WWI ... # 3
And here we are at the middle day - the battle of Lens was one of the few that actually went OK. The people in charge made good use of the ancient tunnels under the town (that had been built as the rock was being excavated) . These were extended, and so the armies didn't have the problems of no-man's land on day 1. Sadly the generals didn't believe it would be as good as it was, so failed to bring up the support the men needed.
I went through a small part of the New Zealand tunnels.
And here I am ... complete with safety hat!
One thing that has been special in Belgium is the sounding of the Last Post, every night, at the Menin Gate, Ypres. That was how our first day finished. To me it was doubly poignant, because Tim had learnt trumpet, and when he first brought his home Granddad picked it up, at age 81, and played the Last Post on it. His only comment was that it wasn't the first time he had done that.
Waiting under the gate
Claire's Great-Grandfather's name is here
Ypres Cloth Hall - rebuilt
45,000 unknow bories are resting here
And, finally another Canadian memorial - this time for those who died in the first gas attack.
I went through a small part of the New Zealand tunnels.
And here I am ... complete with safety hat!
One thing that has been special in Belgium is the sounding of the Last Post, every night, at the Menin Gate, Ypres. That was how our first day finished. To me it was doubly poignant, because Tim had learnt trumpet, and when he first brought his home Granddad picked it up, at age 81, and played the Last Post on it. His only comment was that it wasn't the first time he had done that.
Waiting under the gate
Claire's Great-Grandfather's name is here
Ypres Cloth Hall - rebuilt
45,000 unknow bories are resting here
And, finally another Canadian memorial - this time for those who died in the first gas attack.