debbie Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 We are wanting to do the French Battlefields in June and hoping to use French Aires for the first time.We ae starting from Calias and making our way down to Caen,we are 7m long so dont want to get stuck in any small french side streets so any suggestions or advice would be gratefully appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 We use the free Aire lists at: http://home.arcor.de/telbus/womo-sp/index.html It will give you lots of possibilities, just remember that it is a free list and so you don't have any comeback if you cannot find the Aire of your dreams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike B. Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 debbie - 2012-02-27 1:01 PM We are wanting to do the French Battlefields in June and hoping to use French Aires for the first time.We ae starting from Calias and making our way down to Caen,we are 7m long so dont want to get stuck in any small french side streets so any suggestions or advice would be gratefully appreciated We are doing the same area from June 22nd and then heading down to Spain via Vendee and Landes. There are loads of aires around that area from Le Crotoy on the coast all the way down to Albert & Bapaume. We shall be staying on some ourselves and our van is 7m + Trailer so no probs with access etc if you plan ahead. Try these 2 links-one for the aires and one for the battlefields then perm your route etc http://www.campingcar-infos.com/index1.htm http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/somme.html If you see us-come say hello (Bring a bottle!!! :-D ) Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Hi Debbie Could you clarify, please. Are you looking for WW1 Battlefield ? I had assumed with your mention of Caen, that you wanted WW2 Battlefield ? or perhaps specifically the Normandy Landing Beaches for the June "D" Day events.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Not used the aires in the battlefield area but just to whet your appetite here is a pic from June 2009. There were hundreds of enthusiasts with their military vehicles in the area. I am not sure if this is an annual gathering but the sight of a tank at full charge along the beach was great. Do not miss the D.Day museum, its just out of sight below the trees..The model showing how the Mulberry harbours worked is superb Ps Dont go downinto the town. The pic was taken near the paying car park. Lots of room there and the view is superb Visit the American War cemetry and Commonwealth one by way of a contrast in attitudes. One that touched me deeply was of a British tank crew buried with the headstones touching. My father served in as an infrantryman Burma and despite his troopship being torpedoed and sunk in the Med in November 1943 and taking part in the relief of Kohima came home. Some of my generation were not so lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 George Collings - 2012-02-27 10:38 PM Not used the aires in the battlefield area but just to whet your appetite here is a pic from June 2009. There were hundreds of enthusiasts with their military vehicles in the area. I am not sure if this is an annual gathering but the sight of a Sherman tank at full charge along the beach was great. Do not miss the D.Day museum, its just out of sight below the trees..The model showing how the Mulberry harbours worked is superb It'a an annual event George, unfortunately fewer veterans returning for their annual pilgramage as the years pass. My father attended for many years (until his death), with the founder branch of the Normandy Veterans Association. http://h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/A3372888 http://www.frenchentree.com/france-normandy-d-day/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 I think the best museum for WWII is Le Memorial at Caen - expensive to go in but well worth it. Vimy Memorial Park is a good place to visit too for WWI. You can walk around the trenches and last time I was there it was still possible to go down one of the tunnels. There are British, French and German cemeteries in close proximity. All very thought provoking. I used to take school parties on visits there and 16 year-old boys were in tears. The German cemetery is particularly interesting, usually 4 men to a grave, and there are a great number of Jewish graves - not many years after these men were buried, Jews were being persecuted. Not far from here is Arras and visits can be made to the tunnels where British soldiers hid before surprising the Germans. Good restaurants here too and a cake shop to die for! At Noyelles-sur-Mer there is a Chinese WWI cemetery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 About 1980 my father and his Burma Star Association mate booked a vist back to Kohima, they were due to stay for a couple of nights under canvas at Kohima. The Indian government could not guarantee their safety so the trip was cancelled with a months notice. They rebooked to Thailand and followed the Burma railway to get as near as they could and held their own ceremony on Nov 11th. Dads comment on the cancellation was "the guarantee for the last trip was was not much good either". The most shocking battlefield I have been to is Verdun. Despite the forests growing back around the hilltop forts the vast areas with overlapping shell craters are still clear. This is unlike the areas in Northern France and Belgium where agriculture has apart from the huge cemetries obliterated the carnage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 There is still plenty of evidence remaining in the area of the Battle of the Somme with many areas still roped off due to the fear of unexploded shells. The crater of the Hawthorn Ridge, which is incredibly deep, provides evidence of the power of the first explosion on 1st July 1916 and witness to the futility of it all - 60 000 casualties on the first day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnP Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 You may find this site useful for WW1 and WW2. Pictures of each cemetery and battle details http://www.ww1cemeteries.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Debbie I have just noticed that you are a very new member. Welcome to the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie Posted February 28, 2012 Author Share Posted February 28, 2012 Thanks Patricia and everyone who has posted info I cant believe how much info I have had sent in 1 day.I am trying to do this as a suprise for hubbys 50th,he thinks we are walking Hadrians wall!! My teenage boys have given me a list of places they think he would like to go to.The 3 of them are continuosly reading war books-WW1 and WW2,my grandad and 2 of his brothers were in WW1 and we are lucky enough to have a book which contains part of his dairy.My great Uncle was killed at the Somme so I would like to go there,but the idea is to get to France with as much info as we can and let him then choose where he wants to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 debbie - 2012-02-28 4:22 PM my grandad and 2 of his brothers were in WW1 and we are lucky enough to have a book which contains part of his dairy.My great Uncle was killed at the Somme so I would like to go there,but the idea is to get to France with as much info as we can and let him then choose where he wants to go. Debbie Hi & welcome to the madhouse My Great Uncle (Tommy) was killed on the first day of the Somme, July 1st 1916 & I too have his diary for the 6 months to that date. I have visited the area a few times so this detail may be useful for you. Near Calais & a great stop for the ferries/tunnel. Camping Pommiers des trois pays 23 Rue de Breuil 62850 Liques 50.779756,1.947573 http://www.pommiers-3pays.com/modulosite2/camping-3pays-licques.htm A reasonable campsite near The Somme Area:- Camping 3 Cloches, Cambrai 45-83 Rue Jean Goude 59400 Cambrai, France 50.175263, 3.215333 http://www.tourisme-cambresis.fr/camping-les-clochers.html Very clean well laid out & only a few miles away from the battlefields. Reasonable prices. The main monument of the Somme battlefield with a museum attached Thiepval Monument 50.052647,2.688024 An excellent museum with well laid out exhibits of unifroms & equipment for all combatant nations. Peronne, Museum of the Great War 49.929015,2.932532 A couple of links which will help you find cemeteries/ and or servicemen who fell http://www.ww1cemeteries.com/ww1frenchcemeteries/ http://www.cwgc.org/ There is of course loads of other stuff, but this should get you started. If you decide to go to the WW2 invasion beaches, then it is alot further a day & a half drive. I also have info on that - let me know if you want it. Have fun (with a tear in your eye!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 Jeremy, thanks for the info,if you could let me have the WW2 info you have that would be great.We will have 10 days and I am not sure which he will want to do-it may be a mix.The more I am looking at it it may be more that one trip as not sure the heart strings will be able to take the whole trip in tears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Hi Debbie, and welcome We found ww1 very moving, WW2 did not have the same effect on me, (perhaps because I lived through it!) If you can get any info on the relative that died, ie regiment, His army no etc, you may be able to find his name on a memorial.. I found my great uncle on the memorial at Ypres (Belgium) Peronne was mentioned in one post,. We stayed there last year in a campsite , which was within walking distance of the town In the town at Albert there is a camp site, and a museum with an under ground tunnel, under the church, (which got damaged in both wars. ) Enjoy your trip PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Hi debbie I forgot to add this link previously http://www.cwgc.org/ It' sthe Commonwealth War Graves Commission website & gives the opportunity to search by individuals names, for those where you don't have information. Having entered their name, (plus "drop-down selection" for which Service / which War, it will identify the Cemetery, Grave No. & give detailed info on how to get there. + link for Google map. It will be an emotional journey, so stock up with tissues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 debbie - 2012-03-02 4:00 PM Jeremy, thanks for the info,if you could let me have the WW2 info you have that would be great.We will have 10 days and I am not sure which he will want to do-it may be a mix.The more I am looking at it it may be more that one trip as not sure the heart strings will be able to take the whole trip in tears. Debbie I have a word document that has a fair amount of info that may be of interest - Campsites, places to visit & see etc. I did it as a sort of diary for us to record our visit there in 2010. I have amended it for you and I will see if I can attach it to this reply, otherwise I will PM you so I can e-mail it to you.ww2 invasion beaches details Normandy.docx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 Jeremy,thanks so much for all the onfo its great.Have not been able to log on lately as hubby has been around but now have a folder full of really useful info.Am stocking motorhome full of tissues-at least they dont weigh too much!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 Jeremy,thanks so much for all the onfo its great.Have not been able to log on lately as hubby has been around but now have a folder full of really useful info.Am stocking motorhome full of tissues-at least they dont weigh too much!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hopesy Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 As Flicka has already posted the link look at Thiepval memorial. It's very moving, but much more it's an information centre, musuem and education centre all in one. there's a pictoral description of the history of WW1 which explains the the history and build up through to the clear up and the effects. I know it sounds sombre and my wife said before we got there "You know how to show a girl a good time on the last day of a holiday" but we were both left in awe. We also managed to find the grave of her great uncle who was shot down in WWII, he was buied in a civilian cemetary and we visited the next year. It may be a good spot to start the journey. They have a large car park don't know about overnighting there though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.