First of all, it's now Anzac Day in Australia. Lest we forget everyone and I'll be thinking of you all day. Xoxox. But it's still the 24th here!
Today we left Kortrijk and set off for France. We drove towards Fromelles, with our first stops for the day being at VC Corner Cemetery and then the 'Cobbers' memorial. This is a statue of a soldier carrying a wounded soldier off the battlefield, and I found out that there's a copy of it at the Shrine in Melbourne! Trevor made me cry here because a bouquet of flowers fell over and I went over and fixed it, and he told me I make him proud. *sniff sniff* He's too kind!
I'm always proud to be an Australian, but today has made me even more proud. There are tens of thousands (probably hundreds of thousands) of us over here. Rod said no one turns out for commemorations like us Aussies, even though we are the furthest away. We should all be so proud that we as a country are so proud and remember our soldiers. Respect xxxx
We then drove to Pheasant Wood where we went to the museum and Rod explained the significance of this area. Firstly there are bunkers just about everywhere you look out here. He said if they're in your backyard they belong to you, they aren't protected. Strategically it was a really important area to have under your control. On 19 and 20 July 1916 in this area the allies fought the Germans as a diversionary tactic to distract them and deplete their numbers at the Somme. It came at a high price though, as 5533 Australian soldiers were killed which is the highest concentration of Aussie soldiers in the one place in our military history.
Then we went out to look at the Pheasant Wood Cemetery, which is in the town of Fromelles. The museum had explained that a guy called Lambriss****** (explain about search). The Germans had buried a lot of allied soldiers in this area after the battle here. In 2007/2008 250 bodies were found, all Australian soldiers. Using fan testing and new technology over the last few years, 96 were initially identified in 2009/2010. During this time the cemetery was built to bury the soldiers who had been found. Since then though another 48 have been identified, and their gravestones replaced with ones identifying them. How amazing what we can achieve with technology! One particular gravestone stood out to me. It was for a WJ Cullen aged 19. On the bottom his family had inscribed "son of William and Elizabeth Cullen of Brunswick, Victoria. We never gave up looking." Not only was this extremely close to home, the last sentence gave me goosebumps. It's fantastic how we can use technology to give families some closure.
We then drove to a shopping centre to get some lunch (Carol and I ate the stuff we packed from brekky!) and on the way a lot of the fields were filled with beautiful yellow flowers, with bunkers interspersed throughout.
After lunch we went to Vimy Ridge, which the Canadians captured on April 12 1917, and I can see why. The monument was absolutely beautiful, and from it you had a view all around. Capturing this area would've been very useful. There were over 11,000 names inscribed on the memorial.
We arrived in Arras and quickly checked in at the hotel before heading out again to the Arras Citadel, and then to Fauborg-D'Amiens Cemetery where the names of 34,000 missing commonwealth soldiers from the battle of Arras were on the wall. It really is overwhelming how many cemeteries we are passing and seeing.
Our final stop for the day was to Wellington Quarry. These 12 miles of tunnels under the city of Arras were home to 24,000 men for 8 days to hide them before a surprise attack on the Germans. We walked through them with an audio guide. It was dank, dark and not very pleasant. But they saved a lot of lives!
Tonight I think I'm having a kebab for dinner then watching some TV in the room before getting an early night. To be honest it still feels like I'm travelling alone because Troy is always at the bar. I've been woken up three nights in a row at 2-3am with him getting back from God knows where. That's enough of that on the blog, but I'm hoping tonight isn't the fourth night in a row because I want to get a decent sleep to actually function properly tomorrow!
I'm already getting emotional about tomorrow. I'm laying a wreath with Neil and Michael during tomorrow's dawn service at Villers Bretoneaux. We are each going to attach a message, I've attached a photo of mine for you to see. I've written it from our footy family who always go on Anzac Day!! They're expecting a huge crowd so we are leaving our hotel at 2.30am (ouch!). Anzac Day always has a special significance to me due to two of my great great uncles dying at Gallipoli, one of them even on Anzac Day. I think a lot of kids grow up not knowing much about it, but I'm very fortunate my parents and grandparents told me so much about WWI and Anzac Day in particular while I was growing up. Over the years I've been really lucky to be able to march in the parade at home with school and I attend the dawn service with Mum at the shrine in Melbourne quite often. And on January 1 2013 Mum and I even went to Gallipoli and visited the plaque at Lone Pine where my great great uncles' names were (pictures below with today's as well).
But tomorrow will be a different kind of Anzac Day completely. Due to being in Europe and relatively "close" to Gallipoli (closer than home anyway!), when I go to bed, 100 years ago the Anzacs would have been on their journey to the Dardanelles. When I wake at 2am, at that very moment 100 years ago they wouldn't have known that most of their lives would end in a few short hours.
I'm going to be feeling really far from home tonight and tomorrow, but I'll be thinking of you all all day. Anzac Day is a huge tradition in our family. The day starts at the dawn service, followed by breakfast at the Hilton, a quick stop at the Anzac March in the city followed by the classic footy match of Collingwood vs Essendon. This is the first one I'll miss since I was about 4 years old. But funnily enough there's a local football (soccer) match on in Arras at 6pm tomorrow. If I can I am going to go and wear my pies jumper. Still get to go to the footy on Anzac Day ;)
So think of me too. While you're all sitting at the MCG waiting for the game to begin, think of me wearing my Collingwood hat and scarf, and laying a wreath in honour of John Thompson and all the other fallen Anzacs on behalf of our family. Days like today make you feel very far away from home, but so grateful for the sacrifices made by those who fought in WWI (and all wars) to allow us the life and opportunities we have today.
Lest we forget and GO THE PIES!!
Love to all
Claire
Xoxox
I'm already getting emotional about tomorrow. I'm laying a wreath with Neil and Michael during tomorrow's dawn service at Villers Bretoneaux. We are each going to attach a message, I've attached a photo of mine for you to see. I've written it from our footy family who always go on Anzac Day!! They're expecting a huge crowd so we are leaving our hotel at 2.30am (ouch!). Anzac Day always has a special significance to me due to two of my great great uncles dying at Gallipoli, one of them even on Anzac Day. I think a lot of kids grow up not knowing much about it, but I'm very fortunate my parents and grandparents told me so much about WWI and Anzac Day in particular while I was growing up. Over the years I've been really lucky to be able to march in the parade at home with school and I attend the dawn service with Mum at the shrine in Melbourne quite often. And on January 1 2013 Mum and I even went to Gallipoli and visited the plaque at Lone Pine where my great great uncles' names were (pictures below with today's as well).
But tomorrow will be a different kind of Anzac Day completely. Due to being in Europe and relatively "close" to Gallipoli (closer than home anyway!), when I go to bed, 100 years ago the Anzacs would have been on their journey to the Dardanelles. When I wake at 2am, at that very moment 100 years ago they wouldn't have known that most of their lives would end in a few short hours.
I'm going to be feeling really far from home tonight and tomorrow, but I'll be thinking of you all all day. Anzac Day is a huge tradition in our family. The day starts at the dawn service, followed by breakfast at the Hilton, a quick stop at the Anzac March in the city followed by the classic footy match of Collingwood vs Essendon. This is the first one I'll miss since I was about 4 years old. But funnily enough there's a local football (soccer) match on in Arras at 6pm tomorrow. If I can I am going to go and wear my pies jumper. Still get to go to the footy on Anzac Day ;)
So think of me too. While you're all sitting at the MCG waiting for the game to begin, think of me wearing my Collingwood hat and scarf, and laying a wreath in honour of John Thompson and all the other fallen Anzacs on behalf of our family. Days like today make you feel very far away from home, but so grateful for the sacrifices made by those who fought in WWI (and all wars) to allow us the life and opportunities we have today.
Lest we forget and GO THE PIES!!
Love to all
Claire
Xoxox
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