Ypres July 2023

The last ten days in Belgium and France have been fantastic even the non-seasonal weather. I have posted new content on the blog with regard battles and new places I have visited.  I hope everyone has enjoyed the journey and I would like to thank you for your continued interest.

I felt it would be fitting to post a final page covering other places of interest I visited while travelling the battlefield.

I visited Grand Seraucourt British Cemetery to visit the last resting place of Corporal James Charters of the C Company 15^th (Service) Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, who was killed in action during the retreat at ‘St. Quentin’ on the 21^st March 1918. I am incredibly lucky to be the custodians of his medals and wanted to re-unite them with James, who would never have seen them. James survived the 1^st Day of the Somme with the 36^th (Ulster Division) and was killed on the same day and area which Edmund De Wind was awarded the Victoria Cross. James’ epitaph reads “A GALLANT SON OF ULSTER THY WILL BE DONE.”

I also visited Doullens Communal Cemetery to visit the last resting place of Harry Francis 6^th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment A Company. He died from his wounds on the 31^st March 1918. I am again lucky to be the custodians of his British War Medal and Victory Medal. I wanted to pay my respects to this brave Dorset soldier. Doullens town was famous for the Doullens Conference on the 26^th March 1918. It was held at Hotel de Ville and was attended by General Petain, French President Raymond Poincare, Premier Georges Clemenceau, General Ferinand Foch and General Maxime Weygrand. The British attendees were Field Marshal Haig, Lord Milner, General Henery Wilson, General Herbert Lawrence and General Archibald Montgomery. The main achievement was forming a unified command, with Foch placed in executive charge.

Following my visit to the Yser Tower and the post which explained the Flemish movement I visited the Flemish Memorial Crypt in Zonnebeke. This is an amazing open crypt in which the coffins are on either side. The ‘Joe English’ headstones are places around the ground surrounding the crypt. This is still a controversial subject in Belgium.  

I also visited the Belgian Military Cemetery at Houthulst. It contains 1,723 Belgian soldier’s graves most of whom were killed during the Liberation Offensive of 1918. The cemetery also contains 81 Italian soldier’s graves who were prisoners of war used by the Germans to work behind the lines. They mostly died from illness and disease.

I also visited the Ulster Tower on a rather wet and windy day. The Somme Association director Carol Walker MBE was our host she was absolutely fantastic. She spent well over an hour in the rain explaining all aspects of the memorial and the Thiepval Woods. This was the first memorial built on the Western Front. A visit and tour are necessary if visiting the Somme.