).

You should note that just south of Arras around the village of Wailly, 1n the 2nd World War the RTR gave Rommel's 25th Panzer Regiment a bloody nose on his advance to Dunkirk and caused him to check his whole advance ( believing that the Brits were being attached by 5 UK Divisions). Not much to see there now unfortunately .



Ian
Istanbul

Top tip!

If you type SOMME into the search page you will get several threads

"If you type SOMME into the search page you will get several threads"

Doh! Why didn't I think of that before? Thank you both anyway.

Having visited many sites myself in the past - both First and Second World War - it is difficult to pinpoint specific sites. I have always gone with groups of like minded individuals searching out specific sites/battles that have particular meanings, such a famous regimental battles.

I think it helps to have a general plan (but not too rgid!) and take your time and explore as much as possible.

It also helps a great deal if you can read as much as possible about the sites beforehand, or have somebody in the group who can bring the site to life by adding snippets from regimental histories.

I could easily recommend places I have been but they may not appeal to you or your group. Wherever I have gone I have always enjoyed myself (if enjoyment is the right word at such sites) and I am sure you will not be dissapointed, no matter where you choose.

If you want me to be more specific then let me know.