Some pictures from my trip to France

[TheIndifferent1]

I just got back from a battlefield tour of France and Belgium this week. Took some pictures that I thought you all might appreciate. I saw many very emotionally moving sites, in particular the ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres, and the Canadian cemetery for Dieppe.

I'm linking these to facebook, so I hope they load ok. First set is going to be from the Passchendaele museum. Very cool place, which includes a multi-story reproduction of a British dugout. Had some very interesting firearms.

French cavalry with a carbine

Sawback bayonet

gas masks

Ross with what appears to be an uncut bayonet?

Lee Enfield cut down into a pistol

Mauser carbine - at first I thought it was a K98, but the receiver was stamped 1918. What is it called?

 

[louthepou]

That Lee Enfield pistol... poor wrist, ouch!

 

[Gibbs505]

Neat pic's, thanks!

 

[TheIndifferent1]

A few more.

Thiepval memorial. Contains names of 72 000 with no known grave.

Gives a sense of scale

One of the roads used during the Somme. Sugar factory is in the distant background. The sign marks the front line for 1 September 1916.

Adanac cemetery

Beaumont-Hamel

Abbey at Mt St. Eloi

Looking from the Abbey down into the Canadian rear area. Artillery batteries were located here, with light rail lines to feet them shells.

Vimy Ridge in the background

German military cemetery at Neuville St. Vaast. 44 000 buried here. Four names per headstone

French cemetery - can't remember the name at the moment. 2 names per headstone

3 Canadian Division area of Vimy Ridge

Vimy memorial

I'll post more later if there is interest

 

[r.fallon]

Mauser in the Picture

The mauser is a K98AZ calvery carbine, I have one but has been "bubbuded"

 

[Claven2]

Yep, K98AZ carbine.

The pic of the French cavalryman isn't accurate IMHO. He looks to be equipped with a Mle1916 carbine, but the French Cavalry had been dismounted by 1915, and they were certainly NOT wearing the Pantalon Rouge by 1916 when that carbine was invented and issued.

 

[Sigismund]

Great pictures, thanks for sharing!

It's interesting to see the differnt way the Allies and the Germans build their cemetaries. Completely different mood to them.

 

[TheIndifferent1]

Great pictures, thanks for sharing!

It's interesting to see the differnt way the Allies and the Germans build their cemetaries. Completely different mood to them.

For sure. The American one at Omaha is another story altogether - very ornate and absolutely massive. I'll put some pictures up once I upload them i took about 630 pics during the week.

 

[steve1973]

Great pics! Thanks for sharing. I'll never forget my trip to Normandy, fantastic.....

 

[TheIndifferent1]

Great pics! Thanks for sharing. I'll never forget my trip to Normandy, fantastic.....

We did the Somme, Ypres/Passchendaele, Vimy, Dieppe, Normandy and Falaise Was quite an experience, but very draining both physically and emotionally.

 

[vstar650ca]

Enfield pistol.One of those"Well it seemed like a good idea" said to the Medic

 

[tbhupe]

Great pictures. Someday I am going to do that tour. Some day...

 

[tjsudbury]

Great pictures! I will be in France in early april and plan to visit some of the battlefields, particularly Aras, where my grandfather was wounded in august of 1918,and Passchendaele. The hilltop he was wounded on is about 10 miles from the Vimy memorial.

 

[TheIndifferent1]

We spent our first night in Arras - beautiful city, particularly the Grande Place.

Enjoy yourself! If you really want to prepare yourself, read at the very least the applicable portions of the official history. We did a ton of prep work for this trip (lots of reading) which made it all the more worthwhile.

 

[steve1973]

We did the Somme, Ypres/Passchendaele, Vimy, Dieppe, Normandy and Falaise Was quite an experience, but very draining both physically and emotionally.

Ahh, you guys did it right. I really had only one day so I really just saw the beaches, Pointe Du Hoc and Caen. I would have liked to go along the Falaise highway as a Great uncle of mine was mortally wounded there in the Totalize push but I didn't have enough time, next time.....

 

[Sigismund]

I've spent a great deal of time when I was younger in Caen, Normandy and that general area. You can't go a mile without stopping atleast ten times.

I would like to visit some of the Italian battlefields, as they are sometimes forgotten, as D-day overshadowed them.

 

[TheIndifferent1]

Here are some pictures from Ypres/Passchendaele

St. Martin's Cathedral, Ypres. Originally built in the 13th century, was rebuilt after WWI

Cloth Hall with a carnival out front

Cheap beer

One of the walls in the Menin Gate. My camera doesn't work great at night unfortunately, I wish I had a video of the ceremony.

St. Julian memorial

Tyne Cot cemetery

Passchendaele memorial

 

[TheIndifferent1]

Dieppe

The Chateau

Memorial garden below the chateau

Anti-tank gun position in defilade along the retaining wall of the chateau

Beach in front of Dieppe

Commanding view of the beach from one of the machine gun emplacements

Beaches at Pourville - view from one of the bunkers

Beach level view. Note the cliffs that are on either side.

Beach at Puys. Those little reinforcements along the wall were the only shelter the Canadians had from the machine guns.

Canadian cemetery for Dieppe. Many of the epitaphs were very difficult to read - some saying "We miss you daddy"

 

[kjohn]

Great pictures. Thanks for sharing.

 

[John Sukey]

Gardens of stone.