Travel notes, photos, videos, and comments from all over the world. I may earn income from purchases of advertised products or clicking links. Please follow via email. Thanks Geoff Sutton of Sutton Travels blog and YouTube
The Battle of Verdun resulted in some 700,000 casualties with 230,000 killed. Many unidentified soliders are among those whose bones lie within the ossuary.
The ossuary is atop a hill near the town of Verdun, which is known for the longest battle of the Great War.
This is the largest Rumanian cemtery in France. There are 553 graves for the dead of World War I. The cemetery was opened in 1924 by King Ferdinant and Queen Marie of Rumania.
This beautiful setting honours the men of the Royal
Newfoundland Regiment who fought here 1 July, 1916. A flock of sheep graze atop the hallowed grounds.
The large
park offers a peaceful walk amidst grass-covered craters and trenches.
The park includes three cemeteries. Not all the buried soldiers have been identified. Here’s a link to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission page for more information.
A visitor centre provides information about the battle.
Canadians offer guided tours and information. Signs and storyboards provide
additional information.
Following is a video of the site from my YouTube SuttonTravels site.
I took the photos and video 22 October 2018 as part of a Western Front Tour.
The Lochnagar Crater resulted when the British detonated a
mine underneath German lines at 7.28 am on the first day of the Battle of the
Somme, 1 July 1916.
Tunnellers had dug beneath the German positions to place the
mine. After seven days of British artillery fire, the mine was detonated. Then,
eight successive waves of the 34th Division climbed out of their trenches and
headed for the German lines. This day was the bloodiest day in British military
history. Read more and see 1916 photos at lochnagarcrater.org.
My photos and video are from 22 October 2018.
A cross marks the memorial site. Many poppies here and
around the site remind us the soldiers are not forgotten.
The grey skies helped create a somber moment whilst walking
about the crater.
Storyboards help tell the story of those connected with that
fateful day.
There are places to rest and reflect on war and peace.
Here is a video overview of the Lochnagar Crater site.
The Windmill—Pozières, France is an area
of the Somme important to Australians who sacrificed so many here in 1916
during the seven weeks Battle of the Somme.
Of the 23,000 Australian Imperial Force casualties,
6,700 died.
Here's a short video clip I took at The Windmill Cemetery and Memorial 21 October, 2018.
The Windmill
Site is close to Pozières on road D929 to Bapaume.
The Hyde Park
Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery is a Commonwealth
War Graves Commission cemetery in the Hainaut Region of Belgium. It is
close to Ploegsteert Wood. The cemetery was first used in 1915. Nearby is an
extension and the Ploegsteert Memorial honoring 11,000 World War I commonwealth
servicemen who died in this area.
Hooge is a village about two miles east of Ypres, Belgium. The
Hooge Crater was
the result of a blown mine 19 July 1915. British Tunnerlers dug beneath the
German concrete structures in about 5.5 weeks. The crater and pillboxes are
still visible, though the crater has been filled with water. In the same area,
on 30 June 1915, the Germans first used a flame thrower as a weapon.
Close to the crater is a private museum containing a variety
of war-related artefacts. The displays include uniforms, weapons, and personal
items.
Behind the museum are reconstructed British and German
trenches.
A storage room contains weapons, including an Enfield rifle.
Across the street from the museum is the Hooge Crater Cemetery
where 5,916 are buried. Some markers honor several unidentified soldiers.
The museum makes for a good lunch stop with both inside and
outside seating.
Short Video Clip of the Hooge Crater dated 21 October 2018.
