Newsletter
WW1 Battlefields
In
September of this year Angela and myself were able to fulfil an ambition
of mine to visit some of the World War 1 Battlefields. My two grandfathers
both survived the war and I was interested in finding out about where they
had served in France. We went with a company specializing in this kind of
tour - Bartlett's Battlefield Journeys in a group of six. Four of the
group were from Australia, one an expat from Pudsey with her
granddaughter, of the other couple one was from New Zealand. Quite a
diverse group who had had relatives involved in France during World War 1.
Bartlett's
had carried out research into all these relatives and were able to
pinpoint and visit the areas of battlefield where they had been involved.
The days spent visiting cemeteries, memorials and exploring battle site
were long and full of interest. The experience could be quite emotive and
thought provoking. There were moments of sorrow and of gratitude in
realizing the enormity of the sacrifice. There were lighter moments during
our visit and a glass or two of wine at dinner helped the company unwind
and we soon became firm friends.
We
didn't take binoculars with us, but sometimes wished we had, as many of
the cemeteries were surrounded by woodland or trees which seemed full of
birds. Perhaps next time we visit, as our experience this time has
stimulated our interest in this important period of our history.
The
quality of the accommodation, the well researched information and the
consideration given to individual requirements, lead us to recommend
Bartlett's Battlefield Journeys to anyone with an interest in WW1.
Ken
Belk