Vimy and Northern France

Today was like a pilgrimage within a larger pilgrimage.  We set off early in the morning with several stops lined up. Our first visit was to the large French cemetery at Notre Dame de Lorette. There was no country more effected by WWII than France. Well over 1.15 million casualties and that's just the military. This cemetery holds the remains of 40,000 French soldiers.

Some interesting names on the memorial here. It hosts the names of all who died near Arras, including Germans.

After this cemetery it was on to the Wellington Quarries near Arras. The British used New Zealand miners to develop a network of huge tunnels around 20 metres under Arras to prepare for the 1917 springtime offensive.  We took an elevator down and we're given a guided tour.

Next stop was Vimy - the pilgrimage within a pilgrimage. I felt very proud of those incredibly tough Canadian soldiers. It was truly an honour to see this and to pay our respects.

The park at Vimy is staffed only by Canadians, mostly college students I believe.

There is a preserved set of trenches at Vimy and some ground that still shows the devastation.

This picture is looking towards the German front line from the Allied front line. Distance: about 20 yards.

A machine gun bunker on the German side.

Trees growing through land that was never re-levelled after the war.

We ended the day at the Arras Memorial. Arras is a beautiful place now but was mostly rubble after the war.

That was the end of our "official" day of touring. One of the gentlemen on our bus asked if it would be possible to make an unscheduled stop at a churchyard  so that he could visit his father's grave. Of course the staff were honoured to do so. This guy is probably in his late 70's. Out of respect for him, I didn't take any photos. It was without a doubt the most moving, poignant moment of this trip as he said "I'll  never be back here again". Our tour guide recited "For The Fallen" and it's safe to say there was not a dry eye. His Dad was killed in 1940 during the run-up to the Dunkirk retreat when he was just a young boy.

"They shall not grow old,as we that are left grow old.

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them"