The 2012 French Campaign: May 16th

May 16th - Corbie

Today was fantastic. After an early breakfast we packed a picnic & set off on the bikes. We had admired the tower which dominated the skyline on our ride to the supermarket 2 days earlier & which we knew was the site of the Australian war memorial. The weather was kind but it was a long tough climb up the hill. We were surprised to find 2 vehicles in the car park. One an old rover 216 with GB plates. Collette expressed her horror as I locked the bikes round part of the two keeps marking the entrance. "Disrespectful" she exclaimed. I could see no problem. This keep had a gold trimmed small metal door with memorial register engraved on it. We opened & retrieved the visitors book which had which had pages of recent Australian visitors, Anzac day being just 3 weeks earlier. I signed the book reflecting on how wonderful it was that so many people still made the effort to come some 12,00 miles to commemerate those lives most so young, lost nearly a century ago now. The graves in keeping with the whole memorial grounds were immaculate. Engraved with each individuals regiment coat of arms & the impact of aged 19, aged 20, so instant. Collette squeezed my hand & murmured "it always gets to me".

We discovered that the memorial had been the work of architect sir Edwin Lutyens. We had recently visited castle drago also Lutyens work but which although mightily impressive, was suffering badly from water ingress. We hoped this work faired better. We made our way to the tower, centre piece of a great wall upon which the names of those mort were listed. Anzac day poppies speckled the wall, where those with personal reasons for being there had affixed them alongside their specially related great war casualties & in one corner 2 pictures of young Australian men alongside small flags, gaves faces to names & made it even more personal & real. Above the wall we found their names & alongside each a red poppy had been secured.

We entered the tower, the entrance almost blocked by more photos framed by 20,000 poppy wreaths. A climb of 147 steps emptied into a fantastic panorama of the Somme valley & adjacent killing fields. Some 3 miles to the north I could see the St Colette brickwork tower, allegedly 30m from which, the red Fokker triplane of Baron von Richtoven crashed into the ground on April 18th 1918. The celebrated death of a legend who claimed the lives of over 80 allied flyers. To the east Le Hamel, scene of one of the greatest & most successfully planned & executed attacks of WW1 & the memorial there was our next destination.

Upon arrival we were greeted by a solo visitor. "Good day mate" in a brutal Aussie accent. They were bloody everywhere, but fair play to them. I must also perhaps point out that there are actually more British troops buried at the Breton Villers Austrialian memorial that Australians. I only point that out as it was quite a surprise to me & in no way represents some trite quip.

The memorial at Le Hamel was superb. It's position was German held on August 7th 1918 & afforded a panoramic view towards Breton Villers & the allied lines. They have left trenches & describe events carried out in them through a concrete rostrum timeline of events surrounding the battle of Le Hamel & pointing out across the battlefields in front of us key areas & events.

This battle marked the big breakthrough & the style & planning of the attack was used as a template for the rest of the war. It took place on the morning of August 8th 1918. Just 3 months later the armistice would be signed.

We picnicked at Le Hamel & enjoyed a bottle of red compliments of my sister with bread,cheese & pâté. Before setting off across farmland to get across the river at Sailly Laurette, just as German & allied armies had done before us. I kept expecting to see an empty grenade case in the undergrowth, but sadly it did not happen.

At Sailly we stopped at one of those interesting French tabacs. A ridiculously unclean establishment but a massive welcome offered, perhaps as we were the only patrons. We enjoyed a couple of beers & pastis and i had good speaking practice with the bored patron who clearly was desperate for company.

We headed for the brickworks. A long haul mostly uphill & somewhat regretted the second drink but the view was just spectacular. Passing more war graves & memorials we found ourselves next to a simple sign alongside the busy D1 road 3km out of Corbie. It told the story of the red barons demise giving the much debated credit to the Australian gunner Popkin. It was totally unremarkable & summed up by the crew "is that it".

Before we dropped into Corbie we stopped at the vue point de St Colette. A spectacular picture moment encompassing the etangs (lakes) bordering this beautiful river Somme. Tomorrow we would float through them at ground level.