Early in the morning, we drove from Paris to Peronne, where our first visit was to the Great War Museum. It was another positive and welcoming experience.
The museum was large, with many exhibits of the events leading up to WWI, the details of army management, dress, and kits, and many interactive screens to view maps, changing borders, and short clips of the limited footage of the time. There was a large group of schoolchildren there at the same time as us, and it was as interesting watching them as much as the exhibits; the museum had clearly struck a chord, and groups of them, loud and excited, crowded around the displays of uniforms and weaponry and touch screens with enthusiasm. It was good to see. The Peronne museum also had an exhibit of the art of Otto Dix- a german soldier during WWI who transmuted the horror and realities he saw into sketches and drawings. They were shocking, and deeply visceral. Gory scenes of bloated, insect ridden faces three days dead in a trench. Legless horses beside the remnants of exploded mines. Too-young soldiers with too-old prostitutes… I apologize for sharing the details, but it is the details which set his work aside as a chronicle in itself of the war. Many realities of trench life and battle aftermath were not allowed to be shown in images, lest it negatively effect the morale of other troops, or the support of citizens. When bodies were shown, they were faceless, and dead of war wounds nobly received. A soldier dead of disease, hypothermia, or blown half open by shrapnel is not something to put on a Buy War Bonds poster. It was as moving as it was shocking, and though the images have not yet left me, I’m glad I saw the exhibit. I feel as if I’m sharing Otto Dix’s burden, somewhat. His art was clearly a way of processing what he had seen and felt, and turning what could not be unseen into a reminder to all of the parts of war no one likes to dwell on.
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| 'Wounded Soldier'- Otto Dix |
After our visit, the Peronne museum gave us each a packed lunch of sandwiches, chips, and a drink to take with us. We drove to the monument at Thiepval, and had a picnic on the grass outside the small museum. The memorial at Thiepval is a large, beautiful stone arch and steps leading to a cemetery. It’s run by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and even though it was only an hour long stopover en route to Beaumont-Hamel, it was a lovely day, and a beautiful tribute.
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| Thiepval Memorial Cemetery and Monument |
We were at Beaumont-Hamel, the Newfoundland Regiment Memorial, by 2:00pm for our guided tour. David, a Canadian from Ottawa, was our guide, and he brought us all along the old trenches up to the ridge where the great Caribou statue stands on a hill. Almost the entire Newfoundland regiment was wiped out on the first day of the battle of the Somme, July 1st, 1916. Of the approximately 800 men, only 110 returned, and of that 110 only 68 were fit for roll call the following day. Like Dieppe, it was a slaughter. For their valour, the Newfoundland Regiment was awarded the right to add ‘Royal’ to their title, thus making them now the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. They were the only member of the dominions (Newfoundland was not yet part of Canada at the time) to have been accorded that honour, so our guide told us.
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| Beaumont-Hamel Caribou |
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| Trenches |
After Beaumont-Hamel, we arrived in the town of Gouy-Sous-Bellone. Our hotel, where we are to stay for four nights, is called Ferme de la Sensee, and it’s marvelous. It’s a large renovated farmhouse and barn, and the owners cook us a wonderful three-course supper every night, and give us coffee, croissants, cheese, and yogurt every morning. We are well taken care of here, and were even given a packed lunch for our day long visit to Vimy Ridge.... Which will be tackled in another post! Off now to supper... Last night was Quiche with mushrooms and cheese, followed by roast pork with herbed cream sauce, steamed potato, and apple, with creme brûlée and coffee for dessert. All served with Vin, naturalment.
Sante!
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