War Graves and Military Battle Sites

[Honkytonk]

That's because it is.

It was also made by English nuns told by the Bishop who was William's Brother to do it. He didn't take part in the invasion by every account and yet appears on it for some reason. Can't imagine why.

[Red and Proud]

Interestingly, some say it's embroidery rather than a tapestry

Some? Names please!, And addresses. Thanks.

[Bewster]

This kind of trip has never interested me. In fact I find it very creepy that anyone would want to go on such a trip. Big business though.

We didn't go on holiday specifically to do these trips but

a) as we were close by,
b) I have a keen interest in history,
c) I wanted to pay my respects to the fallen and
d) the kids have been learning about WWI & II at school

it seem daft not too. Not really sure why that is creepy - it not as if we are visiting Cromwell St.

[herthab]

My lad's just done the Ypres military cemetery as part of his basic training (Apparently all new army recruits visit). For someone young enough to have never really known anyone who played a combat role in either World Wars it really brought home to him the huge sacrifice whole generations, from all countries, paid. It was the first time I've known him to use the word 'humbling'.

[Christy]

We did have a specific Somme based few days last year to visit places we hadn't seen on a trip years ago...having later found out a relative was buried two miles from a cemetery we'd been to compelled us to go back.

Anyway, as we arrived at the Thiepval memorial (to 70 odd thousand of the never found), a French TV crew asked if we minded being filmed, as we were looking for a great uncle of mine.  There then followed two of the most bizarre hours of my life, as we were followed around different places, filmed doing our research, and asked to re-shoot various bits of mooching about.

With my French no longer up to conversational scratch, all discussions were in a sort of English...my boys were warning me not to go all Steve McClaren / Joey Barton...and of course I was determined that I wouldn't.  Alas, history will judge otherwise.  When we'd finally trudged up a hill through the mist to find a characteristically inspiring / depressing cemetery, the moment came.

We found my great uncle's grave, and with a microphone thrust in my face I was asked "Ow doo you veel at zis very eeemotional moooment?"  All I could do was my best not to giggle, and responded in a franglais accent that the brolly wally himself would have chuckled at.

There we were though, on a TF1 news magazine programme, two hours cut into two minutes - with something for us to remember us remembering.  The Christmas 'Who Do You Think You Are' special never quite happened, but I won't hold that against anyone.

If you have any interest in WW1 or history in general - and many will find direct relatives fairly simply - the war graves are a sobering, beautiful, monumental and ghastly reminder.  It's 100 years since the Somme next year - I'd thoroughly recommend a look.