Onsite tour booklet for students and teachers

Transcription

1 Onsite tour booklet for students and teachers

2 How to use this booklet This booklet is divided into 3 parts: Part 1 A brief history of the First World War something you should read and discuss with your teacher before you cross over to Ypres in Belgium. It will help you to make sense of what you are about to see. Part 2 The Ypres Salient as well as background information about the war in the Ypres area in Belgium between 1914 and 1918, this section of the booklet contains information about each site you are going to visit around the city of Ypres during your tour of the First World War battlefields along with suggested activities for you to complete with the help of your teacher whilst on the different sites. Part 3 The Somme 1916 and beyond - as well as background information about the war on the Somme in France in 1916, this section of the booklet contains information about each site you are going to visit on the Somme during your tour of the First World War battlefields along with suggested activities for you to complete with the help of your teacher whilst on the different sites. How to use the booklet whilst on each battlefield site (e.g. cemeteries, museums, memorials, archaeological sites): Step 1: READ Read the background information about the site before you get there so that you know what you are going to see and why it is significant. Step 2: LISTEN When you get to the site, your battlefield guide will tell you a bit more about it and what to look for. Take the chance to ask the guide any questions you may have remember they are First World War experts and here to help you. Step 3: EXPLORE With the help of your teacher start to look around the site and complete any of the tasks in the booklet you have been asked to do. Step 4: RECORD You may want record some of what you find at the site to share with your classmates back at school. Where you get the chance, use a mobile phone, tablet, digital camera or other device to record information as these can often make things easier to record and share. In the booklet, the symbol on the right is used to highlight some of the best opportunities and sites to do this. Step 5: REFLECT On some sites you may want to take a little time to reflect on what you have just seen What new information have you learnt? How did this make you feel? What did think of the site? Has it changed your view of the First World War? In the booklet, the symbol on the right is used to highlight some of the best times to do this. 2

3 What do we want you to investigate as you go from site to site? With your teacher, choose one of the key questions below. The key question will be the theme of your investigation during the tour. We want you to think about the key question as you go from site to site. At each site try to get as much information as you can to help you answer the key question. The suggested activities in the booklet will help you to do this. Some places will provide more information than others and you will also come across many different types of sources during your visit. What can we learn about life on the Western Front from visiting the battlefields? Was it the same for everybody? Why is the First World War known as the Great War? What is left of the First World War today and how should we continue to remember it after 100 years? Additional note for teachers on how to use this booklet This booklet contains lots of information and you may need to help your students make sense of it, particularly as they travel from site to site. The suggested enquiry questions above are designed to give an overall coherence to the battlefield tour and to provide a link between the various sites visited. To help your students make these connections, keep referring them back to one of these enquiry questions so that they use each site purposefully and start to build up a bigger picture of the First World War. Alternatively, you may want to substitute one of these questions for your own e.g. one which is focused on specifically on your locality or around an area which interests you and your students. The booklets contain information and suggested activities for each site visited. Some text is coloured brown. We suggest that you go through this with your students, preferably before they arrive at the site so that they at least have some background knowledge of it and understand why it has been included on the itinerary. On arrival at each site, your students will get further help from our battlefield guides. They will set the scene providing brief details about the site and why it is significant. Where appropriate, they will use personal stories of individual soldiers, battalions etc to help to bring a site to life. They will help to orientate your students by suggesting which parts of the site to visit in the time available, where and how to find what they are looking for, and what some sites would have looked like during the First World War. They will be on hand to facilitate to answer any questions your students may have, to share their knowledge and expertise to help your students make sense of what they see. The onsite tasks are optional, feel free to select and adapt which ones you want your students to complete, or better still, substitute them with your own. 3

4 Glossary some useful words related to the First World War A Allies Britain and the Empire, Belgium, Italy, France and Empire, USA (from 1917) Romania, Russia, Serbia Artillery Large guns for long range, mounted on wheels or even on railway tracks B Barrage Heavy shelling using many guns, often before an attack Battalion An army unit of around 1000 soldiers: part of a regiment. Commanded by a lieutenant colonel. Divided into companies Bayonet Stabbing blade attached to a rifle Big push Slang for a major attack Blighty Slang for Britain. Comes from the Hindi word meaning home Blockhouse Concrete shelter for machine guns Brass Hat Slang for officer of high rank with gold braid on their cap C Casualty A soldier who is either killed, wounded, or listed as missing CO Commanding Officer Censorship Removing information from letters and communication that might give clues to enemy Company A unit of around 250 soldiers, commanded by a major or a captain Conscription Way of ensuring men join the army D Dig in Order to start constructing trenches or defensive positions Dressing station Centre near lines for emergency medical help Duck boards Wooden slatted boards in trenches to try and keep soldiers feet above the mud and water Dug out Underground shelter made within trench system F Field Ambulance A medical unit Fragment Part of an exploding shell case Front Line The line of trenches closest to the enemy where most of the fighting was done G Gas Used by both sides, unreliable because of wind: chlorine, phosgene, mustard gas H HQ Headquarters Hun Slang for German soldiers I Infantry Foot soldiers who did most of the fighting L Last post Bugle call originally played at dusk to call soldiers in from their posts. Now used at military funerals to remember those who have not returned Lee Enfield Standard British rifle, bolt action magazine loaded The Lines The trench system M Machine gun Gun which fires automatically Mine Tunnel filled with explosives used to destroy the enemy positions above N No Man s Land The area between the German and the Allied trenches O Offensive A campaign or series of attacks OP Observation post P Parados Protective mound behind the trench Parapet Top layer of sandbags at the front of the trench facing the enemy Periscope Mirrors on a tube or rifle to see over the parapet of the trenches Private Lowest rank in infantry Puttees Long cloth strips wound around shin worn by British troops R Red tab Officer of staff rank, due to red tab marks on lapels Regiment Made up of several battalions. Many had the names of counties e.g. The Norfolk Regiment. S Sandbags Canvas bags usually filled with soil to support the trenches Sap Shallow trench leading towards enemy lines, perhaps with a tunnel Shrapnel Steel balls inside an artillery shell which exploded above the ground Sniper Marksman with rifle and telescopic sight Stand-to An order to be ready for action usually carried out at dawn and dusk Stretcher bearers Men who carry a canvas frame to move the wounded T Tommy Slang for British soldiers V VC Victoria Cross the highest medal given for bravery W Whizz bang High speed German shell whose noise in flight was audible before the noise of explosion Wipers Slang for Ypres 4

5 A map of Northern France and Belgium showing some of the key locations on the former Western Front ENGLAND Kingswood Centre, Ashford Channel Tunnel BELGIUM Ypres ENGLISH CHANNEL Neuve Chapelle FRANCE Vimy & Arras The Somme List of sites included in this tour booklet: Ypres Somme Death Cells and Talbot House p.32 Devonshire Cemetery p.99 Hill 60 p.42 Mill Road Cemetery p.84 In Flanders Field Museum p.20 Newfoundland Memorial Park p.87 Indian Memorial, Neuve Chapelle p.61 Sheffield Memorial Park at Serre p.92 Langemark German Cemetery p.48 Thiepval Memorial p.74 Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery p.25 Thiepval Wood p.85 Memorial Museuem p.52 Ulster Tower p.81 Passchendaele Menin Gate p.38 VC Corner/Fromelles p.102 Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial p.45 Vimy Ridge p.107 5

6 Let s get started... with your teacher read through Part 1 of the booklet to find out about the brief history of the First World War Part 1: The First World War a brief history The First World War was triggered, in the short-term, on 28th June 1914 by the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary. One month later Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. This small conflict between these two countries spread rapidly. Other European countries were soon drawn into the war. Germany had previously joined Austria-Hungary to form the Central Powers, and on the other side, Russia, Great Britain, and France had come together through the Triple Entente or Alliance. As the War developed more nations such as Italy, Bulgaria, Turkey, Japan, the United States joined in along with countries from the British Empire such as India, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The First World War was a truly global war with fighting taking place all over Europe, the Middle East, Africa and China, as well as at sea and in the air. By the time the First World War ended on the 11th November 1918, more than 9 million soldiers had been killed with a further 20 million wounded. It was one of the deadliest wars in history and many hoped that the First World War would be the war to end all wars. This map shows how the First World War was a truly global war. Allies Central Powers Campaigns/battles/actions 6

7 The Western Front Following the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, the German Army launched the Schlieffen Plan and invaded Luxemburg and Belgium before crossing into France. The Germans hoped for a quick victory over the French and came within 50 miles of Paris before suffering a defeat at the First Battle of the Marne in September The Germans were forced to retreat by the French and British Armies before digging themselves into trenches in a desperate attempt to hold on to the territory they had gained in north-east France and Belgium. This was the beginning of trench warfare, a war of little movement where armies fought bitterly to gain small advances in territory against lines of trenches heavily fortified by barbed wire and machine guns. By Christmas 1914 the war on the Western Front had reached stalemate. The trench lines extended for over 420 miles from the Belgian coast to the Swiss frontier and changed little for much of the war. During 1915 the length of the front line held by the British nearly doubled and by late September it stretched for some 70 miles. The Allies (including Belgium, Britain (and the Empire) and France) and the Germans made attempts to break the opposing lines but without real success. Trench warfare, on the whole, was a wretched existence. British soldiers were in the front or reserve trenches for about eight days at a time. Even when they were not involved in a major battle soldiers could be injured or killed by snipers or artillery fire. The harsh conditions, frequently wet and muddy, and the constant company of lice and rats which fed on unburied bodies, often caused disease. This map shows the extent of the line of trenches which ran from the Belgian coast to the Swiss frontier, a distance of nearly 420 miles. 7

8 Suggested Activities: Describe three ways in which the First World War was a world war: Explain why people hoped that the First World War would be the the war to end all wars : Explain what the Western Front was and how it came about: 8

9 The Commonwealth War Graves Commission On your tour you will be visiting a number of cemeteries and war memorials. You will notice that all of the sites which commemorate British and Commonwealth soldiers have many similar features. All of these sites are maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). Today, the CWGC commemorate 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the First and Second World Wars. The CWGC is committed to maintaining these sites in perpetuity - forever. How it all began In September 1914, shortly after the start of the War, a former teacher from Gloucestershire called Fabian Ware, arrived in France. He had originally tried to enlist in the British Army but was told he was too old to serve. Instead he volunteered with the British Red Cross and led a mobile unit which helped rescue injured soldiers and too often had to recover dead bodies for burial. During the War when a soldier died he would be buried near the hospital or battlefield with his comrades being responsible for marking his grave. Many of the records for these graves were lost or the simple cross they had erected became damaged in the continual fighting. Fabian Ware soon realised the flaws in this system, as there was no official group or organisation being in charge of marking and recording the graves of those killed. Relatives at home would have been deeply distressed to know their loved ones were simply buried with no lasting memorial. Fabian Ware began organising the recording of the deaths and burials of the soldiers in his area. In 1915 the War Office recognised the work that he and his unit were doing, making them the Graves Registration Unit. Almost immediately, they began receiving hundreds of requests from relatives for information and even photographs of their loved ones graves. By ,000 photographs had been sent to mourning loved ones around the world. In 1917 Fabian Ware challenged the Imperial War Conference about the need to have a lasting record of all who had been killed and where they were buried. On 21st May 1917, The Imperial War Graves Commission (IWGC) was created. As well as recording the details of each man or women buried during the War, they began designing lasting memorials and cemeteries to commemorate and remember the fallen. There were many arguments about how the fallen men and women should be commemorated, but in the end the IWGC decided on four important principles: 1. Each of the war dead should be commemorated by name on the headstone or memorial 2. Headstones and memorials should be permanent 3. Headstones should all be the same 4. There should be no distinction made on account of military or civil rank, race or creed 9

10 By 1938 the building work for the hundreds of cemeteries and memorials from the First World War was completed. One year later, the Second World War began. The burial of men and women started again and from this War the CWGC commemorates a further 600,000 men and women. After the Second World War the CWGC agreed that it would honour and commemorate the 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the First and Second World Wars in perpetuity. Common features of a CWGC cemetery or memorial You will soon notice that the CWGC cemeteries have a number of key features which are common across all sites. This guide will help you understand these features and to begin to evaluate their symbolism. Cross of Sacrifice The majority of the families in the UK during the First World War were from Christian backgrounds. The cross is the main symbol of Christianity and would have been seen as the focal point of the cemetery. This would have been very important for the mourners just after the First World War. The cross, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, is simple in its design, representing all denominations of Christianity. Attached to the Cross is a downward-pointing bronze sword. If there isn t a cross then it s because the majority of the casualties are non- Christian or the cemetery is simply too small. Stone of Remembrance In the CWGC cemeteries which have more than 1,000 burials, you will often find a Stone of Remembrance. During the First World War it was understood that, not everyone buried or commemorated in the cemeteries were Christians. CWGC decided that a non-christian memorial or monument needed to be included. Unlike the other religious symbols, the Stone of Remembrance represents all faiths and therefore shows the diversity in the 1.7million people commemorated by the CWGC. 10

11 In 1917, Sir Edward Lutyens designed a very simple, non-religious sculpture known today as the Stone of Remembrance. Rudyard Kipling, the famous author and poet, was advising the IWGC on memorial inscriptions and came up with the final inscription - THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE. Headstones During the tour you will see row upon row of headstones. These are all designed to be the same, no matter who they commemorate. Many headstones will simply say the words A SOLDIER OF THE GREAT WAR and KNOWN UNTO GOD. This means that the identity of the person is not known. Even where the identity is unknown, they were still buried with respect and the CWGC maintains their headstones in the same way as those that are named. How to read a CWGC headstone Each headstone has a number of common features which allow you to find out about the soldier buried there. The amount of information recorded can differ but what follows is a general guide to the common features found on a CWGC headstone. Regimental badge Rank of soldier Name Regiment serving with at time of death Post-nominals in this case, MC shows that this officer was awarded the Military Cross Age Date of death Religious symbol Personal inscription; chosen and paid for by the family Cemetery boxes and registers Close to the entrance to each cemetery you will find a bronze cemetery box. In here you will find a copy of the cemetery register. This records the details held by the CWGC on each of those buried in the cemetery. From this you might find out more about where the soldier came from and details of their family. Most cemeteries also have a visitor book which is kept in the cemetery box. 11

12 Memorials to the Missing On your tour you will be visiting at least one CWGC memorial. During the First World War thousands upon thousands of men, and some women, died and have no known grave. It was decided by the CWGC that every man and woman needed to be remembered, even if their remains were not found or could not be identified and the various memorials to the missing were built. Relevance When you visit the CWGC s cemeteries and memorial sites, make sure you take a few minutes to pause and reflect. The CWGC encourage people, especially students, to visit their cemeteries so that you can remember the men and women from the two world wars who lost their lives. Identifying headstones from other nations: Belgium China France Germany Germany (2) United States of America Suggested Activity: What similarities and differences can you see in the way in which different countries commemorate their war dead? 12

13 A Basic Guide to the British Army in Infantry Regiments As you encounter graves, memorials and records, you will see that men in the infantry (the foot soldiers of the British army, primarily armed with rifles) are described as being attached to a regiment. These regiments will often be obviously linked to a specific county or area, such as the Hertfordshire Regiment or the Manchester Regiment. Even when it does not have a local name, such as the Royal Fusiliers, it will have had connections to a local area. Regiments performed an important role in recruiting and also contributed to soldiers identification with a specific part of the army. Infantry Battalions However, the regiment was not the basic fighting unit of the army. If you want to find out more about a soldier and his experiences, you will need to know more than his regiment. Specifically, for the infantry, you need to know which battalion a soldier served with. Battalions were units of up to 1,000 men. Battalions were numbered units, starting with the 1st Battalion. Sometimes you will see references to companies or, very occasionally, platoons. A company consisted of around 200 men. Each company was usually lettered, A, B, C or D. A platoon numbered around 50 soldiers. Platoons were then divided into sections of between 8 and 12 soldiers. Brigades and Divisions Although battalions were the basic fighting unit of the army, they did not fight in isolation. Infantry battalions were grouped together in fours (three in later stages of the war) as a brigade. Then, three brigades were combined into a division meaning that each division contained about 12,000 infantry at full strength. A division was designed to be able to fight without needing extra support, and therefore had more than 4,000 troops from units of the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Army Service Corps and others. By 1916, a division consisted of about 20,000 men. 13

14 Ranks in the British Army The following table helps to explain how the different ranks held by soldiers fit in with the army s structure. Rank Command Approximate number of men under command Field-Marshal Army Group 2,000,000 General Army 300,000 Lieutenant-General Corps 60,000 Major-General Division 20,000 Brigadier-General Brigade 4,000 Lieutenant-Colonel Battalion (commanding officer) (CO) 1,000 Major Battalion (second in command) Captain Company 200 Lieutenant or Second Lieutenant Sergeant Platoon 50 Platoon (second in command) Corporal or Lance Corporal Section 12 Private None 0 Women on the Western Front It was not only men who served on the Western Front. Although women were not allowed to serve with fighting units, many did serve in dangerous locations, in positions which were subject to enemy fire. Women served in many roles on the Western Front. Many often served close to the front lines as nurses or ambulance drivers. Some were awarded medals for their bravery under fire and others were killed by enemy shell-fire or bombing. Others served in the armed forces, releasing men so that they could be sent to fight. At home women took over many jobs which had previously been seen as men s jobs such a working in factories, on farms and the police force. 14

15 Part 2 The Ypres Salient

16 The battlefield sites the Ypres Salient then and now The Ypres Salient background information The Ypres Salient is the area around the town of Ypres in Belgium which was the scene of some of the biggest battles of the First World War. A salient is where in battle you find yourself surrounded on three sides by the enemy. It is very difficult to defend as the enemy can attack with artillery and machine gun fire from different directions. Map showing the Ypres Salient as it was before and after the Third Battle of Ypres Ypres (Ieper) was seen as the final barrier between the Germans and the Channel Ports of Calais and Boulogne. The Allies (including the Belgians, British, Canadians, French and Indians) were determined to hold on to it at all costs, failure to do so could have meant losing the War as vital supply lines from England of weapons and ammunition would have been cut off, and the Germans would have been free to occupy much of northern France. The Germans launched their first attack on Ypres in October 1914 in an attempt to break through 16

17 but were finally held back by the British Army crucially assisted by thousands of soldiers from the Indian Army Division which had been rushed to France to support the expeditionary force. The Second Battle of Ypres started in April 1915 when the Germans launched another massive attack in order to try to capture Ypres. During the attacks they used chlorine gas for the first time, something for which the Allies were unprepared. Another new weapon first used during this battle was liquid-fire, known today as flame-throwers. The fighting continued until the end of May with no breakthrough for either side. There were 95,000 casualties altogether. A photograph showing the main square in Ypres in June 1915 Perhaps the most well-known of the battles is the Third Battle of Ypres, known also as Passchendaele. On 7th June 1917 the British launched a successful attack on Messines Ridge using 19 mines to destroy the German defences on the approaches to the ridge. This gave the Allies hope that they could achieve a similar success at the Battle of Passchendaele and then go on to capture the nearby ports used by the Germans for their most dangerous naval weapon submarines (Uboats). The British attacked on 31st July 1917 but poor weather and stubborn German resistance saw the offensive grind to a complete halt by November. There were 325,000 Allied and 260,000 German casualties and the Allied troops had advanced barely five miles in three months. The appalling conditions, in which some men drowned in the mud of the battlefields, as well as thousands of others who died from machine gun or artillery fire, almost broke the spirit of both sides. For many this was the very lowest point of the War. 17

18 A party of stretcher-bearers evacuate a wounded soldier from the battlefield during the Third Battle of Ypres in Two accounts of the battlefields around Ypres in "Floods of rain and a blanket of mist have doused and cloaked the whole of the Flanders plain. The newest shell-holes, already half-filled with soakage, are now flooded to the brim. Every man was soaked through and was standing or sleeping in a marsh. It was a work of energy to keep a rifle in a state fit to use." William Beach Thomas (journalist) at the Battle of Passchendaele Daily Mail, 2nd August 1917 the whole thing became a drawn-out nightmare. There were no tree stumps or ruined buildings ahead to help you keep direction. The shelling had destroyed everything. As far as you could see, it was like an ocean of thick brown porridge. The wire entanglements had sunk into the mud, and frequently, when you went in up to the knees, your legs would come out with strands of barbed wire clinging to them, and your hands torn and bleeding through the struggle to drag them off... Lieutenant Robert Sherriff at the Battle of Passchendaele No Leading Lady (1968) 18

19 The sites you might visit The sites we are going to visit include the city of Ypres itself and various places within the Ypres Salient. In Ypres, we will visit the In Flanders Field Museum which is located in the famous Cloth Hall and which was completely destroyed during the War. Also, the Menin Gate through which the Allied troops passed on their way to the battlefields around the city. On the battlefields we will spend time at various cemeteries and other important battlefield sites. We will also go to Poperinge, a few miles from Ypres, where the soldiers were able to spend time resting and recovering from the ordeals of battle. Further away is Neuve Chapelle where we will visit the site of the Indian Memorial which commemorates over 4,700 Indian soldiers and labourers who lost their lives on the Western Front. Langemark Cemetery Tyne Cot Cemetery Death Cells & Talbot House, Poperinge In Flanders Field Museum Memorial Museum Passchendaele Menin Gate Lijssenthoek Cemetery Hill 60 Neuve Chapelle Indian Memorial around 20 miles south of Ypres in France A map showing some of the main sites you might visit around the Ypres Salient 19

20 Battles of the Ypres Salient site: In Flanders Field Museum Background The In Flanders Fields Museum is housed in the Cloth Hall. In the Middle Ages Ypres was an important trading city and was at the centre of the woollen cloth trade. The Cloth Hall was an international market place and wool and finished cloth from across Europe was traded here. During the First World War the city suffered continual bombardment. In the autumn and winter of 1914 the Cloth Hall and the nearby St Martin s Cathedral were set on fire. By the end of the War very little remained of the Cloth Hall. The building you can see in the square now is a reconstruction as is the entire city. Rebuilding started in the 1920s but it was not completed until after the Second World War. There has been a museum in the Cloth Hall for many years and the earliest museum was simply a collection of artefacts either collected from the local area or donated by former soldiers who came back to Ypres to remember their fallen comrades. Recently, the museum was completely changed to bring it up-to-date. It now has new exhibits on the experiences of all the people who were affected by the War: Allied and German soldiers and Belgian civilians. The Cloth Hall before the War 20

21 The Cloth Hall in the winter of Suggested onsite activities Museums can be difficult places to make sense of. The history of the War in and around Ypres is told in a number of different ways: A Chronology: as you walk through the museum the tour begins in the years before 1914 and considers how the War came to Flanders as well as how the fighting over four years changed the area. Themes (in Red Windows): Wartime Propaganda, Ypres in Ruins, Medical Care, Weapons of the Trenches, Escaping the War, Prisoners of War, and a Multicultural War. These different themes might be one of the areas you want to focus upon during your visit. Personalities: Before you start your tour you will be given a Poppy Bracelet, this will enable you to connect to two of the following people who were in Ypres during the First World War and follow their stories. Benjamin Buckley James Wilson Nellie Spindler Cecil King Malcolm Mercer Note for teachers Brief biographical details of the 5 individuals above are provided for your use at the end of this section in the booklet. 21

22 Activity 1: What can I learn about the person on my Poppy Bracelet? As you tour the museum your Poppy Bracelet can be activated at different points to provide you with information about two of the people above. Use this information to find out as much as you can you about these people and what happened to them. Activity 2: Explain which parts of the Museum made the biggest impression on you? The Museum contains a huge amount of displays and information and this can be a bit overwhelming when you visit the Museum for the first time. Think about which displays have made a big impression upon you. If you were going to recommend something you have seen in the Museum for someone from your school to look out for when they visit, what would it be? Select one item or area from each of the sections in the Museum. Explain why you think the particular exhibit is a must see for your classmates back home. A. The Chronological Tour What is it? Where is it located in the Museum? Reasons why you really should not miss this display / exhibit /area: 22

23 B. Themes What is it? Where is it located in the Museum? Reasons why you really should not miss this display / exhibit /area: B. Personal Stories What is it? Where is it located in the Museum? Reasons why you really should not miss this display / exhibit /area: 23

24 Reflect The Museum does much more than just tell the story of the First World War. Describe the different ways that it helps people to remember and commemorate the War: Remember the key questions at the start of the booklet? What information has this site provided to help you answer your key question? What can we learn about life on the Western Front from visiting the battlefields? Was it the same for everybody? Why is the First World War known as the Great War? What is left of the First World War today and how should we continue to remember it after 100 years? 24

25 Battles of the Ypres Salient site: Lijssenthoek Cemetery, Poperinge Background Lijssenthoek to the west of Poperinge was 12km from Ypres and therefore 14km behind the front lines. If you stand with your back to the visitor centre, Poperinge is in front of you about 2km away. Ypres is on your right and in the distance is the higher ground of the Messines Ridge. Today the railway line stops at Poperinge but during the First World War the railway passed very close to this area and it for this reason that in the spring of 1915 the first of a number of military hospitals were established here and they continued to treat casualties up to the end of the War. After Tyne Cot, Lijssenthoek is the largest military cemetery in Belgium. Lijssenthoek Cemetery immediately after the War Lijssenthoek Cemetery today 25

26 Suggested onsite activities In the Visitor Centre In the centre of the second room there are a number of personal histories about some of the people who are buried in Lijssenthoek. You can follow up these stories by visiting their graves in the cemetery next to the visitor centre. A significant amount of the detail relating to some of the casualties who are buried in Lijssenthoek has been provided by relatives. You might like to find out more about men from the Chinese Labour Corps who are buried here. If you use one of the computer terminals you can find out more about the Chinese Labour Corps. If you use the final search area: GENERAL and enter the search term Chinese you will be able to find out about these men. The area where these men are buried is also indicated on the plan. Activity 1: What can the cemetery tell us about the First World War? Is it possible to work out what work the Chinese Labour Force did in Belgium? CWGC Headstone belonging to a member of the Chinese Labour Corps 26

27 It is also worth trying to locate the grave of Nellie Spindler the only woman buried in Lijssenthoek, and one of only two British women killed in the war to be buried in Belgium. She was one of many qualified nurses who had joined the Queen Alexandra s Imperial Military Nursing Service to work in the field hospitals on the Western Front. Whilst on duty on 21st August 1917, she was mortally wounded in an explosion. Use one of the computer terminals to find out where she is buried. Under OCCUPATION search for Nurse. The terminals will also allow you to do a search for other interesting individuals who are buried in the cemetery. Try searching for General in RANK. You should also be able to track down details of German and French Soldiers. Complete the details of any searches you make and record the details below: Search Field Field Selected Name Significant details Search Field Field Selected Results Name Significant Details Date Died Date Died Plan of Lijssenthoek Cemetery: When you are searching names in the Visitor Centre the graves will be marked with a red dot on a plan of the cemetery. Mark the site of any casualty you want to visit on the plan below to help you. Chinese Labour Corps Graves Visitor Centre 27 Entrance to cemetery Your route from the Visitor Centre to the entrance of the cemetery

28 When you visited In Flanders Fields Museum you were asked to find out information about two people who were in the Ypres Salient during the First World War. Benjamin Buckley James Wilson Nellie Spindler (You may have already completed a search for Nellie) Cecil King Malcolm Mercer Note for teachers Brief biographical details of the 5 individuals above are provided for your use at the end of this section in the booklet. You may have already realised that these individuals died during the War and were buried here at Lijssenthoek. Use the terminals to find out more about these people and locate exactly where in the cemetery they were buried. Search Field Field Selected Name Significant details Search Field Field Selected Results Name Significant Details Date Died Date Died Lieutenant John Hartington MC, Machine Gun Corps. Died 13th July 1917 The biographical information relating to John Hartington was provided by Bury Boys Grammar 28

29 School. John had been a pupil there before the War. Can you find where he is buried? On the outer walls of the Visitor Centre you can find more information about: Casualty Clearing Stations and the care of the wounded. The evacuation of casualties. How the hospitals coped during the big battles (look for the display with the graphs) The early work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and how this helps you to understand how cemeteries are set out and how to understand the details carved on each headstone. Look also at the timeline of the Great War on one of the outer walls. When were the highest casualties recorded at Lijssenthoek? In the Cemetery As you walk along the path to the entrance to the cemetery what do you notice about the metal rods that line the path? What does each one represent? 29

30 Reflect When you enter the cemetery and the guide has finished speaking take some time to stand still and look around you. What do you see and hear? Describe how standing in the cemetery makes you feel: Activity 2: What does the cemetery tell us about the First World War? When you have finished reflecting start to explore the cemetery and locate the graves of the people you searched for in the visitor s centre. Ask the guide to help you. As you walk around record the different nationalities you come across: Keep a tally of the unknown burials you come across: Why are there so many nationalities and unknown burials in this cemetery? Record Use a camera, mobile phone or tablet to record what you see and what you feel. 30

31 Remember the key questions at the start of the booklet? What information has this site provided to help you answer your key question? What can we learn about life on the Western Front from visiting the battlefields? Was it the same for everybody? Why is the First World War known as the Great War? What is left of the First World War today and how should we continue to remember it after 100 years? 31

32 Battles of the Ypres Salient site: Death Cells & Talbot House, Poperinge Background During the First World War the number of men who served in France and Belgium was staggering. At one time there were just over two million British soldiers serving in France and Belgium. During the course of the War over five million British and Empire soldiers spent some time serving in France or Belgium. The important thing to realise is that this huge number of men could not all be in the front line at the same time. Also, there were times, in between the main battles of the First World War, when other areas of the Western Front were relatively quiet. By the middle of 1915 the Army began to establish a routine for soldiers and when a major battle was not taking place soldiers would take it in turns to spend time away from the front line to get some much needed rest. This rotation system tried to limit the amount of time soldiers spent up in the front line. For a few hours or a day soldiers might be able to get to a small town behind the lines where they could spend time with friends, have a drink and a meal in one of the many cafes, and even get a proper haircut and shave. For a few hours they would just try to forget about the War. In Belgium the small town of Poperinge was one such place, it is 12km from Ypres but it was a world away from the front line. It was still part of the military area and was surrounded by large military hospitals and by the barracks and camps where soldiers lived. This postcard gives you some idea of how busy Poperinge was during the War What do you notice about the types of transport used by the British Army? 32

33 Talbot House Talbot House in Poperinge was an unusual place to find in the middle of a military town so close to the front line. The house was run by an Army chaplain, Philip Clayton known by all the soldiers as Tubby Clayton and it was named Talbot House to remember Gilbert Talbot, the brother of Chaplain Neville Talbot, who was killed near Ypres in What made Talbot House unusual was that this place accepted soldiers of all ranks. In Poperinge, like army towns everywhere, officers and ordinary privates would hardly ever meet socially. Officers had their own clubs and restaurants. This was a religious establishment but did not push religion which was why it was named Talbot House rather than Church House. Suggested onsite activities Soldiers in the garden: the largest room in Talbot House Activity 1: Explain why Poperinge was so important to the soldiers? Look around the exhibition near the entrance to Talbot House. What did the soldiers do in Poperinge? 33

34 Activity 1 continued: Explain why Poperinge was so important to the soldiers? What name did the soldiers give to Poperinge? Give two examples to describe how they feel about Poperinge: Explain what is meant by Poperinge was a refuge from the terrors of Ypres : Activity 2: Explain why Talbot House was an unusual place on the Western Front? As you go around the house and gardens note down at least two things which the soldiers did when they came to Talbot House: What do you think the sign All rank abandon, ye who enter here mean? Explain how Talbot House made the men feel relaxed: 34

35 In the years after the War many former soldiers returning to the battlefields would call at Talbot House and ask if they could have a look around again. In 1929 it was put up for sale and bought by Lord Wakefield who donated it to the Toc H Association who still run it today. After the War Talbot House became a charity with the aim of promoting peace and reconciliation. Activity 3: Explain why Talbot House was such an unusual place on the Western Front? Why do you think that men kept going back to Talbot House after the War? Poperinge Town Hall During the War, there were huge numbers of British and Commonwealth soldiers based in Belgium. It is not surprising that some soldiers got into trouble especially when they were away from the front line. Despite being under orders, some soldiers over-stayed their leave, others got drunk and were involved in fights and more. They were also far away from home, fighting a war and not certain what lay ahead. Military Police (the Red Caps ) patrolled towns like Poperinge and a British Army Town Major was responsible for liaison between the civilian authorities and the military. Minor offenders would be picked up for the night and returned to their battalion where a senior officer would punish offenders by stopping their leave or other privileges. More serious offences would be tried by a military court called a Court Martial. During the War Poperinge Town Hall served as both court room and temporary prison. The most serious offences were punishable by death. Today, in the Poperinge Town Hall, you can see the cell for condemned men along with the execution post in the courtyard where men were shot by firing squad. 35

36 On the left is the original execution post and on the right is the one that you will see today. During the course of the First World War 266 soldiers were shot for desertion. Many of these men simply walked away from the front line or went absent as their units were about to go back into the front line. They were usually picked up some days later by the Military Police. Today we would probably recognise that some of men were suffering from psychiatric illnesses. However, many others were serial offenders who had been caught and punished on more than one occasion. As well as the 266 shot for desertion, soldiers were executed for a number of other reasons: Casting Away Arms 2 Cowardice 18 Disobedience 5 Murder 35 Mutiny 4 Quitting Post 7 Sleeping at Post 2 Striking a senior officer 4 Violence 1 Towards the end of the 20th century there was a campaign to have the sentence against the men short for desertion overturned and for the men to receive a pardon (the forgiveness of a crime and the cancellation of the relevant penalty). In 2001 a memorial to these men Shot at Dawn was opened at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. In 2006 Des Brown, the Defence Secretary, announced that the Government would give these men a posthumous pardon but it did not include those who had been sentenced to death but who had been given other punishments. The Shot at Dawn Memorial to soldiers executed by firing squad during the First World War 36

37 Suggested onsite activities Activity 1: Why have the men shot for desertion been pardoned? Describe the similarities between the memorial at Poperinge and the memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire: Do you think that it is right that these men were pardoned in 2006, when they had been found guilty according to the laws and courts of the day? 37

38 Battles of the Ypres Salient site: Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate Background Ypres is surrounded by a high defensive wall and a moat which was built in the 11th century. The city was then part of France and the fortifications were built to protect this important frontier city. The Menin Gate is a memorial to the missing which was built after the War at one of the gateways that controlled entry into the city. In the First World War, the spot at which the Menin Gate now stands today and the road beyond it was the main route that soldiers used on their way to the front line in the Salient. The Memorial to the Missing at the Menin Gate therefore has a great deal of significance and is the site for an act of remembrance that takes place every night at 8.00pm. Today the Memorial records the names of 54,406 soldiers from Britain, Australia, Canada, South Africa and India who lost their lives and have no known grave in this part of Belgium - the Ypres Salient - between August 1914 and 15th August The names of a further 34,948 are recorded on the memorial at the rear of Tyne Cot Cemetery. The Last Post Ceremony is a unique act of remembrance which is not seen anywhere else in the world. For a few minutes every evening this part of the city falls silent as buglers from the city s fire brigade sound the Last Post: to commemorate and express the eternal gratitude towards the soldiers of the British Empire who fought and fell in the defence of the city and Ypres Salient, saving the independence and freedom of Belgium. The first ceremony took place in When the Germans occupied Ypres in May 1940 the ceremony was then moved to Brookwood Cemetery in England until the city was liberated on 6 September On that evening the ceremony resumed in Ypres while fighting still continued in some parts of the city. The Menin Gate was officially opened in July 1927 in a ceremony attended by Lord Plumer, who had commanded British Armies during the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917, and by a group of 700 mothers who had lost sons during the War. In his speech at the opening ceremony Lord Plumer said of the names on the Gate: He is not missing. He is here. For many relatives who were able to make the pilgrimage, a visit to the Menin Gate was an important part of grieving for the loss of a son, brother or a husband whose body had not been found or identified. 38

39 Names of soldiers from the Indian Army on the Menin Gate In 1914, four divisions of the Indian Army were sent to France to support the BEF. Most of the Indian soldiers commemorated on the Menin Gate were killed in 1914 during the First Battle of Ypres. Their names can be found on the walls as you are walking back into Ypres. You will also be able to find their names on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission s Database but rarely are further family details included. A further memorial to the 130,000 India soldiers who served in France and Belgium is located on the ramparts, close to the Menin Gate. Different Attitudes to Remembrance and Commemoration at the Menin Gate Siegfried Sassoon was a British Army officer who was decorated for bravery in the War but in 1917 he felt that the War was pointless and wrote a series of very bitter poems about the conflict and the leadership of the War. On Passing the new Menin Gate by Siegfried Sassoon, written in 1927 Who will remember, passing through this Gate The unheroic Dead who fed the guns? Who shall absolve the foulness of their fate, Those doomed, conscripted, unvictorious ones? Crudely renewed, the Salient holds its own. Paid are its dim defenders by this pomp; Paid, with a pile of peace-complacent stone, The armies who endured that sullen swamp. Here was the world s worst wound. And here with pride Their name liveth for ever, the Gateway claims. Was ever an immolation so belied As these intolerably nameless names? Well might the Dead who struggled in the slime Rise and deride this sepulchre of crime. 39

40 Will Longstaff: The Menin Gate at Midnight, 1927 Will Longstaffe was an Australian War Artist. He attended the opening of the Menin Gate and was very moved by the ceremony. This huge painting, 2.7m long by 1.4m high, shows the ghosts of soldiers passing by the Menin Gate at night. In the years after the First World War there was a great interest in spiritualism, the idea that the dead could be contacted through mediums. A special exhibition of the painting was put on for King George V and it was then exhibited at galleries in Manchester and Glasgow where it drew huge crowds of people who would not normally visit art galleries. The painting then toured Australia where again it also drew large crowds. The original painting now hangs in the Australian National War Memorial in Canberra. Suggested onsite activities Activity 1: Remembering the First World War in 1927 Why do you think that these two sources reflect different attitudes to remembrance and commemoration at the Menin Gate when it opened in 1927? 40

41 Activity 2: Remembering the First World War today Why do you think the Last Post Ceremony continues to be so important today? Reflect You might want to reflect on your own thoughts and feelings as you took part in the Ceremony. 41

42 Battles of the Ypres Salient site: Hill 60 Background The distance from the top of Hill 60 to the centre of Ypres is only 4km. The hill was really a spoil heap of excavated earth for a railway cutting that had been dumped. It was called Hill 60 because it was 60m above sea level a practise common on military maps so that they could easily identify different locations. Hill 60 was captured by the Germans in December The height gave the Germans an advantage and it was soon decided that it had to be re-taken by the Allies. Due to its closeness to Ypres, the land here represented the most fought over square kilometre in the entire Salient. The landscape here still shows the effects of four years of fighting and much of it was especially dangerous and unpleasant because it was a war that was often fought underground. Perhaps another indication of how fierce the fighting was here is the fact that four Victoria Crosses (VC) were won on this site in April 1915 alone. Further fighting took place at Hill 60 in 1916 and in the summer of 1917 Hill 60 again changed hands during the Battle of the Messines Ridge. Hill 60 is not really part of the Messines Ridge but it was a piece of high ground the British needed to control before the start of the Third Battle of Ypres in July Two large mines were detonated below the German lines which completely destroyed them. German front line German front line Railway bridge British front line British front line The map above shows the closeness of the German and British lines, in places No Man s Land was less than 150 yards across. 42

43 Paul Nash: Mine Crater Hill 60 a print from 1917 German Bunker on Hill 60 dating from

44 Photograph of Hill 60 in 1918 it is hard to make sense of the landscape Suggested onsite activities Activity 1: What can we learn from the landscape at Hill 60? Most of the sites you have visited or will visit have to some extent been reclaimed by farmers, in some places battlefield archaeologists have had to uncover the evidence of war. What evidence can you find from the landscape here to show how it was affected by four years of heavy fighting 100 years ago? In what way are Paul Nash s print of Hill 60 and the photograph taken in 1918 easier to understand now you have walked over the ground of Hill 60? Record Use a camera, mobile phone or tablet to record what you see. 44

45 Battles of the Ypres Salient site: Tyne Cot Cemetery Background Tyne Cot is in area where much of the Third Battle of Ypres, also known as Passchendaele was fought. The battle began on 31 st July 1917 and this part of the battlefield was captured by Australian and New Zealand troops on 4th October It was not until 10 November 1917 that Passchendaele itself was captured bringing the Third Battle of Ypres to an end. After the War it was decided to make Tyne Cot the main concentration cemetery where the bodies and the remains of soldiers from across the Salient would be buried. Work began on the cemetery in 1922 and took five years to complete. The cemetery and memorial were officially opened on 20th July This aerial view of Tyne Cot Cemetery gives some idea of the scale of the site of the cemetery. The three German concrete bunkers can be seen in this photograph, one is beneath the Cross of Sacrifice in the centre of the Cemetery, the others surrounded by the large poplar trees towards the front of the cemetery. Together they form the points of a triangle which was a significant German defensive position in Tyne Cot is a staggering place. It is the largest British and Commonwealth War Cemetery in the world. In all 11,956 soldiers are buried here. Along the back wall and in the three circular areas at the rear of the cemetery is the Memorial to the Missing where the names of a further 34,927 soldiers, all from the UK and New Zealand who were killed in the Salient after 15 August 1917, are recorded. To fully appreciate the scale of the Cemetery it is useful to look at the cemetery from a couple of vantage points. One of these might be from the front entrance where the land rises gently uphill giving you an opportunity to see the headstones laid out up to the Cross of Sacrifice. An alternative 45

46 viewpoint is from the Cross of Sacrifice itself looking back down towards Ypres. From here you can make out the tower of the Cloth Hall and the spire of the cathedral in Ypres 8km away. Before you go into Tyne Cot you will pass through the Visitor Centre, this was opened by the Queen in 2007 to mark the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele. Inside the Visitor Centre information can be found about the battles fought here in 1917 and also about the cemetery and the work of Commonwealth War Graves Commission. An important feature of the Visitor Centre is the very large picture window which looks out across the Salient. From here you can see across to Ypres and beyond to the hills of the Messines Ridge. Suggested onsite activities Record As you explore the cemetery, visit the grave or memorial for a soldier from your local area someone that you may have researched with your teacher before coming here. Use a camera, mobile phone or tablet to record what you see and what you feel. 46

47 Activity 1: What does the size of Tyne Cot suggest about the First World War? As you walk around the cemetery it would be useful to make some simple notes so that you can compare Tyne Cot with Langemark Cemetery which you will be visiting after Tyne Cot: Tyne Cot (Select 3-4 rows and use these to conduct the following tasks) Number of unknown burials Dates of Death Nationalities Grouping of Month / Year of death (is this random or does it appear to be more organised?) Reflect Does the size of Tyne Cot Cemetery give you some idea of the scale of the First World War or is it just too much to take in? 47

48 Battles of the Ypres Salient Site: Langemark Cemetery Background Langemark lies 12km north east of Ypres. It was the scene of heavy fighting during the First Battle of Ypres in the autumn of 1914 and was occupied by the Germans following the Second Battle of Ypres in the spring of It also featured in the battles of August and September 1917 during the Third Battle of Ypres. Following the end of the War, Langemark became the site of the only German war cemetery in the Salient and over the years it has been enlarged. When it was originally created in 1932 it would have looked quite different. In 1932, there would have been no trees; the raised section of the cemetery by the blockhouses was a wild flower plantation. Today, you enter the cemetery through a heavy stone gateway. As you walk through into the cemetery you can see a large area enclosed by concrete plinths which are faced with bronze plaques. These hold the names of the almost 25,000 soldiers and airmen buried in what is a mass grave which contains more than 32,000 soldiers. This was only added after the Second World War when the Germans began to concentrate a number of cemeteries and the remains of other soldiers were moved to Langemark. The figures (illustrated below) were also added later. Beyond this mass grave there are more individual markers made of stone which record the names of nearly 14,000 soldiers buried in this part of the cemetery. Before you enter the cemetery you pass through a passageway which explains in detail the events of The last displays explain how the cemeteries were created and how the work of consolidation moving remains from smaller cemeteries to larger cemeteries was undertaken. The German Cemetery at Langemark 48

49 Suggested onsite activities Reflect When you enter the cemetery and the guide has finished speaking take some time to stand still and look around you. What do you see and hear? Explain how standing in the cemetery makes you feel: Record As you explore the cemetery, use a camera, mobile phone or tablet to record what you see and what you feel. 49

50 Activity 1: What does Langemark cemetery suggest about German feelings towards remembrance and the First World War? Describe at least three ways that Langemark Cemetery is different to Tyne Cot Cemetery: Explain the reasons there might be for this: Where do most of the visitors to Langemark Cemetery come from? Why do you think this is the case? What does Langemark cemetery suggest about the German attitude towards remembrance? 50

51 Remember the key questions at the start of the booklet? What information have Tyne Cot and Langemark Cemeteries provided to help you answer your key question? What can we learn about life on the Western Front from visiting the battlefields? Was it the same for everybody? Why is the First World War known as the Great War? What is left of the First World War today and how should we continue to remember it after 100 years? 51

52 Battles of the Ypres Salient site: Memorial Museum Passchendaele Background The Third Battle of Ypres began on 31st July 1917 and was fought during the autumn of It is often referred to as Passchendaele as this was the final village to be captured from the Germans in November 1917 after four months of bloody fighting. The battle took place in atrocious weather and the constant shelling by both sides reduced the battlefield to a sea of mud. The appalling conditions, in which some men drowned in the mud of the battlefields as well as thousands of others who died from machine gun or artillery fire, almost broke the spirit of both sides. For many this was the very lowest point of the War. A special exhibition in the Memorial Museum Passchendaele shows how bad the conditions were on the battlefield. Stretcher-bearers trying to evacuate a wounded soldier through the deep mud. The museum is in the village of Zonnebeke. Below is a photograph of Zonnebeke taken in October 1917, you can see that the location of the museum is clearly marked. The photograph shows the impact of the concentrated shellfire which devastated the area in 1917 along with the appalling weather conditions. This is where the Museum is today Zonnebeke Church 52

53 Suggested onsite activities The museum is set out in four parts. Part 1 is on the first floor which is where you will start your visit. This contains an exhibition about the First World War. The exhibition is set out in chronological order from the beginning of the War in 1914 to the end in As you walk through take the time to look at the different exhibits, and with the help of your teacher, make brief notes on any artefacts that interest you and that help you complete your investigation into the First World War. Activity 1: Using artefacts to find out about the First World War Note down any artefacts that help you complete your investigation into the First World War. You could also draw and label some of these artefacts. If you were to choose three artefacts to help you teach others about the First World War, which ones would you choose and explain why. Artefact Why have I chosen it...? 53

54 Part 2 is a reconstruction of a First World War shelter, known as a dugout. To reach this you have to go down the stairs at the end of the exhibition in Part 1. The way down is clearly signposted. In 1917 conditions above the ground were so bad that the Allied soldiers were forced to dig underground shelters to protect themselves. The one you will walk through is based on an abandoned First World War dugout discovered underneath Zonnebeke church by archaeologists. They excavated the site between 1998 and 2000 and found many artefacts that had been preserved for over 80 years in the soil. Many of these are now on display in the museum. The reconstructed underground shelter in the Memorial Museum Passchendaele A photograph taken of a British underground shelter in It is being used as an advanced dressing station, where soldiers are having their wounds treated before being evacuated. 54

55 Activity 2: How accurate is the re-construction of the underground shelter? Walk through the re-constructed shelter and look around you. Does the size of it surprise you? Describe what the different rooms were used for: How was the shelter constructed? What materials have been used? Now look at the second photograph on p.52, taken in 1917 what does this tell you about life in the shelter that the reconstruction cannot tell you? How useful is the reconstruction for finding out about what life must have been really like for the soldiers sheltering underground in 1917? 55

56 Part 3 is the special exhibition about the Battle of Passchendaele in While you are in the exhibition, the guide will take you into the cinema to show you a short film about the Battle of Passchendaele. Spend the rest of the time walking around the exhibition to find out as much as you can about the Battle of Passchendaele. Activity 3: Why were the conditions at the Battle of Passchendaele so appalling? Use the exhibition and the film to record at least four things about the conditions during the Battle of Passchendaele and describe them below. Which was most responsible for the conditions the weather, the shelling by both sides or the landscape around Passchendaele? Explain your answer. Explain how these conditions affected the outcome of the Battle of Passchendaele: Were conditions on the battlefield always as bad as this during the First World War? 56

57 Activity 4: Look at the painting below by Sir William Orpen, official war artist: The village of Zonnebeke How accurate is this portrayal of the battle based on the other sources you have studied in the museum? How does this compare to the village of Zonnebeke today (remember the museum is in the village)? 57

58 Part 4 is a series of reconstructed trenches. To get to these, leave the museum by the exit door and then begin your walk through the trenches outside. There are reconstructions of German and British trench systems, all carefully reconstructed by archaeologists using photographs, maps and other sources. Your guide will be on hand to help you make sense of what you see. The German reconstructed trenches at the Memorial Museum Passchendaele The British reconstructed trenches at the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 58

59 Activity 5: How useful are these reconstructions for finding out about life in the trenches? What are the differences between German and British trenches? Explain why trenches were not dug in a straight line: How do the conditions in these today compare with what they might have been like during the First World War? First World War Today How useful are these reconstructions in finding out about life in the trenches? Useful Limitations 59

60 Remember the key questions at the start of the booklet? What information has this site provided to help you answer your key question? What can we learn about life on the Western Front from visiting the battlefields? Was it the same for everybody? Why is the First World War known as the Great War? What is left of the First World War today and how should we continue to remember it after 100 years? 60

61 Battles of the Ypres Salient & beyond: The Indian Memorial at Neuve Chapelle Background The Indian Memorial at Neuve Chapelle commemorates 4,661 Indian soldiers with no known grave, who fell in battle in this region while fighting for the British Army in the First World War. Around 130,000 Indian soldiers fought on the Western Front between 1914 and 1915 before being transferred to the Middle East to fight for the Allies against the Turks. By 1918 the Indian Divisions of the British Army had increased in size to around 573,000 men. Indian soldiers won 13,000 medals for bravery, including 12 Victoria Crosses. By the end of the War a total of 47,746 Indians had been reported dead or missing, and a further 65,126 were wounded. Soldiers of the Indian Division fighting in Belgium in 1914 The location of the Indian Memorial was chosen because Indian troops took part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in The Memorial was designed by Sir Herbert Baker and was unveiled in It is a circular structure with carvings of the Star of India and the Imperial Crown, and the names of the dead are recorded on panels. Two men who were awarded the Victoria Cross are commemorated on the Memorial: William Arthur McCrae Bruce, and Gobar Sing Negi. The Indian Memorial at Neuve Chapelle 61

62 Suggested onsite activities Walk around the Memorial and look carefully at its design. Note also the names inscribed on the Memorial. Additional information about the Memorial is available on the board outside. Activity 1: How are the Indian soldiers who fought on the Western Front remembered? What evidence can you find that this is a memorial to the Indian soldiers who fought on the Western Front? Look at the names on the Memorial what different roles did the Indian soldiers play in the War? Which other soldiers from the British Indian Army are remembered here? What rank are they? What does this tell you about how the British Indian Army was structured? 62

63 Compare the two maps below. Note how India has changed over the years. In the First World War India was part of the British Empire. Now this region is made up of several independent countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. The British Indian Empire in 1909 The southern Asia region today 63

64 Activity 2: The Indian Memorial at Neuve Chapelle today What evidence is there that men from different ethnic and religious backgrounds are commemorated here at the Indian Memorial? Why is the contribution of countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar not more clearly marked at the Memorial? Should something be done about this? The Indian Memorial at Neuve Chapelle 64

65 Reflect Why is it important that the contribution of the Indian regiments to the Allied victory in the First World War is remembered today? Is the Indian Memorial at Neuve Chapelle a fitting memorial? Who else fought on the Western Front? Remember the key questions at the start of the booklet? What information has this site provided to help you answer your key question? What can we learn about life on the Western Front from visiting the battlefields? Was it the same for everybody? Why is the First World War known as the Great War? What is left of the First World War today and how should we continue to remember it after 100 years? 65

66 Additional Information for Teachers (for use at the In Flanders Field Museum in Ypres and Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery) Examples of individuals killed on the Ypres Salient and buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery Corporal Benjamin Buckley ( ) At the end of 1915 Benjamin Greaves Buckley, a stonemason from Bury in Lancashire, was serving as a corporal with the 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers. The battalion participated in a trench raid near Blairville in France, supported by artillery fire and a gas screen - aimed to confuse the enemy and test their own strength with such raids. It seemed to work, because many Germans were found dead in their dug-outs. In early July 1916 the Battle of the Somme started. Benjamin's battalion was involved in the area of Ginchy. In October 1916 Benjamin Buckley arrived in the Ypres sector. He was wounded in the trenches at Wieltje, near Ypres. He died from his injuries on 9th July 1917 and is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery in Poperinge (Grave XIV.B.12A). His name is also engraved on the war monument in Radcliffe in Lancashire. Captain James Wilson ( ) James Ernest Studholme Wilson was from Burley in Hampshire, and had been a doctor before the War, having trained as a surgeon in He served as a medical officer in the Royal Army Medical Corps during the War and was much loved by both his fellow officers and the men. He did all he could to keep up their morale. For example, he would look for soldiers with singing talent to give concerts. In 1917, with the help of the quartermaster sergeant this vocal group was given the right clothes. Dressed as French pierrots (sad clowns) the Black and Whites they gave such a successful show they had to do it two extra times. Captain James Wilson served with the 2nd/1st Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and was decorated with the Military Cross for bravery during the Battle of Fromelles in By 1917 he was serving in the Ypres Salient and was sent to the front lines with his battalion on 20 August He did not want to use the guides that were provided and got lost moving past Warwick Farm. Waiting in a shell crater, the company came under fire. A piece of shell fragment hit James in the stomach. He did not reach the advanced dressing station on the Brandhoek until the next morning. He was operated on but had to be moved to a Casualty Clearing Station near Poperinge where he died on 23 August Wilson is buried in Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery (Grave XVI.A.12) 66

67 Staff Nurse Nellie Spindler ( ) Nurse Nellie Spindler was from Wakefield and is the only woman to be buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery in Poperinge amongst 10,800 men. She is also one of only two British women, killed in the war, to be buried in Belgium. Nellie Spindler enlisted into the Queen Alexandra s Imperial Military Nursing Service and went to work in the casualty clearing stations on the Western Front. Initially she was far away from danger, but in the summer of 1917 she arrived at 44th Casualty Clearing station at Brandhoek, which specialised in treating stomach wounds. This field hospital was nearer the front, because stomach wounds had to be treated as quickly as possible due to the risk of infection. On 31st July 1917, the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, the hospital was flooded with the injured. Nellie worked in difficult circumstances and the matron was full of praise for her. Staff Nurse Nellie Spindler was mortally wounded on 21st August 1917 by an artillery shell when enemy fire aimed at the railway and the ammunition dump nearby landed next to the nurse s quarters. Nellie died 20 minutes later. The Casualty Clearing Station was quickly evacuated and transferred to Lijssenthoek near Poperinge the same day. Nellie's body was transferred too. She was given a military funeral the next day. (Grave XVI.A.3) Corporal Cecil King ( ) Cecil Charles King was born in Maidstone, Kent. He was the fifth of seven children of John King, a charcoal burner, and Eliza Lawrence. Cecil was a gas fitter before the War. In December 1914 he married Edith Venables. On 16th January 1916 their son Ronald was born. Early in the War, Cecil joined the 98th Field Company of the Royal Engineers. The company landed in France in September Cecil served in the battles of Loos, the Somme, Arras, and in the Third Battle of Ypres. Cecil King died on 6th November 1917 in a Canadian aid station, when the terrible battles (the Third Battle of Ypres) were ending. He had probably been badly wounded in the battles around Geluveld, during late October Corporal Cecil King of the Royal Engineers is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery in Poperinge. After the death of her husband, Edith Elizabeth Venables remarried. She told her son Ronald, born in 1916, little about his real father. (Grave XXI.GG.16) 67

68 Major General Malcolm Mercer CB ( ) Malcolm Smith Mercer was born on a farm near Toronto, Ontario (Canada). In 1912 he became the commander of the Queen s Own Rifles of Canada. Mobilised as a lieutenantcolonel, he worked at his solicitor's office until the afternoon before his departure. During the training of his unit in the UK he became Brigadier General in the 1st Brigade of the Canadian Expedition Force. Mercer was in Vlamertinge when the first German gas attack signaled the start of the Second Battle of Ypres on 22 April He personally bawled out the French troops because they did not deliver their promised support. In January 1916 he was promoted to Major General, commanding the 3rd Canadian Division. On 1st June 1916 the 3rd Canadian Division was manning the front line between Hill 62 and Mount Sorrel. In the early morning of 2nd June 1916 he personally inspected his sector. Heavy fire suddenly started as the Germans launched a major attack. Mercer was badly wounded in the leg by a bullet. Unable to be evacuated he took shelter in a trench. Early the next morning, during the fierce artillery barrage, a shrapnel shell exploded nearby killing Mercer instantly. His body was not found until 16th June 1916 when he was identified by his uniform. Canadian Major General Mercer is the highest ranking soldier to be buried in the military cemetery at Lijssenthoek in Poperinge. He was also the highest ranking Canadian soldier to die in the First World War. (Grave VI.A.38) 68

69 Part 3 The Battle of the Somme

70 Battlefield sites the Battle of the Somme then and now The Battle of the Somme 1916 background information The Battle of the Somme was one of the largest battles of the First World War in which more than one million men were killed or wounded, making it one of the bloodiest battles in history. It took place between 1st July and 18th November 1916 in northern France around the River Somme. Map showing the movement of the front line during the Battle of the Somme in 1916 Initially planned as large scale joint British and French offensive there were two main aims for the Battle. The first was to relieve the pressure on the French Army now under serious attack at Verdun. The second was to try and achieve a breakout. After 18 months of trench stalemate where neither side had looked like winning the war, this was seen as a real chance for the big push. However, many of the generals were aware that this was now a war of attrition (the process of reducing the enemy s strength or effectiveness through sustained attack or pressure) and that a series of bite and hold operations designed to kill Germans was more realistic. 70

71 Most of the soldiers in the British Army in 1916 were volunteers who had joined up in 1914 and 1915 in their thousands in response to a government campaign led by Lord Kitchener for new recruits. These recruits formed what became known as Kitchener s New Armies. To further encourage men to volunteer for the army, Lord Derby even introduced a scheme which encouraged towns and cities to recruit and create their own battalions. The idea was that more men would choose to join up if they could serve with their mates, and towns and cities competed with each other to recruit the most men. These battalions were often known as Pals battalions, for example the Accrington Pals and the Barnsley Pals. These battalions were made of men from the same communities, men who joined from the same workplace, and some battalions were even made up of men from the same sports clubs who formed battalions such as the Sportsman s Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers. Although they had been well trained, for many of these volunteers the Battle of the Somme was to be their first experience of going over the top in the First World War. Fighting alongside the British on the Somme were soldiers from all over the British Empire including India, Newfoundland, Ireland, Canada, Bermuda, Australia and New Zealand. The Battle started with a week-long artillery bombardment of the German lines. Nearly two million shells were fired at the Germans with the aim of completely destroying their defences. However, despite destroying many of the German trenches, the Germans had built deep dugouts for their men who were therefore able to shelter in relative safety. When the bombardment stopped, the Germans knew that this meant that the British and French armies were about to advance towards them. Now was their moment to rush out of their dugouts and man their machine guns and wait for the enemy soldiers to come over the top. The officers were in the front. I noticed one of them walking calmly carrying a walking stick. When we started firing we just had to load and reload. They went down in their hundreds. You didn't have to aim, we just fired into them. German machine gunner at the Battle of the Somme in P. Fussell The Bloody Game (1992). The first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1st July 1916, was the most disastrous the British Army has ever suffered. In places, the soldiers advanced slowly over No Man s Land in long lines, side by side, believing that the German defences had been totally destroyed. Instead they were met with a hail of German machine gun and artillery fire and huge numbers of soldiers were quickly cut down. Many attacks quickly stalled and by mid-morning many had been failed entirely. The next morning (2nd July 1916) we gunners surveyed the dreadful scene in front of us... Hundreds of dead were strung out like wreckage. Quite as many died on the enemy wire as on the ground, like fish caught in the net. They hung there in grotesque postures. Some looked as if they were praying; they had died on their knees and the wire had prevented their fall. Machine gun fire had done its terrible work. Private George Coppard at the Battle of the Somme in With a Machine Gun to Cambrai (1969) 71

72 British soldiers attacking on the Somme in the summer of 1916 On 1st July 1916 nearly all the attacks were defeated and 60,000 British troops, about half of the force, became casualties with 19,240 being killed. Many of the Pals Battalions suffered huge losses, with one of the worst hit being the Accrington Pals, who suffered 585 casualties. The Battle of the Somme continued until November 1916 with the Allies making slow progress in pushing back the Germans. By November, as winter set in and with both sides exhausted, the Battle ground to a halt. By the end of the Battle the British had lost 420,000 men, the French lost nearly 200,000 men and the Germans an estimated 500,000. The Allied forces had managed to advance a few miles at a huge cost in lives. More importantly though, the pressure on Verdun had been relieved and the French remained in the War. Also, the British soldiers and their generals learnt and developed important lessons. They had gained valuable experience, and new weapons and tactics were quickly developing such as the creeping barrage and tanks. For many people though, the Battle of the Somme brought home for the first time the true horrors of warfare in the First World War and the huge scale of the casualties. A tank on the Western Front first used during the Battle of the Somme in September

73 The sites you might visit The sites we are visiting on the Somme are mainly at the north western edge of the 1916 battlefield. Between the Ulster Tower and Serre is the steep valley of the River Ancre. All the sites were meant to be taken by Allied attacks on the 1st July In the event, Thiepval and the site of the Ulster Tower were not captured until September 1916 and Serre remained in German hands until February 1917 when the Germans withdrew from the Somme to more secure positions further east. 1 Serre and the Sheffield Memorial Park are associated with the Northern Pals Battalions from Accrington, Barnsley, Bradford, Leeds and Sheffield who all fought in the Battle of the Somme in Beaumont Hamel and Newfoundland Memorial Park are associated with the Newfoundland Regiment that was all but wiped out on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on 1st July Thiepval and the Ulster Memorial Tower. Thiepval is the site of the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme. In July 1916 it was one of the targets to be captured on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. The 36th (Ulster) Division attacked a German strongpoint called the Schwaben Redoubt a few hundred metres to the west of Thiepval which is close to the site of the Ulster Memorial Tower. Further south are the villages of Mametz and Montauban which were attacked and successfully taken on the 1st July In the south, the French army was also largely successful in achieving its objectives on the 1st July. Close to the Somme are the sites of two more First World War battles which you may visit. These are the Vimy Ridge and Fromelles where British, French, Canadian and Australian troops fought and lost their lives. 73

74 Battle of the Somme site: The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing Background The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme is on one of the highest points of land on the old Somme battlefield. It is possible to see the top of the Memorial from many different parts of the battlefield. As you look around the landscape of the Somme it is worth looking out for the Memorial to help you get your bearings. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, a famous architect, the Memorial was built between 1928 and 1932 and is the largest British war memorial in the world. It is a memorial to the 72,192 missing British and South African men who died on the Somme battlefields between 1915 and March 1918 and who have no known grave. The Thiepval Memorial Suggested onsite activities On your way from the coach to the visitor centre take a look at the large information boards alongside the path. These tell you about the history of Thiepval Memorial. Look carefully at the photographs of the Memorial when it was opened in This was a huge moment. Use the 1932 photographs to get some idea of what the site looked like when it was opened and how it has changed in the past 80 years. 74

75 Activity 1: Then and Now Compare Thiepval Memorial in 1932 and today. What do you think are the most significant differences? 1932 Today Similarities Differences All aspects of the Memorial were planned by architects including the landscaping. This is an important idea, the landscape architects were thinking not just about what the site would look like in 1932 but what it would look like in the future. Do you think the Thiepval Memorial looks better today or as it did in 1932? (This is obviously a personal choice so you might want to explain your views.) 75

76 Reflect From the entrance past the visitor centre you will get some idea of how impressive the Thiepval Memorial is. Just stand and look at it before you begin to walk on the grass towards the Memorial. From a distance what do you think are the most impressive features of the Memorial? As you get closer, how do your thoughts change? Record As you explore the Memorial use a camera, mobile phone or tablet to record what you see and what you feel. Can you locate your local regiment? 76

77 Activity 2: How have the missing been remembered? As you climb the steps to the centre of the Memorial describe the detail that you observe. You might want to think about the wording, the names carved in the wreaths near the top of the arches and the way the names are organised or recorded. Why do you think the soldiers named on the Memorial don t have identified graves? What does this suggest about the conditions during the Battle of the Somme? Why do you think Lutyens designed and built such an imposing memorial here at Thiepval fourteen years after the end of the First World War? 77

78 What was the impact of almost 73,000 missing? There are almost 73,000 names carved on the pillars of the Thiepval Memorial but how might you begin to think about the impact of the 73,000 names. Let us look at one of the names on the Memorial. Think about the impact of one name on the Thiepval Memorial People affected Numbers James Pendlebury lived in Chorley and served with 11th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment (The Accrington Pals). He was killed at Serre on the 1st July 1916 aged 28. His name is one of the 72,191 on the Memorial see Panel 6c. His wife 1 3 children 3 His parents 2 His parents-in-law 2 2 brothers 2 3 sisters 3 3 brothers / sisters in law 3 1 grandparent 1 5 nieces and nephews 5 4 aunts / uncles 4 Immediate neighbours 4 Friends from work / school 5 Number of people directly affected by the death of James Pendlebury 35 1 soldier s death affected directly 35 people. Potentially how many people were affected by the Missing of the Somme: What is 35 multiplied by 73,000? EQUALS = Population of the UK in 1911 (England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland) What percentage of the UK population might have been affected by the Missing of the Somme? 45,400,000 People affected = Divided by UK population = Times 100 = % of the UK population = 78

79 Activity 3: What was the impact of almost 73,000 missing? What does this suggest about why the Battle of the Somme was so significant and is still remembered today? In the visitor s centre they are attempting to link names to photographs. How many names have they managed to find photographs for? Do you think the Thiepval Memorial is a particularly fitting way to remember the Missing of the Somme? What could you do to make sure that the Missing continue to be remembered when you return to your school and community? 79

80 Remember the key questions at the start of the booklet? What information has this site provided to help you answer your key question? What can we learn about life on the Western Front from visiting the battlefields? Was it the same for everybody? Why is the First World War known as the Great War? What is left of the First World War today and how should we continue to remember it after 100 years? 80

81 Battle of the Somme site: Ulster Memorial Tower and Mill Road Cemetery Background This site is only a short distance from the Thiepval Memorial. It is where, on 1st July 1916, the 36th (Ulster) Division attacked the German position known as the Schwaben Redoubt. The attack was successful at first and by 10am the Ulstermen had succeeded in entering the German positions. However, the other divisions close by were not nearly as successful and this allowed the Germans to counter-attack (fight back). The Ulster Division was eventually forced to retreat back to where they had started in the morning. The Ulstermen paid a very heavy price with 5,500 officers and men killed, wounded or missing in the two days of fighting nearly 2,000 of whom were killed. Below is an aerial view of the battlefield attacked by the 36th (Ulster) Division on 1st July The distance across No Man s Land here was no more than 250 metres. Ulster Memorial Tower Green line = German front line close to the Schwaben Redoubt Mill Road Cemetery Connaught Cemetery Red line = British front line on the edge of Thiepval Wood Arrows show direction of Ulster Division attack July While on this site you will visit three places: Thiepval Wood where archaeologists are excavating the lines of trenches from where the Ulster Division launched its attack on 1st July Mill Road Cemetery where men from different regiments of the British Army (including men of the 36th (Ulster) Division) who were killed during the Battle of the Somme are now buried. Ulster Memorial Tower which was built close to the site of the Schwaben Redoubt and designed to honour the men of the 36th (Ulster) Division. 81

82 Suggested onsite activities Thiepval Wood From the coach you will walk to Thiepval Wood which is the site of the British front line on the 1st July As you walk along the side of the road towards the cemetery, the German front line would have been to your left and the British front line to your right. The road would have been in the middle of No Man s Land in Once you reach Thiepval Wood, a guide will take you inside for a tour of the recently excavated British trenches. You will learn how archaeologists have reconstructed these trenches to give visitors to the site an idea of what they may have been like on 1st July You will also learn about the attack made by the 36th (Ulster) Division on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Activity 1: What can we learn from battlefield archaeology? Describe three key features or important points about the trenches in Thiepval Wood: How accurate are the reconstructed trenches in Thiepval Wood? Is this important? Accurate Limitations 82

83 Activity 2: Understanding the attack on the 1st July by the men of the 36th (Ulster) Division. Listen carefully to what the guide says about the attack on the 1st July by the men of the 36th (Ulster) Division and use the sources below to answer the following questions. In what way was this attack different to the way the British Army attacked elsewhere on the Somme on 1st July? Explain which approach was most successful: Give at least two reasons why the 36 th (Ulster) Division was eventually forced to retreat: The 36th (Ulster) Division had been ordered out from the wood just before 7.30am and laid down near the German trenches... At zero hour the British barrage lifted. Bugles blew the Advance. Up sprang the Ulstermen and, without forming up in the waves adopted by other divisions, they rushed the German front line... By a combination of sensible tactics and Ulster dash, the prize that eluded so many, the capture of a long section of the German front line, had been accomplished. Martin Middlebrook, The First Day on the Somme (1971) For their attack the Ulster Division was composed of ten battalions with about 730 men per battalion. The soldiers were fortunate because they had assembled in Thiepval Wood and a large number were thus hidden, at first, from the vigilant enemy. Also, just beyond their Front Line, and at the edge of no-man's-land, was a sunken road where others could lie concealed and prepare for the advance. Myth has it that the Ulstermen were now in a state of patriotic fervour, and that many of those who belonged to the Orange Order donned their treasured sashes over their cumbersome equipment. Prayers were said, hymns were sung and the Ulster Division was ready for battle. At the signal the Ulstermen rose and in few hours performed acts of courage, valour, and heroism which were unsurpassed anywhere during that long, savage day. The website of the Royal Irish Rangers

84 Mill Road Cemetery Once you leave Thiepval Wood follow the guide up the slope towards Mill Road Cemetery in the distance. You are now walking towards the site of the German front line in 1916 on the exact route followed by the men of 36th (Ulster) Division on the 1st July Mill Road Cemetery is positioned on the old German front line. When you reach it, look back down at where you have just come from it is not hard to imagine the excellent view that the Germans had of the British front line from the high ground they occupied and how dangerous it would have been for any soldiers trying to cross No Man s Land and attack the German trenches where you are standing. Activity 1: What can we learn from Mill Road Cemetery? At the far end of the cemetery in the area surrounding the cross of sacrifice you will notice something unusual about the headstones they are all laid flat on the ground. Why do you think they have been arranged like this? Find some of the graves of the men from the 36th (Ulster) Division and for each make a note of the name, regiment rank, date of death, age, and any other details you find engraved on their headstones (NOTE: the 36th (Ulster) Division was made up with men from the Royal Irish Rifles, the Royal Irish Fusiliers and the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers) 84

85 The Ulster Memorial Tower Follow the guide back to the Ulster Memorial Tower which you will be able to see on your right. The Ulster Memorial Tower was unveiled on 19th November 1921 to mark the sacrifice made by the 36th (Ulster) Division during the First World War. It was one of the first official memorials to be built on the Western Front and was the idea of Sir James Craig who later became the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. The Memorial Tower is a replica of the well-known tower in Northern Ireland, called St. Helen's Tower. The view of St. Helen's Tower would have been one of the last things soldiers would have seen as they left the training camp in July 1915 to go to fight on the Western Front. Many hundreds of them would never return home. Activity 1: Remembrance and commemoration at the Ulster Memorial Tower Go around the Ulster Memorial Tower and its grounds and record any evidence that suggests how important this part of the Somme is to the Unionists of Northern Ireland. Fact box: The question of Home Rule bitterly divided the Irish people. Unionists, mainly Protestants in the northern province of Ulster, wanted to remain to part of Great Britain, and the nationalists, mainly Catholics, wanted complete independence from Great Britain. In the summer of 1914, Ireland was very close to civil war. This was only avoided by the outbreak of war. The majority of Irish people decided to join Britain in the war against Germany and both Ulster and southern Ireland recruited and formed divisions for the British Army the 10th (Irish), 16th (Irish) and the 36th (Ulster) Divisions. 85

86 Activity 1: Remembrance and commemoration at the Ulster Memorial Tower Explain why you think it is still so important to the Unionists of Northern Ireland today? Remember the key questions at the start of the booklet? What information has this site provided to help you answer your key question? What can we learn about life on the Western Front from visiting the battlefields? Was it the same for everybody? Why is the First World War known as the Great War? What is left of the First World War today and how should we continue to remember it after 100 years? 86

87 Battle of the Somme site: Newfoundland Memorial Park at Beaumont Hamel Background The Newfoundland Memorial Park at Beaumont Hamel is dedicated to the Newfoundland soldiers who were killed during the First World War. The preserved battlefield is the site of the Newfoundland Regiment s unsuccessful attack on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1st July Most of the 801 men that took part in the attack on the German front lines got no further than the front line, with a few making it as far as the Danger Tree which is still visible in the Memorial Park. In all, the Newfoundland Regiment suffered 680 casualties (80%) within the first 30 minutes of the battle, effectively wiping it out. Only the 10th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment suffered greater casualties on this day. Newfoundland soldiers waiting to attack on the 1st July 1916 In 1921, the Newfoundland Government purchased the land, and in 1925 it was officially opened as a memorial site by Field Marshal Earl Haig, commander of the British Army in France from It is the largest battalion memorial on the Western Front, and the largest area of the Somme battlefield that has been preserved. At the time Newfoundland was part of the British Empire, today it is part of Canada. The Newfoundland Caribou Memorial at its unveiling in 1925 by Field Marshal Earl Haig and today 87

88 The park consists of several memorials including the Newfoundland Caribou Memorial and a memorial to the 51st (Highland) Division who eventually captured the village of Beaumont-Hamel in November Another key landmark is the Danger Tree which was used as a landmark by troops and marks the furthest place in No Man s Land where the Newfoundlanders advanced. There are also a number of cemeteries and preserved trenches, including Hunter s cemetery. The Danger Tree and the preserved trenches Suggested onsite activities As you walk around the memorial park and visitor centre look carefully at how the former battlefield has been preserved and at the way the men of the Newfoundland Regiment have been remembered. With your teacher, climb to the top of the Caribou Memorial in order to get a better view of the whole battlefield. The preserved trenches of Newfoundland Memorial Park 88

89 Activity 1: What happened here on the 1 st July? Describe what is left of the 1916 battlefield today: How does the preserved battlefield help to explain what happened here to the men of the Newfoundland Regiment on the 1 st July 1916? How do the photographs from the visitor centre (below) help to explain why the attack on the 1st July 1916 ended in failure? German underground dugouts 89

90 Activity 2: Newfoundland Memorial Park today What evidence is there that this piece of ground is still so important to the people of Newfoundland today? Record As you explore the memorial site, use a camera, mobile phone or tablet to record what you see and what you feel. 90

91 Reflect Do you think the Newfoundland Memorial Park is a particularly fitting way to remember the men of the Newfoundland Regiment? Why do you think that young people from Canada still volunteer to come here and look after the memorial park? Remember the key questions at the start of the booklet? What information has this site provided to help you answer your key question? What can we learn about life on the Western Front from visiting the battlefields? Was it the same for everybody? Why is the First World War known as the Great War? What is left of the First World War today and how should we continue to remember it after 100 years? 91

92 Battle of the Somme site: Serre and Sheffield Memorial Park Background Sheffield Memorial Park was created in memory of the northern Pals battalions (a battalion is a unit of around men) who lost their lives on this part of the Somme battlefield in 1916, and is the only British memorial site of its type on the Western Front. The Park contains memorials to various Pals battalions and nearby are the cemeteries where many of the Pals were buried. The front line from where the Accrington Pals attacked on the 1st July 1916 is still clearly visible as are some of the shell holes created by the German artillery. When war broke out in 1914 a number of towns across Britain asked for permission to recruit their own battalions where men from the same town, the same occupation and some cases, the same football team, were able to join together and serve alongside each other. Recruitment to these Pals battalions was very successful and was a source of local pride. They became part of a local regiment so the men from Accrington and other towns in north and east Lancashire became the 11th Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment. Bradford, a larger city recruited two Pals battalions the 16th and 18th Battalions of the West Yorkshire Regiment, and the Sheffield City Battalion and Barnsley Pals joined the 12th Yorkshire and Lancashire Regiment. These soldiers were all part of the New Army. For most of the men from the north of England the Battle of the Somme was their first experience of battle, having previously spent times serving in the trenches, training and carrying out raids. The attack by the Pals on the village of Serre on the 1st July 1916 was disastrous; they suffered enormous casualties in the face of heavy German machine gun and artillery fire. Serre was not taken until 1917, well after the Battle of the Somme had ended. Railway Hollow Cemetery Sheffield Memorial Park Queens Cemetery Serre Road CemeteryNo.3 Serre Village Serre Road Cemetery No.1 Serre Road Cemetery No.2 The village of Serre and its surroundings Your route from the coach to Sheffield Memorial Park 92

93 Suggested onsite activities Getting your bearings: your coach will park in front of Serre Road No 1 Cemetery and the guide will lead you up the road past some farm buildings before turning left. There you will walk up the farm track towards Serre Road No 3 Cemetery. From this cemetery if you look back towards the road you should be able to see Thiepval on the horizon. Serre is approximately 7 miles north of Thiepval. Serre Road No 3 Cemetery From Serre Road No 3 Cemetery you will be able to see a long line of trees at the bottom of a gentle slope. In 1916 the front of the woods marks the site of the British front line trenches. As you approach Sheffield Memorial Park there is a shallow depression in the ground immediately behind the wire fence which marks the trace of the front line trench from where the Accrington Pals attacked on the 1st July The German lines ran through the land in front of the small village of Serre which is straight up the gentle slope past the cemetery. Even from the cemetery it is not possible to see Serre. Activity 1: Remembering the Battle of the Somme Name three Pals Battalions which are remembered in this short section of the Somme battlefield: Explain why the memorial to the Accrington Pals is made of brick: 93

94 Record As you explore the Sheffield Memorial Park, use a camera, mobile phone or tablet to record what you see and what you feel. Activity 2: Railway Hollow Cemetery Using your knowledge about the different Pals Regiments can you suggest any reasons why the city of Sheffield might have wanted to set aside this particular piece of land next to this cemetery as a memorial? In the middle of the front row in this cemetery is the grave of 23 year old Alfred Goodlad. The inscription on the foot of his headstone is worth looking at (the word vide simply means with reference to). Does this inscription help us to understand why young men like Alf Goodlad were willing to join the Army? 94

95 Why did the British attack on Serre fail so disastrously? The troops taking part in the attack on Serre marched into the front line trenches overnight and took up positions just before about an hour before dawn. The attack was due to start at 07.30, and from first light the British artillery was shelling the German front lines. The German lines had been subject to a seven day artillery bombardment that was meant to destroy them. The men were told that the shelling would be so heavy that nobody could have survived it, not even the rats! At 7.20 the artillery barrage lifted to the German support lines and the soldiers in the first wave began to move across No Man s Land ready to attack. They took up positions close to the German barbed wire defences. The distance between the British front line and the German lines here was about 600m. From the old front line at the edge of Sheffield Memorial Park the land rises about ten metres towards Queens Cemetery. Once soldiers crossing No Man s Land reached this point they would be visible to the German soldiers as far back as the village of Serre where as many as ten heavy machine-guns were placed. Battalion War Diary for 11th East Lancashire Regiment (Accrington Pals) written on the 1st July a.m. Bombardment opened (on German lines) and the 1st wave of men crossed into No Man s Land. The Germans opened almost immediately with machine gun fire followed by a few minutes later an immense bombardment on our trenches a.m. The 2nd wave of men proceeded to follow the 1st wave into No Man s Land a.m. Men of the Barnsley Pals crossed into No Man s Land following my 2nd wave a.m. I saw my 3rd and 4th wave of men advancing from the trenches across No Man s Land. By this time there was intense machine gun and artillery fire from the enemy a.m. Capt. Gurney and the Barnsley Pals arrived with only 9 men. I could not see any of my waves except for wounded men lying in No Man s Land. Germans bombarding our trenches. Battle Report 12th York and Lancaster (Sheffield City Battalion) written on 15th July 1916 The attack should have begun at dawn. The enemy had four hours to prepare for an attack as our intention was given away by the gaps cut in our wire. Men who reached the German wire state that on looking towards our lines, they could see almost every movement. Any attack by day was scarcely likely to succeed. 95

96 German front lines Serre Trench Map of the German trenches around Serre. Sheffield Memorial Park is circled in red. The arrows show the direction of the British attack on the 1st July Activity 3: Why did the British Attack on Serre fail so disastrously? Walk out of Sheffield Memorial Park and walk up to Queens Cemetery. This is the route followed by the Pals Battalions on the 1st July Queens Cemetery is just in front of where the German lines would have been. Most of the Pals never reached this point. From Queens Cemetery, look back towards the Park how does this help you to understand why the attack on Serre failed? Use the sources and your own observations to explain why the attack on Serre failed: 96

97 A Pals Battalion marching to the front line in 1916 Reflect The Pals Battalions on this part of the Somme battlefield suffered very heavy casualties in the first hours of the Battle. Approximately 700 men from the Accrington Pals went into action on the 1st July 1916 and within half an hour 585 men had become casualties; 235 killed and 350 wounded. Explain how this would have affected the community back home where many of the men had come from the same streets of Accrington: 97

98 Remember the key questions at the start of the booklet? What information has this site provided to help you answer your key question? What can we learn about life on the Western Front from visiting the battlefields? Was it the same for everybody? Why is the First World War known as the Great War? What is left of the First World War today and how should we continue to remember it after 100 years? 98

99 Battle of the Somme Site: The Devonshire Cemetery Background Devonshire Cemetery contains the graves of 163 soldiers from the 8th and 9th Battalions, Devonshire Regiment who were killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme (1st July 1916). Their bodies were carried back from No Man s Land and buried in a disused section of trench on the British Front Line. A wooden cross was put up on the burial site by their comrades who had survived the fighting with the inscription The Devonshires held this trench, the Devonshires hold it still. The cross which disappeared after the War was replaced in the 1980s with a permanent stone memorial bearing the same inscription which can be found at the entrance to the cemetery. As you exit the cemetery you can see the ground over which the Devonshire men had to advance towards the German lines and Mametz village. Views of the Devonshire Cemetery In the cemetery lie the bodies of Lieutenant William Noel Hodgson MC (a photograph of him is on the left) and Captain Duncan Lenox Martin. Both were killed on the 1st July. Lieutenant Hodgson was a war poet and was only 23 years old when he died. Two days before going into battle a poem which he had written called Before Action was published in which he forecast his own death. In the weeks leading up to the battle Captain Martin had grown increasingly worried about the position of a German machine gun in front of Mametz village and had predicted that his men would be wiped out unless it was destroyed by the bombardment. Sadly it was not destroyed and Martin was proved right and was one of the many Devonshires to be killed by the ferocious German machine gun fire as he advanced across the open valley towards Mametz. 99

100 Suggested onsite activities The Devonshires held this trench, the Devonshires hold it still. Activity 1: Remembering the men of the Devonshire Regiments. Go around the cemetery and record some of the names, ranks, and where possible, the ages of the men who were buried here. Name Rank Age Why do you think these men were buried together in the same place? 100

101 Activity 2: Remembering the men of the Devonshire Regiments. Explain what you think is meant by The Devonshires held this trench, the Devonshires hold it still : Why should we continue to remember these men today? Remember the key questions at the start of the booklet? What information has this site provided to help you answer your key question? What can we learn about life on the Western Front from visiting the battlefields? Was it the same for everybody? Why is the First World War known as the Great War? What is left of the First World War today and how should we continue to remember it after 100 years? 101

102 Battle of the Fromelles Site: VC Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial & Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery Background The Battle of Fromelles in July 1916 was the first occasion in which the Australian troops saw action on the Western Front. The Battle, which also involved the British 61st Division, was a disaster and has been described as the worst 24 hours in Australia's entire history. The aim had been to launch a diversion in order to take pressure off the Allied forces at the Battle of the Somme but it resulted in around 5,500 Australian and 2,000 British casualties. VC Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial is an unusual cemetery as it is the only wholly Australian cemetery in France. The name VC Corner probably comes from the nickname soldiers gave the area during the War. 1,780 Australian soldiers died in the Battle of Fromelles but many of their bodies were not recovered until much later. Therefore, the cemetery now contains 410 unidentified bodies that were found at the end of the War. There are no headstones in the cemetery; instead two large concrete crosses mark where the soldiers are buried in two mass graves. The Memorial lists another 1,300 Australian soldiers who have no known resting place. Some of these were finally located in mass graves in 2009 and have now been reburied in a brand new cemetery called Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery. VC Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery is the first new Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery to be built for more than 50 years. It contains the graves of 250 British and Australian soldiers who died in the Battle of Fromelles. The bodies were only discovered in They were found in mass graves on the edge of Pheasant Wood after a great deal of painstaking research by historians and archaeologists. They were reburied with full military honours in a series of funeral services and DNA analysis is being used to identify the bodies. 102

103 Suggested onsite activities Walk around the VC Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial and look out across the road towards where men attacked the German lines in July 1916 you can see where the German lines were in the distance on the high ground. VC Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial Activity 1: VC Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial How is this different to the other cemeteries you have visited on the Western Front? Similarities Differences How does the photograph (below) of the battlefield today help to explain why there were so many Australian casualties at the Battle of Fromelles? German Trenches Direction of attack 103

104 Walk around Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery and look carefully at the messages inscribed at the bottom of the individual headstones. New gravestones in Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery A gravestone in an older cemetery: A good soldier of Jesus Christ. 104

105 Activity 2: Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery What evidence is there that this is a relatively new cemetery? Who decided what messages to put at the bottom of some of the individual headstones? Note down some of these messages: Why do so many headstones have messages added to them compared to those in the older cemeteries you have visited on the Western Front? In what ways are these messages different to those in the older cemeteries? 105

106 Reflect Should the bodies of the men that were recently discovered have been reburied here in France or should they have been taken back to Australia to be closer to their families? Remember the key questions at the start of the booklet? What information has this site provided to help you answer your key question? What can we learn about life on the Western Front from visiting the battlefields? Was it the same for everybody? Why is the First World War known as the Great War? What is left of the First World War today and how should we continue to remember it after 100 years? 106

107 Battle of Vimy Ridge site: Canadian National Memorial Park at Vimy See satellite image below Map: The Battle of Arras April 1917, the area of fighting around Vimy Ridge is shown in the box. Vimy Memorial Area of Trenches Direction of attack Background The fighting which took place on Vimy Ridge in April 1917 was part of the Battle of Arras. Arras is about an half hour s drive north of the Somme. The area around Ypres is about a ninety minute drive away to the north. All of this area was part of the British front line by 1917 but had previously been heavily fought over by the French Army in The attack which took place in April 1917 was a joint British and Canadian operation with the Canadian forces attacking the area around Vimy to the north of Arras. The British forces attacked to 107

108 the north east and east of Arras. It was an attack on a much smaller front than the Somme and involved far fewer men. At Vimy the aim was to take the area of high ground that had been held by the Germans since A huge amount of preparation took place for the Battle of Arras, putting many of the lessons learnt by the British Army on the Somme the previous year into action. The secret of the Canadians success was detailed preparation - each soldier knew where to go, exactly how many minutes to stop before moving forward again, and at what point to dig in and allow reserve troops to catch up. The Canadian soldiers were trained to move forward under a creeping barrage: a curtain of shellfire that landed just ahead of them. If they advanced too fast and they would be killed by their own shells. If they advanced too slowly they risked being attacked by the Germans coming out of their dugouts. A long network of tunnels was also dug into the chalk. Large numbers of men sheltered in the tunnels before the attack, they did not have to march through open trenches to get to the front line and were able to surprise the Germans when they attacked. After two days the Canadians had taken the ridge. To the south British units were also successful having advanced more than three miles. Today, the Canadian National Memorial Park is divided into two parts the preserved trench lines of the Canadian and German forces, and the Canadian National Memorial to remember the names of all Canadians who were killed and those who have no known grave. Suggested onsite activities Part 1: the preserved trenches at Vimy Canadian outpost line German outpost line No Man s Land Exits from tunnels The preserved Canadian and German trench lines at Vimy 108

109 The preserved trenches of the Canadian front line Activity 1: What can we learn from preserved trenches? What impression do the reconstructed trenches and the area of No Man s Land between the Canadian and German front lines give you? Describe how the tactics used by the Canadians had developed since the Battle of the Somme: Explain how these tactics improved their chances of success against the Germans: 109

110 Part 2: the Canadian National Memorial Soon after the War the Canadians decided that Vimy would be the site of a national war memorial to remember all Canadians who were killed and record the name of the missing who had no known grave. The competition to design the Memorial was won by Walter Seymour Allward. The plans were so large that the Memorial was not completed until 1936 when it was opened by King Edward VIII. The opening was marked as a national pilgrimage by the Canadians and over 8,000 Canadians, many of whom were mothers and widows took part in this event. The opening of the Canadian National Memorial in 1936 The Canadian National Memorial today Record As you explore the Memorial use a camera, mobile phone or tablet to record what you see and what you feel. 110