Recently returned from my fifth Leger Battlefield Tour... War By Timetable, which explored the role of trains in World War One. This tour covered two of my many interests, history and steam trains and, as with previous Leger Battlefield Tours, did not disappoint.
In this article I take a detailed look back at the tour, the places we visited and where relevant, some World War One history. I have also included just a small selection of the many photos I took during my trip.
Our journey began early in the morning with the short journey down to Stop 24 in Folkestone where we boarded our tour coach for the week. The original plan was to head to Dover and catch the ferry to Calais. Unfortunately, due to problems beyond the control of Leger, we were delayed and a change of plan saw us take the Eurotunnel across to France. I must say at this point that the staff at the Leger desk were excellent, keeping us updated and also supplying food vouchers and drinks during the long wait for our replacement coach to make its journey from Nottingham down to the coast.
During our drive through the French countryside towards our hotel in Saint Quentin our guide, Andrew, pointed out several interesting locations relevant to the First World War including Vimy Ridge, Arras and Cambrai. His knowledge of the subject was second-to-none and he told us stories about how the war started, Britain's involvement and the various battles.
As we passed Vimy Ridge we heard how, in April 1917, four divisions of the Canadian Corps in the 1st Army fought against three divisions of the German 6th Army with the objective of drawing the Germans away from the French forces who were preparing an offensive along the Aisne and the Chemin des Dames Ridge. It was part of the Battle of Arras.
The Battle Of Arras was a British offensive during April and May 1917 which saw them achieve the greatest advance since trench warfare had begun, although when the German defences recovered it resulted in a costly stalemate for both sides.
Continuing towards Saint Quentin we passed close to Cambrai, the site of a late-1917 British attack and the biggest German counter-attack since 1914. It has gone down in history as the first battle to use tanks and records show the use of over 350 armoured vehicles involved during the offensive.
Arriving at the hotel it was time for a refreshing pint and then a good nights sleep in preparation for the busy days ahead.
An early breakfast and then we set off to our first stop of the day, the Steam Railway of the Three Valleys in Belgium whose name derives from the three rivers the line follows, the River Eau Blanche, River Eau Noire and River Viroin. It is a non-profit society that operates the service which connects with the Belgian rail network at Mariembourg.
A specially arranged journey on a period steam train saw us travel the 14 kilometre journey from Mariembourg via Nismes, Olloy-sur-Viroin and Vierves to Treignes, the last station before the French border. The line does continue the 2.5 kilometres to the border but is not used anymore. An enjoyable journey with great views of the Belgium countryside from our carriage. The staff at the station and onboard the train were excellent and very helpful.
At the end of the journey there was time to look around the museum which was very interesting with its collection of various trains, both steam and electric, along with items of railway memorabilia.
Following a quick lunch, Croque Monsieur and a refreshing drink, in the cafe at the station in Treignes we headed out of Belgium and to our next stop in France.
At La Capelle we visited the memorial marking the spot where the German parliamentarians crossed the French lines seeking an Armistice on 7 November 1918.
The German government, under Prince Max of Baden, had contacted President Woodrow Wilson asking him to open the way for an armistice. Conditions were imposed on Germany and they were told to nominate a delegation to Western Front Commander in Chief, Marshal Ferdinand Foch. Once done the Germans were told where to approach the French lines where troops were told to expect the delegations arrival.
Four cars with full headlights, displaying white flags and with a trumpeter sounding the cease fire approached the French lines near the hamlet of Haudroy. It was there a French bugler, Pierre Sellier, replaced the German trumpeter on the duckboard and would continue the journey to La Capelle and onto Compiegne where the armistice was signed on 11 November 1918, ending four years of conflict.
On 14 August 1940, during the Second World War, the Armistice Memorial was destroyed by the Germans, who deemed it offensive, and it was reconstructed and inaugurated a few years later after the end of the war.
During the day and while we were on the coach travelling between the different points of interest we were told more about the war. In particular, the history of the 1st Division British Expeditionary Force (the first British formation to move to France and who took part in most of the actions throughout the war), the various battles and in particular The Battle of St. Quentin (also called the First Battle of Guise), the Battle of Le Cateau, the rear guard action at Etreux and the Retreat from Mons.
The Retreat from Mons was the withdrawal of the British Expeditionary Force and the French 5th Army following defeats at the Battle of Charleroi and the Battle of Mons, both in August 1914.
A counter-attack by the French at Guise on 29 and 30 August failed to end the German advance. Similar attempts by the British at Le Cateau and Etreux also failed.
At Chapeau Rouge, La Groise we stopped to view the BEF Memorial which bears the inscription, "To the Glory of God and to the abiding memory of the 1st Division British Expeditionary Force which from August 1914 to November 1918 served and suffered in France and left there close upon 16,000 dead." It also includes the final two lines of Rudyard Kipling's poem, For All We Have And Are, "Who Stands If Freedom Fall? Who Dies If England Live?"
There are 99 identified graves at Etreux British Cemetery including Second Lieutenant Carol Edward Vere Awdry of the Royal Munsters, whose story was told to us. On 27th August Awdry, sword drawn, led his men in support of the attack that was underway and was killed by a shot through the lungs.
I recognised the surname and was reminded of where from, when we were told about his family. Carol Edward Vere Awdry's half-brother was Wilbert Vere Awdry, an Anglican cleric, railway enthusiast and children's author. More famously known as the Reverend W, Awdry, he was the creator of Thomas The Tank Engine and author of the series of children's books.
Our final visit of the day was to the Necropole Nationale - Flavigny Le Petit Cemetery in Guise. The cemetery was constructed by the Germans following the Battle of Guise in August 1914. It is unusual in that there are soldiers buried from three different nations, Germany, France and Britain. It was interesting walking around and seeing the different headstones/crosses used by the various nations.
The cemetery contains the graves of 2,332 German soldiers killed in World War One. The cemetery also includes other casualties from the war with 2,643 French graves and 48 British graves.
Back at the hotel, following an informative and enjoyable day, with temperatures during the day between 26 and 30 degrees it was good to relax and enjoy a couple of pints in the hotel bar.
Day two began at the Bagneux British Cemetery located close to the village of Gezaincourt near the town of Doullens.
It was at this point of our trip that we learnt more about the Casualty Clearing Stations. Known originally as Clearing Hospitals they were part of the evacuation chain although they were located further back than the field hospitals. Manned by the Royal Army Medical Corps their job was to treat soldiers so they could return to the front line or, in the case of the seriously wounded, transferred to a base hospital. They were normally located near to railways to allow movement between the battlefield and hospitals. Throughout the war these Casualty Clearing Stations would relocate as the front line moved.
Bagneux Cemetery was our next stop during the tour and along with the Devonshire Cemetery, which was our last stop on the tour (more of which later), was very emotional. There are 1,374 soldiers of the First World War buried or commemorated there including three nurses who were killed in nearby Doullens.
On 30 May 1918 the Germans bombed the No. 3 Canadian Stationary Hospital based in an ancient citadel in Doullens. The nurses were assisting in surgery when the bombing took place and all three were killed and buried in Bagneux Cemetery approximately 2 kilometers from where they died.
The nurses were, Nursing Sister Agnes MacPherson (age 27), Nursing Sister Eden Lyal Pringle (age 24) and Nursing Sister Dorothy Mary Yardwood Baldwin (age 26). We were shown photos of the nurses while standing near the graves which was a very sad moment.
We had time to walk around the cemetery and read some of the inscriptions on the gravestones. What always strikes me whenever I visit a Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery is how peaceful and well-maintained they are and it is thanks to all those who work for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) for all their dedicated and hard work all over the world.
On our short walk back to the coach we discovered part of the railway line that ran past the cemetery and close to the Casualty Clearing Stations in the area.
A 30-minute drive found us at our next place of interest, Heilly Station Cemetery. In April 1916 the 36th Casualty Clearing Station was located in Heilly, to be joined in May and June by the 38th and 2/2nd London. However, by June 1917 all three had moved on.
It was in May 1916 that work began on the cemetery, a short distance from Heilly Station, and was used by the three Casualty Clearing Stations until April 1917. During 1918 it was used by Australian units then hospital burials when the 20th Casualty Clearing Station was based nearby.
There are 2,800 servicemen buried or commemorated with 12 of the graves unidentified. There were also casualties whose graves were not exactly located and special memorials were erected. The cemetery also includes 83 German graves.
Many of the burials were carried out under extreme pressure with many graves close together and not marked individually. Furthermore, some contained multiple burials and these did not include the regimental badges. However, along the cloister walls there are 117 badges carved into the wall.
Once again this is another cemetery that is well-tended and so peaceful. In fact, when we turned up there were volunteers working on cutting grass and undertaking general maintenance. They even stopped working so as not to disturb our visit.
For lunch we stopped at Corbie, a short distance from Heilly, where we found a nice cafe in the city square and enjoyed a meal and drink before returning to the coach.
On our way to our next stop, another train journey, we passed the site where Baron von Richthofen (The Red Baron) was shot down on 21 April 2018 over the Morlancourt Ridge close to Vaux-sur-Somme. There is a debate as to who actually shot him down. It has been said he was flying low over Australian positions and gunners shot him down although another claim is that Canadian pilot Roy Brown who was flying behind and above Richthofen was responsible. Maybe we will never know for sure.
Our next steam train journey would see us travel through the Somme Battlefield in open sided carriages, and was the most interesting of the three train journeys on the tour.
The 600mm narrow gauge railway was built in 1916 for the needs of the Battle of The Somme and used to supply the trenches and artillery with estimates of 1,500 tonnes moved every day. It was part of a larger military network built in preparation of the 1916 offensive. After the war it was operated by a sugar refinery in Dompierre to transport sugar beet. In the 1970s a group of enthusiasts bought the line and rolling stock from the refinery and hunted across the country for other locomotives. They opened the line which ran for 1.5 kilometres in 1971.
We all boarded our open-sided carriage for the journey and had already been advised not to wear anything white during the journey as the smoke and soot emanating from the train while we were in the tunnel might ruin our clothes. Fortunately it was all ok.
During the one-hour return journey, which runs alongside the Somme Canal and River Somme, there are superb views of the Somme Valley. There was also time after the journey to look around the museum, located at the departure point, which held a fascinating collection of narrow-gauge rolling stock and other items.
Another interesting and emotional day came to an end and it was back to the hotel for dinner and a good rest.
The next day found us heading to Le Crotoy and The Steam Railway at the Bay of the Somme for our final rail journey which would take us to St Valery-sur-Somme. It is another narrow-gauge railway that runs the entire length of the bay connecting Le Crotoy with Noyelles-sue-Mer and St Valery. During the summer season it runs on to Cayeux-sur-Mer.
During the almost 25 kilometre journey we passed brooks lined with willows, salt and freshwater marshes, fields, and the beautiful greenery of the Somme Bay.
Throughout the whole trip my love of steam trains and old railways was well catered for and at St Valery there was another highlight for those on the trip who had the same interest as me, and there were quite a few. We had the opportunity to watch as the train was uncoupled and with the use of a turntable moved onto another track and travel to the other end of the train to be coupled for the return home.
We had a couple of hours in St Valery and a group of us walked along the waterfront, grabbed a drink at a lovely little cafe and then a much needed ice cream before returning to the coach.
St Valery is a lovely seaport and resort on the south bank of the River Somme estuary and with its medieval character and long waterfront area has become a popular tourist destination. It is somewhere I would love to visit again and spend more time looking around.
It was back to Le Crotoy and the Communal Cemetery to find out more about those soldiers 'Shot at Dawn'. The actual cemetery only holds four World War One casualties, one of which is Lieutenant Edwin Leopold Arthur Dyett.
During World War One the British Army executed around 300 soldiers of which just three were officer, Edwin Dyett was one of those officers. A junior officer in the Nelson Battalion of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division, in October 1916 he was with the rest of the Division on The Somme preparing for the attack on Beaucourt-sure-Ancre.
Feeling that he wasn't suitable, an impression the Company Commander shared, he had already applied to be transferred away from the front. Not considered as quality material he was left as a reserve officer and was only sent forward with the reserves. Unable to find anyone from his unit he chose to return to Brigade Headquarters with another officer. He took exception to being asked by a junior officer to accompany men who needed to be taken back to the front lines and he continued towards the rear.
He was reported by the junior officer for refusing to go forward and the following day was arrested and later charged with desertion. He did not give evidence at his trial and on 2 January 1917 Field Marshal Haig confirmed the death sentence. Dyett was told on 4 January and the following day, at 07.30, he was shot at dawn by members of his own Battalion. His final words were, "For God's sake shoot straight."
Although China never sent any troops overseas during World War One more than 100,000 labourers served as part of the British Army for both the British and French forces during the war. As the Chinese Labour Corps, they cleared mines, built munitions depots, transported supplies and repaired roads and railways.
Noyelles-sur-Mer was the base depot of the Chinese Labour Corps, their biggest camp and also the site of the No.3 Labour General Hospital. Almost 2,000 lost their lives and 841 are buried at the Chinese Cemetery in Noyelles which was our next visit.
The inscriptions on the headstones are in Chinese and included four different inscriptions in English and Chinese with one reading, "A Noble Duty Bravely Done." There is an inscription carved on the entrance which in English translates roughly to, "This site commemorates the sacrifice paid by the 1,900 Chinese workers who lost their lives during the 1914-1918 war, these are my friends and colleagues whose merits are incomparable." The cemetery is adorned with trees native to China, creating a reminder of their homeland.
I had never heard of the Chinese Labour Corps and it was very interesting to find out more about their contribution to the war.
The main entry point to the Somme battlefields in 1916 for most of the soldiers was Pont-Remy Station and it was there we headed to next. Now disused, although trains run by SNCF still travel between Amiens and Abbeville, the station and cobbles leading up to the station once echoed to the sound of the many thousand troops heading to the front lines.
I was surprised there is no information at the station on its history and maybe SNCF should consider a board detailing its World War One connection along with relevant images from the period.
Our final visit of the tour was to the Devonshire Cemetery near Mansell Copse (not included in the original itinerary but as our guide put it... 'A Brucie Bonus') and it was somewhere I am glad we had the opportunity to see.
Before entering the cemetery we had a chance to view where the British and German lines were on the 1st July, the first day of the Battle of The Somme. The two images below are taken from where the British trenches were located, south of Mametz, and show the view across to what would have been the German trenches.
Mametz was within the German lines and captured on the first day of the battle while the woods to the east were taken in the days that followed.
The cemetery just visible in the lower picture is the Gordon Cemetery which was made by the men of the 2nd Gordon Highlanders who buried their dead from the 1st July in what had been a support trench.
At the Devonshire Cemetery we heard about their part in the battle. The 8th and 9th Battalions of the Devonshire Regiment attacked the German lines on 1st July and suffered very heavy losses as they left their forward trench. Later that day the survivors buried their fallen comrades, over 160 men, in the same trench. Three days later a ceremony was held and a wooden cross was placed bearing the words "The Devonshires Held This Trench, The Devonshires Hold It Still."
Of the 163 graves, ten are unidentified burials and only two were not part of the Devonshire Regiment. Looking at the two rows of graves it was easy to see where the original trench had been and it was an emotional moment to look at the headstones and imagine what it must have been like back in 1916. Along with the Bagneux Cemetery discussed earlier, this visit was the saddest part of the whole trip.
The wooden cross disappeared, possibly stolen, and in the 1980s officers of the Devonshire Regiment, who were visiting the site, decided to do something about it. On their return a collection was made and a new stone was placed at the entrance to the cemetery bearing the same words as the wooden cross. Those words certainly got to me and will forever live in my memory.
It was the end of our tour and time to head back to the hotel for dinner, a final few pints and a last chance to sit and talk to the other people on the tour before packing and an early night. We had to leave early the next morning for our journey home and although it was sad to be going home there were so many memories to look back on.
I met a great group of people on the tour and especially want to mention Jules whose company I enjoyed over dinner and a few pints.
There are still so many tours I would like to do and next year I will be going on the Operation Market Garden trip to Arnhem with my good friend John Chisholm, who I met on my previous trip to Dunkirk.
Last, but by no means least, thanks go to our knowledgeable tour guide Andrew Thornton and our excellent driver Michael (Mick) Page who besides doing an amazing job, certainly kept the rest of us in the coach amused with their banter and jokes each day.
