Just like the region close to Ypres, there are lots of cemeteries, time and again down small, muddy roads. My 1st planned destination was the Hawthorn Crater. It was one of the mines which was detonated beneath the German lines at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in 1916. The detonation was recorded on film and is nearly always shown in documentaries about the Battle of the Somme. After driving around the area for a little bit, I found the Newfoundland Park Memorial & Visitors Centre and stopped to have a look.
It was a portion of the British and Canadian Trenches on 1st July 1916 when the Battle of the Somme began. A number of the trenches are very well maintained and looking out from the Caribou Monument, you're able to get a pretty good understanding of the terrain as well as the direction of attack. It is also frighteningly obvious the distance the troopers were expected to advance over open ground facing of cannon 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. Every 1st July, a major ceremony is held here to honour the dead. The memorial can be seen from quite a distance and addititionally there is an appealing visitors centre with information regarding 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.
It was a portion of the British and Canadian Trenches on 1st July 1916 when the Battle of the Somme began. A number of the trenches are very well maintained and looking out from the Caribou Monument, you're able to get a pretty good understanding of the terrain as well as the direction of attack. It is also frighteningly obvious the distance the troopers were expected to advance over open ground facing of cannon 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. Every 1st July, a major ceremony is held here to honour the dead. The memorial can be seen from quite a distance and addititionally there is an appealing visitors centre with information regarding 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 well known as the place where some of the bloodiest fighting of World War I took place. Today, there are many cemeteries and memorials like Thiepval Memorial commemorating those who died here.. Unique version for reprint here: A Full Day In The Area Close to The Somme.