#1

The Somme

in Anything that's not Eriba-related. Wed Oct 05, 2016 4:24 pm
by hampshireman (deleted)
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I'm now - no I hope to be, once I have read three magnificent guide and information books, an expert in anticipation of a visit there next year to do more research on Carole's uncle who is buried there.
Today these three books arrived by post and we know who from.
Thanks Brian, most grateful.


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#2

RE: The Somme

in Anything that's not Eriba-related. Wed Oct 05, 2016 4:35 pm
by Randa france | 13.283 Posts

A few years ago, we finally got round to visiting the grave of one of my great uncles in a huge cemetery to the south of Rouen. We had discovered its whereabouts by using the War Graves Commission Website some years previously but every time we arranged to stop off there something else turned up.

What we were interested to see is the placement of small pebbles on the headstones of some of the soldiers to indicate that the grave had been visited. We noticed recently, in the film "Schindler's List" that the descendants of the survivors were honouring Schindler in the same way. Is the action of Jewish origin does anyone know?

Randa


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#3

RE: The Somme

in Anything that's not Eriba-related. Wed Oct 05, 2016 4:39 pm
by Aaron Calder | 3.834 Posts

It was my pleasure, Derek.

If there's anything more that I can do to help with your planning then please don't hesitate to ask.


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#4

RE: The Somme

in Anything that's not Eriba-related. Wed Oct 05, 2016 4:50 pm
by Poptop320 | 2.634 Posts

It surprising how people's lives are moulded and created by events, my Grandfather was in the Light infantry during WW1, he was badly injured in the battle of neuve chapelle in 1915. He met my Grandmother who was a nurse at the time and she tended to his wounds. After a short courtship they got married, and that is why I am sat here typing this message..


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#5

RE: The Somme

in Anything that's not Eriba-related. Wed Oct 05, 2016 5:09 pm
by Aaron Calder | 3.834 Posts

My great uncle joined up in early August 1914 and served in the Royal Field Artillery throughout the war only to die of influenza in December 1918 in the 'Spanish Flu' pandemic that killed more people worldwide than the hostilities.

He is buried in Thessaloniki, Greece. Sadly, his service records were destroyed along with thousands of others in the Blitz so I've no idea in which battles he fought.

When I was lecturing, one of my Greek students from that area visited the grave during the Christmas break, left some flowers and took some pictures which she gave me on her return. I was very moved by this kind gesture.


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#6

RE: The Somme

in Anything that's not Eriba-related. Wed Oct 05, 2016 5:22 pm
by Deeps (deleted)
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Quote: Randa france wrote in post #2
We noticed recently, in the film "Schindler's List" that the descendants of the survivors were honouring Schindler in the same way. Is the action of Jewish origin does anyone know?

Randa


This might be of interest to you, Roger: http://www.shiva.com/learning-center/commemorate/stone/


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#7

RE: The Somme

in Anything that's not Eriba-related. Wed Oct 05, 2016 5:51 pm
by Randa france | 13.283 Posts

Yes it is, thanks Alan

In that matter, it would appear to be a tradition that is becoming fashionable in other faiths too as many of the graves were not Jewish.

Randa


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#8

RE: The Somme

in Anything that's not Eriba-related. Wed Oct 05, 2016 8:43 pm
by Randa france | 13.283 Posts

If you've got time Derek, here are a few places worth driving to and visiting.

Vaux. The Somme River valley is a very interesting place as you can see from the attached maps and picture and this well signposted viewpoint is a great place to see it from.

Vaux-1.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte) Vaux-2.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte) Vaux-3.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

Don't know if you've read "Birdsong" by Sebastian Faulks which is a great read about WW1 but unless I'm getting confused, the hero of the book visited this area a few times when off duty. (yes, I know it's fiction).

Also try and fit in a visit to Peronne which was the German HQ town for most of the war.

Randa


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#9

RE: The Somme

in Anything that's not Eriba-related. Wed Oct 05, 2016 9:07 pm
by Skoderiba | 211 Posts

A number of years ago (1970s) my brother and I ran a folk music club in Bedford. One of the guest artistes appearing was a band called Mithras who, as part of their set, sang a song called 'The Rose of York'. The song was based on a book called 'A Covenant with Death' by John Harris. The book tells of a recruit from an unnamed South Yorkshire town who joins one of the 'Pals Battalions'. The recruits are marched up and down the seafront in Scarborough, camp out on the moors and after about 18 months are sent to Egypt. Then in June 1916 are sent to France to a place called Serre near Albert. We all know what happened on 1st July 1916. As the novel has it ' Two years in training, ten minutes in the destroying'.
Then I discovered a bit of family history. My great uncle John George Prince is listed on the memorial in Allerton Bywater as died 1916, which of course suggests the Somme, so I did a bit of research.
John George (Jack) joined a pals battalion, was marched up and down the seafront in Scarborough, camped out on the moors, got sent to Egypt and was then sent to a place in France called Serre. He was one of the survivors. He was then sent to Passchendael where he was listed as missing in action on 9th October 1917.
Before I discovered that the memorial is in fact wrong, I went to Albert in 1996 to see if I could find a memorial. On 1st July there was a ceremony at the Thiepval memorial and I went along.
Everything was being organised and a British coach pulled up near the memorial and the very elderly veterans started to get off. A Gendarme hurried up and said 'Non Non, you must disembark at the coach park. An old soldier who had just got off the bus said 'how far is the coach park?' '500 metres' said the Gendarme. The old soldier pointed at the rows of crosses and said ' You see that lot out there? They are there because the had to walk, Do you want me to join them? The Gendarme gave a very smart salute said 'Pardon M'sieur' and marched away leaving the veterans to disembark where they were.



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#10

RE: The Somme

in Anything that's not Eriba-related. Thu Oct 06, 2016 8:03 am
by Islay Corbel (deleted)
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At the cemetery in Bayeux we were lucky enough to meet a lovely old soldier who walked with us for a while and he explained about the little stones to us. We were saddened when we realised that the little stones seem to be removed from the graves in the American cemetery close by.


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#11

RE: The Somme

in Anything that's not Eriba-related. Thu Oct 06, 2016 9:29 am
by hampshireman (deleted)
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Some smashing tales of experiences in here and thanks to all and pnce again Aaron Calder


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