While we were visiting Polygon Wood during last weekend’s Flanders trip, I decided it was high time I introduced myself to a certain Johan Vandewalle, who runs this bar near the north western corner of the wood. Now Johan has many stories to tell, one of which I promised I would post a link to here, so without further ado, check out Johan’s excellent website concerning a project very close to his heart. Continue reading
So, Back in Blighty already. I tell you, these trips to Flanders just fly by. Continue reading
You want to know what the weather was like in Flanders today? Allow me to introduce you to the first clouds of the day, as the sun sets over Polygon Wood Cemetery. A mere 710 photos taken on day uno with the new camera. Tomorrow, across the border to Erquinghem-Lys, and then we head for Laventie. More of the same, please.
At the far north western end of Pont-de-Nieppe Communal Cemetery, beneath the willow trees, 790 German Great War casualties are buried in one of a number of small German cemeteries to be found in this part of French Flanders. Continue reading
The road from Armentières north west to Bailleul passes through a number of small communities each of which, it won’t surprise you to hear, host their own CWGC cemetery. Continue reading
Suffolk Cemetery, La Rolanderie Farm, can be found in the middle of the fields a few hundred yards south of the town of Erquinghem-Lys. Continue reading
It is nearly midnight on Christmas Day, and I should probably be fast asleep by now, bearing in mind that they dragged me dahn the pub at 11.30 this morning! The Missus has done the chauffeuring all day, Morecambe & Wise are Singing in the Rain on the telly, and I thought you needed to see this fascinating postcard that I obtained a couple of months ago. In order to work it out, here’s what you need to know. It’s a French postcard, it says Guerre 1914 (not 1915, nor 1916, nor Grande Guerre, just Guerre 1914) at the top, and at the bottom it says ‘German Infantry on the road to’ and then a black oblong, which is pre-printed, not censored. Continue reading
