Curtisden Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 I have been visiting the Great War battlefields for 30 years and take interested people over now and again. Can I give you a few pointers. Do a bit of research. Depending where and what you want to see will be important. My Advice is first get two books from the library. "Holts Battlefield guide to the Northern Battlefields" and "Before Endeavours Fade." Both are guides and stuffed full of information from just skimming the surface to full tours of the whole line down to the Swiss boarder. Loads of pictures and not at all overpowering. My suggestion would be Flanders first with the Toot at 8pm in Ypres a must. All though I have been with three Buglers a dog and me in the rain on times. But these days its a forest attraction drawing 100 most nights. Then the Somme and Vimy if you like what you did. They are both very different and have a totally different feel. Me I LkeVerdum and the Colmar German boarder. Parts are unimproved and if you walk a little all sorts of trench lines and equipment can be found lying around. Some of it still very dangerous. Hope that helps and read first a little so you know what you will be looking at. I was over in Belgium last week and was looking for "My Boy Jack" Kipling's lost sone John Kipling. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wirehaired Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Interesting post,i believe Mr Kipling never found out what happened to his Son,don't think they found his body and he was asking other soldiers has anyone seen Jack? really sad tale. cheers Don. PS how can I post an attachment,?can't see any way to do it but I see you have managed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bop Posted February 23, 2017 Author Share Posted February 23, 2017 Curtisden - 2017-02-23 4:51 PM I have been visiting the Great War battlefields for 30 years and take interested people over now and again. Can I give you a few pointers. Do a bit of research. Depending where and what you want to see will be important. My Advice is first get two books from the library. "Holts Battlefield guide to the Northern Battlefields" and "Before Endeavours Fade." Both are guides and stuffed full of information from just skimming the surface to full tours of the whole line down to the Swiss boarder. Loads of pictures and not at all overpowering. My suggestion would be Flanders first with the Toot at 8pm in Ypres a must. All though I have been with three Buglers a dog and me in the rain on times. But these days its a forest attraction drawing 100 most nights. Then the Somme and Vimy if you like what you did. They are both very different and have a totally different feel. Me I LkeVerdum and the Colmar German boarder. Parts are unimproved and if you walk a little all sorts of trench lines and equipment can be found lying around. Some of it still very dangerous. Hope that helps and read first a little so you know what you will be looking at. I was over in Belgium last week and was looking for "My Boy Jack" Kipling's lost sone John Kipling. Peter Peter, That's a great post and suburb advice from you sir. I'll be sure to check out the books and get guidance. It's something that Mrs Bop and I are both incredibly keen to do and we would like to make our first visit this year if practicable. Very many thanks, Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtisden Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 Hi "Jack" was missing and Kipling never found out what happened to him. He pulled strings for his son to join up after failing on medical grounds. He had only been in France a short while and at the battle of Loos he was last seen in No Mans land wounded and crying. Never to be seen again. That is until some obsessive like me worked out that only one officer of the Irish guards was killed on that day. Only one grave in that small area was a known unto god officer in the Irish Guards, buttons probably being the only leads. Don't know if they DNA the remains but a few years ago the grave stone was changed. Nearby is Formells where over 100 Australians were found in a mass grave buried by the Germans and which most were identified a year or two ago by DNA 100 years on. Regards Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bop Posted March 5, 2017 Author Share Posted March 5, 2017 It's not quite MH related but the news about HMG donating £20Mn for the construction of a WWII monument on the French Coast is fantastic. Due to be completed in 2019, this should make for an excellent visit by the MH fraternity. Well done HMG, Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wirehaired Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 Yes but why the hell didn't it happen years ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bop Posted March 7, 2017 Author Share Posted March 7, 2017 Wirehaired - 2017-03-05 8:03 PM Yes but why the hell didn't it happen years ago? Yes, a sad shame and all too late for most of our fine chaps but, I for one will be visiting when they do finally open the doors. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for when they do decide on a location for the site. All the best, Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myshell Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 A few GPS co-ordinates that may be of some use to you Location Latitude Longitude Mulberry Harbour. Arromanches-Les-Bains N49° 20`26.43" W0° 19`30" Grand Camp-Maisy. Rue-du-Moulin Odo. D Day landings N49° 23' 21.03" W1° 2' 26.76" Longues-sur-Mer. .D. Day Landing. Gun battery N49° 21' 34" W0° 51' 16" Utah Beach. Visitor centre N49° 24' 50" W1° 10' 23.68" Utah Beach. Aire N49° 24'52.79" W1°10'35.66" Juno Beach. Courseulles- Sur- Mer N49° 20`04" W0° 26`44" Sword Beach. Saint-Aubin-Sur-Mer to Quistreham N49° 18' 23" W0° 49' 16" Gold Beach. Arromanches-les-Bains N49° 20' 20" W0° 37' 20" Omaha Beach. Saint-Honorine-des-Pertes. N49° 21' 45.86" W0° 51' 12" American Cemetery Colleville-sur-Mer N49° 21' 33.45" W0° 51'07.45" Saint Mere Eglise. (Paratrooper stuck on church spire.) N49° 24' 39" W1° 19' 08" Pegasus Bridge. Avenue du Major Howard N49° 14' 32" W0°16'18.84" British War Cemetery. Hermanville-Sur-Mer. N49°17' 11.17" W0°18' 31.63" Oradour-sur-Glane. WW2 preserved village N45° 55' 42" E1° 2' 25" La Coupole. Rue Clabaux (D210) Helfaut. V2 Rocket site. N50° 42' 22.30" E2° 14' 25.42" Saint Nazaire. U boat pens N47°16' 33.43" W2°12' 12.92" Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wirehaired Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Many thanks for the info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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