Today we
drove north. We had no plans apart
from our final destination in Calais, where we have to board the Eurostar train
tomorrow. David did a little
internet research and wanted to enquire about the Canadian Memorial so we asked
the desk clerk to phone ahead for us.
We drove north to Arras.
What a beautiful town! (picture below) Found a place for lunch and looked around the town square. Next we drove to the memorial.
The
Canadian National Vimy Memorial is a memorial site in France dedicated to the memory of Canadian Expeditionary Force members killed during the First World War. It also serves as the place of commemoration for First World War
Canadian soldiers killed or presumed dead in France who have no known grave.
The monument is the centrepiece of a 100-hectare (250-acre) preserved
battlefield park that encompasses a portion of the grounds over which the Canadian Corps made their assault during the Battle of Vimy Ridge, a military engagement fought
as part of the Battle of Arras.
The
Battle of Vimy Ridge was the first occasion whereupon all four divisions of the
Canadian Expeditionary Force participated in a battle as a cohesive formation,
and thus became a Canadian nationalistic symbol of achievement and sacrifice. France
ceded to Canada perpetual use of a portion of land on Vimy Ridge under the
understanding that the Canadians use the land to establish a battlefield park
and memorial. Wartime tunnels, trenches, craters and unexploded
munitions still honeycomb the grounds of the site, which remains largely closed
off for public safety. Along with preserved trench lines, there are a number of
other memorials and cemeteries contained within the site.
We did the
hour tour, which was free, and took us down into a trench. The tour guide gave a brilliant summary
and we learned a lot about what these men suffered.
Next, we
drove to Hazebrouck to the Le Kreule Cemetery.
La
Kreule Military Cemetery was opened in April 1918 by the 1st and 2nd Australian
Casualty Clearing Stations, which came back from Outtersteene ahead of the
German advance, and the 17th, which arrived from Lijssenthoek. These three
stations, known collectively as "Ana Jana Siding", were posted to the
north of La Kreule, but in the middle of April they withdrew to Blendecques,
near St. Omer, and the cemetery was then used by heavy artillery and fighting
units.
Our dear
Uncle Frank had told us about this cemetery and how our Grandma’s (Mary)
favourite uncle was buried there, killed in 1917. According to him, no-one from the family had ever visited
the grave and he had asked Joanne, my sister, to visit when she went
in about 1995. Big on family, was our Uncle Frank! I wanted to go
there, too. It has changed very
much in the almost 20 years since Joanne found her way out ‘into the middle of
nowhere with a Moroccan taxi driver who spoke no english’ – it is now a major
through-fare with a McDonald’s and Carrefour shopping centre right across the
road! Signed the visitor’s book,
which David M found for us.
Made our
way to Calais and settled in for the evening. Departing for England tomorrow. Sad to be leaving
L
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