Day 12 Somme 28 April 2018

Today we visited Vimy Ridge which is the most important of the Canadian Memorials. This is their equivalent of Gallipoli. It was a very impressive monument with outstanding views of the surrounding area, highlighting its importance in the fighting.

In the distance there are mining slag heaps, which sometimes are used as ski slopes in winter.
This was our vehicles for 7 people plud driver.

We drove over Messines Ridge which was another ANZAC battle. The ladscapes are dotted with pilllboxes.

We saw the Irish Peace Park with the tower based on ones in Ireland.  They were designed to have an elevated opening and just withdraw the ladder. The plan is to drop burning things down on the attackers and light a fire in the top to attract help.  We were very lucky that a bagpipe band was playing at the exact moment we pulled up in a car.

We learned about the battle of Fromelles July 1916 and visited the Pheasant Wood Cemetery and Museum that disabled the 5^th Australian Division for months afterwards. Certainly we missed seeing the museum when we were last there.

There w a monument to the Christmas 1914 Truce.

At the Australian Memorial Park is the Cobber’s memorial.

VC Corner, named after a section of trench. Some of the names have to removed, as they have since been identified at Fromelles.

We stay in Kortjick, a lesser known but historic Belgian town in a plush hotel in the middle of town. A pity about internet.  This is the town hall. We tried to go to the 1302 Museum of the Golden Spurs which was a medieval battle but we were unsuccessful as there wasn’t enough time.