If you're interested in WW1 centenary read this

[LarryHoosier]

Over this past Memorial Day (week) my wife and I had the great honor and privilege of touring WW1 battlefields in Belgium and France. We were hosted by a tour group from Virginia (DC area) with the title of “Military Historical Tours”. I am not in any way affiliated with MHT but I want to mention them for the fact that I don’t feel I have ever been on a better organized and executed tour in Europe ever! If you have any desire to do a centenary tour of these sites, I would recommend to contact these people.


Here are photos of British Commonwealth grave sites.


Newfoundland Div. trenches at Ypres

Lijssenhoek

Essex Farm

McCrae aid station near where “In Flanders Fields” was penned

McCrae monument

Poppy growing in Flanders Fields

Menin Gate (names of missing in action) Ypres salient

French cemetery at Ablain-Saint_Nazaire

American marker near the “Lost Battalion site”

Lost Battalion marker along road pointing to actual site down a steeply sloped ravine

down there is where the lost battalion was

German positions above the lost battalion

German cemetery near lost battalion site

USMC marker erected at entrance to Belleau Wood

Aisne-Marne American cemetery and memorial at Belleau Wood near Chateau Thierry

Memorial Day at Aisle-Marne memorial

The most emotional and stirring rendition of “Taps” was rendered at the completion of the ceremony with the Marine band bugler marching some distance from the memorial and the “doughboy bugler” appearing in front of the memorial. The doughboy began and the marine bugler played a haunting echo. The honor guard fired their salute and the colors went up on both sides simultaneously. Great stuff!

Images from the Meuse-Argonne American cemetery

Assorted photos from the tour

If you are like me and slept your way through Indiana History in school, here are some names that you must look up! Gen. Bundy of New Castle, IN. and Samuel Woodfill of Bellview, IN (Madison) and use WorldWar1.com not wiki for these! One other note, the historical museum in New Castle, IN is a “marvelous” facility and well worth a visit if you can make it.


edit 6/21/2016

I forgot to add these photos. We were treated to lunch in a couple villages near the sites where small museums "loaded" with relic arms and other debris from battle. Those weapons you know were truly involved in the fighting, unlike many pristine milsurps that one may find I saw several sniper rifle relics. This one appears to be a civilian hunting weapon turned to a more deadly task.

 

[actaeon277]

 

[red_zr24x4]

Great pictures!

 

[Sylvain]

Nice pictures, thanks for sharing.

Too much cemeteries in that region, from both world wars.

 

[SEIndSAM]

Very nice, thanks for posting...

 

[MuttX7]

Great pictures and thanks for sharing them.

 

[Gary119]

Very moving, thank you for posting.

 

[snorko]

Thank you for sharing. Sounds like a solid tour.

For Hoosier names, don't forget James Bethel Gresham.

 

[1911ly]

Just amazing! Thanks for sharing.

 

[rob63]

Thanks for posting this. I am very much in a mindset to sell off a bunch of my WWI and WWII collection to fund a trip like this before I am too old. Knowing that there are well organised trips goes a long way to easing my own fears of potential language issues.

 

[spec4]

Thank you for posting. Very moving.

 

[indy1919a4]

Awsome photos. At Ypres Were you able to make it over to the Hawthorn Ridge area... ????

Over this past Memorial Day (week) my wife and I had the great honor and privilege of touring WW1 battlefields in Belgium and France. We were hosted by a tour group from Virginia (DC area) with the title of “Military Historical Tours”. I am not in any way affiliated with MHT but I want to mention them for the fact that I don’t feel I have ever been on a better organized and executed tour in Europe ever! If you have any desire to do a centenary tour of these sites, I would recommend to contact these people.


Here are photos of British Commonwealth grave sites.


Newfoundland Div. trenches at Ypres

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Yes, thanks for posting those pictures and descriptions.

My grandfather kept a journal while he was, as he put it "doing my part in the world war", as part of an Aero Squadron in France.

On the final leg of his journey back home, he had added some final thoughts during the last train ride. Then later he got off the train and forgot the journal that he'd put under his seat.

He never saw it again.

 

[Sylvain]

Thanks for posting this. I am very much in a mindset to sell off a bunch of my WWI and WWII collection to fund a trip like this before I am too old. Knowing that there are well organised trips goes a long way to easing my own fears of potential language issues.

Most people around those touristic sites will speak English (tour guides, people in hotels and restaurants etc).
In US cemeteries you usually (or probably always) have people working for the American Battle Monument commission (not sure if they are civilians or military) who are their to help families find graves of relatives.

Don't let that stop you!

 

[Hohn]

Frank Luke Jr-- the Arizona Balloon Buster, and a legendary and important figure in the development of American Air Power.

 

[LarryHoosier]

Indy1919A4, yes we toured that whole area. We walked up the "Sunken Road" and on to the mine crater site. Before that in the same general area we walked to a beautiful secluded British cemetery that was actually in the middle of a farmers barn lot! It like all of the other monuments are kept in pristine condition. It is my understanding that the Brits did not allow repatriation of their dead but parliament pays for the upkeep in perpetuity.

 

[padawan]

Very nice. Looks like a most interesting trip.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[DRob]

 

[Woobie]

View attachment 48035

General Clark spent a few years between the wars as a trainer for the Indiana National Guard. His wife was born in Muncie. There is a house on the east side of town that he supposedly lived in, but I've never verified that.

 

[PappyD]

Thanks so much for posting. A "bucket list" trip for sure!

The Lost Battalion- wasn't there a movie made about them? And the carrier pigeon that made it back to the headquarters even though it was all shot up? When I saw the bird as part of the memorial statue... Wow!

Thanks again