REMEMBRANCE TOURISM GUIDE 2019


Musée du Fort de la Pompelle Constructed in the wake of the Franco-Prussian War, this fort in Puisieulx became of paramount importance to the defence of Reims in the Great War, and came under heavy bombardment from the German offensive of 1914. The fort withstood the hundreds of shell strikes, gas attacks, tank and infantry assaults that bombarded it throughout the war. In the 1950s it was renovated and converted into a museum. Displaying artillery equipment and preserved troops’ living quarters, the museum’s chief attraction is its collection of 560 items of German military headwear – an extensive array of helmets and caps worn by the different regiments of the German Imperial Army. In preparation for the Great War’s centenary last year, the city of Reims invested heavily in updating the museum, which is now 40 per cent larger, with a more diverse range of exhibits. www.lamarne14-18.com www.reims.fr


The Historial de La Grande Guerre Museums at Péronne and Thiepval


Set in the old castle and with beautiful lakeside gardens, the museum at Péronne in the Somme is a great place to find out about the political, military and social background to the Great War. Its sister museum at Thiepval, near the Monument, is devoted to the battles of the Somme and offers invaluable context to the British and South African memorial here. www.historial.fr


AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND IN THE GREAT WAR During the First World War, Australian and New Zealand troops were involved in action across the globe, including in Turkey, Egypt, Palestine and the Pacific. But their greatest efforts and loss of life were on the Western Front in France and Belgium. Every year, on April 25,


 Tunnels of Arras and Carrière Wellington Museum  Quesnoy National Memorial  Tyne Cot Memorial


CANADA IN THE GREAT WAR


Le Musée de la Grande Guerre offers a comprehensive overview of the Great War


ANZAC Day is held in remembrance of the 60,000 Australian and 16,000 New Zealander soldiers who lost their lives in the conflict. The Australian forces’ major battle in France was at Fromelles ten miles west of Lille, in July 1916, where a military disaster unfolded with tragic loss of life, described as “the worst 24 hours in Australia’s entire history” on the Australian National Memorial in Canberra. 5,553 men died – 90 per cent of the troops who took part. Two years later, Australian troops fought bravely to recapture the village of Villers-Bretonneux and at the Battle of Hamel, where the ‘Diggers’ overran German troops. On April 25, 2018, the new Sir John Monash Centre, commemorating Australia’s role in the War, was inaugurated at Villers- Bretonneux. New Zealand committed over 100,000 servicemen to the war effort and suffered the highest per capita death and casualty rates of any country involved. The loss of life on the Western Front and in Belgium was more than 13,000. Kiwi soldiers distinguished themselves during the Battle of the Somme in 1916, at Messines Ridge in 1917, and in the horrific Third Battle of Ypres


at Passchendaele in the same year. Greater success was to be had towards the last days of the war when the New Zealand Division captured the town of Le Quesnoy. At Arras, the recently rediscovered tunnels bear testimony to the extraordinary work of New Zealand’s engineers, who helped save many lives. www.musee-bataille-fromelles.fr


AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND MUSEUMS,


MEMORIALS AND CEMETERIES IN FRANCE  Australian National Memorial and Franco- Australian Museum, Villers- Bretonneux  Australian Memorial Park, Le Hamel  Centre Vignacourt 14-18  Memorial to the 1st Australian Division, Pozières  VC Corner and Australian Memorial  Australian Memorial Park  Pheasant Wood Cemetery  New Zealand Memorial of Longueval  Caterpillar Valley Memorial  Buttes Polygon Wood Memorial  NZ Messines Ridge Memorial  Euston Road Cemetery


It is often said that Canada entered the Great War a colony and emerged a nation. It is certainly true that during the four years of the war, Canada suffered devastating losses. Early in the war, in support of Great Britain, Canadian troops saw action in 1915 at the Ypres Salient, where 2,000 lost their lives in the infamous poison gas battles. Gradually gaining a reputation as fearless fighters, the Canadian divisions saw action right across the Western Front over the following years, and suffered terrible losses at the Battle of the Somme. In 1917, now an experienced fighting force, all four divisions claimed a major victory at Vimy Ridge. This proved a great milestone in the progress of war, and for Canada’s sense of national identity, albeit at the cost of over 10,000 casualties.


Vimy Ridge Vimy Ridge is a memorial site dedicated to the Canadian Expeditionary Force members who were killed during the Great War. It also serves as the place of commemoration for the Canadian soldiers killed or presumed dead in France who have no known grave. www.veterans.gc.ca


Newfoundland Memorial, Beaumont-Hamel This memorial site at


Beaumont-Hamel is dedicated to the commemoration of Dominion of Newfoundland force members who were killed during the Great War. The preserved battlefield park encompasses the grounds over which the Newfoundland Regiment made their unsuccessful attack on July 1, 1916, during the first day of the Battle of the Somme. www.veterans.gc.ca FT


Apr/May 2019 FRANCE TODAY ❘ 157


IMAGE © Y MATIAS


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20