The Somme Part 3 - The Remainder of the Day

The last main site we visited was in fact a memorial park for Canadians who fought alongside the Australian forces. We visited it because the remnants of WW1 trenches zig-zagged across their grounds. Of course, over time the trenches had filled in to a large degree. Grasses and flowering plants now grew inside the hollows, and bees buzzed inside them, softening the harsh reality of the horror they represented. Nevertheless, it was a moving experience walking along inside one of the trenches. 

On the way there from the Australian National Memorial we saw other burial sites from our coach. We even saw one property where many shells had been discovered; some were on display by the side of the road. Farmers are still uncovering them after all this time! 

And just outside the park, we saw a massive crater that had been caused by one of the biggest explosions in the war. It was on a private property but the owner had set up a memorial on the site and was happy for visitors to come and see it. It was so big you could only imagine all that it destroyed at the time, and the terrible injuries it caused. 

This reminded me of ‘Beneath Hill 60’, the 2010  Australian movie about some brave Aussie miners who tunnelled beneath enemy lines on the western front. Of course, there is now a plethora of books and films about WW1, but generally those available to us focus on the experiences of the Allies.

However, one of my fellow passengers was telling me about a book by a German whose elderly father finally started to talk about his experience of the ‘Great War’, the war that was supposed to end all wars. In one part, this elderly man told of the time they first shot canisters of poison gas over to the enemy lines - under orders from their superiors. He said there was shooting, then an eerie silence. They eventually went over and discovered not only dead soldiers all around, but also dead animals. Even little animals such as rodents had come out of their burrows and died. They were deeply shocked. When they went back to their headquarters he and his fellow soldiers asked each other “What have we done?” . . .

Time all perpetrators of violence today asked themselves that!

Further along our river cruise, we had the option of spending another full day where the D-Day landings took place. I chose another activity - I could not bring myself to spend another very confronting, profoundly saddening day again so soon. Besides, it concerns me that so much is spent on memorials and so forth - a new big interactive centre is now being built at the Australian National Memorial, for example - when I know that our soldiers who have returned from and are still returning from other conflicts, and their families, are not getting nearly the financial and emotional support they so richly deserve. Their suicide rate is an absolute indictment on our government. Still, I will always be glad I had this day of reflection and sorrow.   

 

Some of the used shells on display at just one property.

Another roadside memorial.

On the Canadian site. Notice the hollows from the bunkers.

Part of the memorial to Canadian soldiers. Some were buried at the Australian National Memorial. 

An imposing tribute to the Canadians who died.

Walking along one of the zig-zagging trenches.

Flowers growing and a bee buzzing inside a trench. 

A deep trench.

In memory of Canadians who died.

The memorial built by the landowner on whose land the crater is located. 

A portion of the massive crater.

A field of flowers across the road from the crater.  

I have no idea what the flowers were, but it was just so lovely to see them after this day. 

A field once a battlefield, now at peace. My last memory of the Somme.