WW1 Sites, places, must see and stops. Questions?

 
 
 
 
 
 
JJF
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WW1 Sites, places, must see and stops. Questions?

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Posted: 23.03.2019  ·  #1
Putting a sort of a loose plan together to go over and spend some time in and around Northern France/Belgium at the World WW1 sites and looking for advice.
I’ve been over once before long before we had a motorhome and visited Thiepval and some Somme sites.
Want to go back, need to revisit Thiepval and want to take in more of the history, particularly the Somme sites and places to see. Looking for advice and suggestions so that I can put a loose itinerary together and have some stops in mind. I know there are some ‘must see’ places and would like suggestions for other things to visit when in and around the area, maybe war museums , even the German cemeteries .... those lads were cannon fodder too and deserve our respect and remembrance also.
Don’t really want to be in any organised ‘tour’ or anything, rather visit on our own time and spend as long as we want there. We’ve no set timeframe, it will be part of a longer period abroad and would love to hear suggestions you may have.


jacktherev
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Re: WW1 Sites, places, must see and stops. Questions?

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Posted: 23.03.2019  ·  #2
You can overnight at Thiepval, also there’s an Aire in Ypres. Can stay at Tyncot in the car park as well. You will have no problem anywhere along the front line parking overnight of in Belgium.


petie
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Re: WW1 Sites, places, must see and stops. Questions?

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Posted: 23.03.2019  ·  #3
The island of Ireland peace park near Ypres is a must ,also La Cambe German military cemetery near Omaha beach Normandy is worth a visit although I think it may be a ww2 cemetery,As Jack already mentioned the aires/campsite in Ypres is handy to stay at for to visit Menin gate.


Betty Swollocks
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Re: WW1 Sites, places, must see and stops. Questions?

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Posted: 23.03.2019  ·  #4
The next village, south west of Thiepval is Authuille and in my opinion is well worth a visit.

I camped there on a motorcycle trip years ago and learned it's military cemetery has a little known secret.

It is the resting place of Willie McBride, as in the song "The Green Fields of France"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-30587515

As like many of us, I was well familiar with the powerful lyrics of the song and visiting his grave made them all the more powerful and real.

Locals pointed out a couple of bits of trivia.....
First, he wasn't 19, but in fact 21, although this didn't fit in with the rhyming of the song, so the songwriter knocked 2 years off his age.
Second, there is in fact a second Willie McBride buried in the same cemetery, but the song was written after a visit to the grave of the 21 year old from Armagh.


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Re: WW1 Sites, places, must see and stops. Questions?

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Posted: 23.03.2019  ·  #5
I’ve been 41 times to the Somme and Belgium both in the Motorhome and leading groups and one will have absolutely no difficulty finding overnight parking anywhere for a Motorhome either down at the SOMME or up in Belgium.


nilrac
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Re: WW1 Sites, places, must see and stops. Questions?

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Posted: 23.03.2019  ·  #6
Dont forget about Vimmy Ridge near Arras where the Canadian suffered heavy losses trying to capture a hill which would give advantage over the germans.


wolfie
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Re: WW1 Sites, places, must see and stops. Questions?

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Posted: 24.03.2019  ·  #7
The Lochnagar mine south of La Boisselle is worth a visit when you are in the area


jacktherev
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Re: WW1 Sites, places, must see and stops. Questions?

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Posted: 24.03.2019  ·  #8
Most definitely and also the Peace Pool near Ypres.


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Re: WW1 Sites, places, must see and stops. Questions?

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Posted: 24.03.2019  ·  #9
Thanks everyone...... lots of info and useful leads already from this thread I’ll make use of.
Keep them coming if you know anywhere else.


Europa
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Re: WW1 Sites, places, must see and stops. Questions?

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Posted: 25.03.2019  ·  #10
Musee Somme 1916 in Albert also worth a visit. Enjoy your trip.


nilrac
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Re: WW1 Sites, places, must see and stops. Questions?

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Posted: 25.03.2019  ·  #11
Help to understand the layout and the different countries from around the world even Portugal ,who took part in the war to protect the smaller nations of Europe from the dominance of Germany leading to World War 1 can be found at british expeditionary force world war1 on the wikipedia pages Might help to plan out tours or understanding for younger folk


JJF
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Re: WW1 Sites, places, must see and stops. Questions?

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Posted: 26.03.2019  ·  #12
Good page that Paddy, and indeed a useful resource for trip planning. Thanks.


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Re: WW1 Sites, places, must see and stops. Questions?

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Posted: 02.04.2019  ·  #13
Just had 4 nights in Arras. Didn’t stay on the aire but at the end of rue de la piscine by the canal. Much prettier and quieter. No services though, but you could go and use the ones at the aire. It is not far to walk into the town. And the free electric hop on hop off bus stops just on the main road which takes you into the main town. The connecting up free bus goes to the Citadelle, which we didn’t think worth doing (other than the wall to the shot, but the cemeteries are over that way. Saturday morning has a massive market across 2 1/2 of the squares. Really enjoyed 4 nights there.

We also went to Peronne, mainly as we need a campsite to do 12 days worth of laundry (twin tub on board). Whilst we were there, I visited the World War I Museum. It didn’t really tell me anything new but presented all the facts in a really clever way . For instance, the uniforms are not in glass cabinets but in graves in the ground. It equally represents all nationalities, including the Germans. All the information was also in English. Just the film is in French.


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Re: WW1 Sites, places, must see and stops. Questions?

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Posted: 02.04.2019  ·  #14
JJF
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Re: WW1 Sites, places, must see and stops. Questions?

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Posted: 03.04.2019  ·  #15
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