Today we visit the WWI sites on the north side of Arras. Our main destination is the Canadian memorial at Vimy Ridge. On the way to Vimy ridge we stop at the John McCrae dressing station.
Tomb of the unknown soldier.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow...
The bunker used as a field hospital by John McCrae
The Menin gate in Ypres. Every night at 8pm the last post is played here by volunteer buglers. They are approaching night 30,000
The Vimy ridge memorial as seen from a distance ...we are approaching from the east, territory that was held by the Germans, we are facing the front of the memorial.
WOW
"Mother Canada" symbol of a new Nation, mourning her dead.
The grounds around the Vimy memorial have been preserved in their pock-marked and trench-ridden state. It really makes an impression when you see the multitude of crater marks from artillery.
some of the trenches have been reconstructed - using concrete stand-ins for sand bags. While the trench is different in the use of concrete the trench contours are original.
We were in time to tour the tunnels which are 8m underground and connect to various trenches.
This is a room where runners and/or officers might sleep - the room has 2 beds and a table, but the guide explained that in reality the room would sleep 8-10
After Vimy we drove to the French memorial and cemetery.
There are 120,000 men buried here.
And further down the road, a British cemetery.
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