DLI Beginners Guide to the Western Front

It is intended that this guide will be ‘a work in progress’ to be added to and amended as more places of interest are added.

This edition is centred on the Durham Light Infantry, and starts with some advice on timings, where to start and where to stay.

1. 1. First, it takes between 5 & 6 hours to drive from Durham City to Ebbsfleet and le Shuttle or the ferries, including a ‘Comfort Break’.

1. 1. Peterborough Services are about half way.

1. 1. Using le Shuttle takes 35 minutes, whereas the Ferry (DFDS is much better than P&O. Its Duty Free is cheaper than the Duty Free Shop in the Port of Calais and le Shuttle) – takes 90 minutes.

1. 1. Once in France, start with the Ypres Front, as chronologically it was on this Front that The DLI first saw action at Boetleers Farm, Gravenstafal, where some Canadian Troops were dug in, and it was where the first use of poison gas was used by the Germans.

1. 1. Make Ypres the first overnight stop as there are plenty of Airbnbs etc. as it is as good a centre to visit the area. Make a reservation beforehand.

1. 1. For the Somme stay at Oceanvillas, Auchonvillers – see below.

1. 1. Refer to The Fir Tree Aerial Maps of   1) The Ypres Salient and 2) The Somme, both comtempory maps of the landscapes where the main battles took place

The Start.

Using Google Maps or similar first visit Poperinge (Map 1) and visit Toc H / Talbot House, a site of peace and serenity during the War and still is. Also in Poperinge there is the site where 25 British and 2 Canadians were shot.

The road to Ypres (N38) has some interesting little CWGC cemeteries on your right, e.g. Brandhoek Military, New Military & New Military No. 3 where Captain Noel Chavasse VC & Bar is buried in the New Military CWGC,

From there, continue onto Ypres, where, as I have suggest that you will have already arranged B&B/Airbnb accommodation.

From your accommodation, drive into the centre where there a very handy Carpark behind The Cloth Hall and The St Michael’s Cathedral. A must is to visit the Cloth Hall and its Museum and also St Georges Church, a memorial to the British Units that fought on the Ypres Front are well worth a visit. There are plenty of Bistros   etc., places to eat close to The Menen/MeninGate for the evening ceremony at 7pm local time.

The following day, drive through the Menen Gate to Hellfire Corner, now a Roundabout and follow the signs to Saint-Juliaan and Langemark [No. 43 and ‘E’ on Map 1), the site of a German cemetery and see the difference compared to CWGCs – see below Tyne Cot. Nearly all the WW1 places are well sign posted.

From Langemark drive back to Vancouver Corner [See on Map 1] you will see another reference to Canada, such as Winnipeg signifying where the Canadians were in the line when the first Gas Attack was staged as shown on Map 1). The Durham 8th Battallion (Bn) were rushed up to support them and fought at Boetleer Farm, Gravenstafel, although there is nothing really there to see, except look to the West/the left towards the Canadian Memorial (The Brooding Soldier) at Vancouver Corner for the direction that the Germans attacked. The 8th Bn were in the area Gravenstafel area and Gravenstafel area “VARLET Farm, north of “Stroombeek.

From there, drive to Tyne Cot CWGC Cemetery No 60 & -J on Map 1) and is the largest of all the CWGC Cemeteries. The Cross was, at the suggestion of King George V planted on top of a German Bunker. With the Cross to your backs, look towards Ypres and you can see the commanding views the Germans had. The Bunker may seem to be rather prominent but from a distance it would be seen as below the skyline/ridge so would have been vey difficult to make out.

From there, drive to Zonnebeke and the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 to get a flavour of trenches, dug outs etc.You  enter it through a traditional type museum, but you then descend a flight stairs into dug outs etc., emerging 400 metres opposite an American prefab house (The Little House on the Prairie!)

From Zonnebeke either return to ‘Hell Fire Corner’ on the N37, or drive SW to Westhoek (refer to Map 1) where you can see another vista of the Battlefield, and join Hellfire Corner (Roundabout) and up the Menen Road about a mile to Hooge, where there is a Restaurant with a Museum attached, and opposite a CWGC Cemetery.

It’s a handy place for lunch and close to Lt Frederick Youen DLI VC resting place at Railway Dugouts Burial Ground and is near Shrapnel Corner (No. 83 on Map 1). Near by is Bedford House Cemetery No. 80, is worth a visit, as it was the site of a Casualty Clearing Station/Hospital.

From Lt Youen’s grave drive on up through Zillebeke to Hill 60, the site where Lt Youen won the VC. There are examples of German Bunkers and a few memorials including one to the Light Division.

Hill 62 ‘J’ and ‘H’ on Map 1) is also close by and worth a visit for trenches etc, as well as many CWGC cemeteries in the area. In fact the whole area is where one thinks of mud and desolation typifying our perception of WW1 and the area is redolent of the woods and villages that featured so prominently on the Ypres/Ieper/Wipers Front such as Polygon and Sanctuary Woods, Passendaele etc. If you drive to Passendale and along the ridge you can see the advantage the Germans had in holding the high ground.

Referring to Map 1) there are many more areas of interest, such as Yorkshire Trench and Dugout, even a Nepalese Gurkha Monument. So if you the time and inclination, visit them and contribute to this Guide.

 Next, The Somme.

From Ypres, set your Google Map (other maps are available) for Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, a mainly Australian cemetery and the newest CWGC cemetery. It has a small modern museum, some German Bunkers and a Statue of an Australian carrying his ‘Digger’ mate.

Then set your map for “Avril Williams Guest House” and follw the directions, M22, N21, etc. You will drive through more place names that have a bearing to WW1 such as Loos-en-Gohelle, the site of the Battle where 15 DLI fought, having been rushed to the Front. You should see the French National Necropolis “Notre Dame de Lorette to your left and Vimy Ridge, the Candian National Memorial – see below.

As mentioned at the beginning, start the Tour at the North end of the The Somme Battlefield, so Oceanvillas/Auchonvillers is ideally placed at the Northern end of The Somme Front [see C, Map 2) and is very close to Bus-les-Artois of significance for 18 (Durham Pals Bn.) as they were stationed there together with the Leeds and Bradford Pals Bns in the weeks leading up to the Battle.

In the village are three ‘Steles’ or Memorial stones: the 18 DLI Bn’s which Durham County Council erected as a tribute to the Bn. and the Village, and the DLI Association have been attending the annual Ceremony held on the 30^th June since its dedication, apart from the two Covid years.

Capt M Bryden, Maj (Rtd) C Lawton, Capt R Tough, Madame la Mayor, Maj (Rdt) M van der Gucht, Lt. Col (Rtd) J Heron, J Wetherell, Capt M Foster, S Stokoe

These three Pals Bns marched from the village area to the area of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John Copses (3 – 5 and A, Map 2) opposite Serre there on the Serre Road you will pass a Civilian cemetery on the right, with a small Chapel with spire if I remember right. This was a hiding place used by the French Resistance for hiding shot down RAF aircrew. Behind it is the site of the German Quadrilateral Redoubt, a strongpoint and part of Munich Trench.

Opposite is Serre Road Cemetery No. 2 and a French Cemetery. Just past this on the left is a Farm, and just past this turn left (it is signposted) to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Copses, The Sheffield Memorial. As you drive/walk up the track you might have to put up with a grumpy French Farmer!

Below is a photograph of the track leading up to the Copses and Serre Road No.3 Cemetery.

On the right is a CWGC cemetery, Serre Road No. 3 Cemetery, Puisieux and beyond are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Copses. On the left, the wheat field is the area of Maitland Trench where D Coy “The Durham Pals” 18 Bn were at 07:30 on the 1^st July 1916. They were attached to the “1^st Bradford Pals” and as they left their trenches, were met with withering German Machine Gun (MG) and artillery fire and were decimated. A Lewis Gun Team of D Coy were observed getting as far into the German lines at Pendant Copse a kilometre beyond their Start Line (SL). Where the wheat field runs to the right towards the Copses and the green fields above is “Dead Ground” where the Light Railway from Railway Hollow Cemetery ran right to left towards “White City”,

Continue into the Copses and visit the various memorials to the Regiments that suffered so terribly: The Accrington Pals Memorial, the outline of a trench in Matthew Copse with the Accrington Pals Memorial in the background

Below is Serre Road No.3 Cemetery, showing the ground that the Bradford, Leeds and D Coy 18 Pals DLI had to cross to Serre – area of the woods top right hand side on the horizon.

On returning to the road, you will see opposite a rough road/track. This roughly follows the German trench system through the Quadrilateral Redoubt and the sites of the German positions to Beaumont Hamel, including Munich Trench CGWC cemetery. Stop there and look across the fields towards the Serre Road. You should see the Spire of the Chapel you would have passed on your way to The 4 Copses.  Note to, that it would appear that the fields are continuous from where you are standing all the way. But it isn’t. In between is another example of ‘Dead Ground’ and contains ‘White City’ which was the location of Artillery Batteries, Stores etc. Light Railways (e.g. to Railway Hollow Cemetery) and also where Geoffery Mallins filmed Hawthorn Ridge Crater being blown. To your left at 8 o’clock you should be able to see another CWGC cemetery, Redan Ridge.

While at Munich Trench you can see the Thiepval Memorial and Ulster Tower, which would have given the Germans an uninterrupted 180ºview and arcs/fields of fire from Serre all the way to Thiepval, as remember that virtually all the vegetation would have been destroyed by the effects of the weeks long bombardments preceding the 1^st July.

Continue along the track into the village, turn right and continue out of the village and about 400 m on the right is Memorial to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders at the entrance to ‘The Sunken Lane’, with Hawthorne Ridge Crater on the opposite hillside.

Above is the iconic photo of the Lancashire Fusiliers waiting to ‘go over the top’, and Beaumont-Hamel Cemetery. Walk up about 50 meters/yards you will see on the right the opening of a Tunnel, driven from “White City” used by troops to resupply those manning the Front Line. On the opposite side of the road is a track leading up to Hawtorn Ridge Crater, but walk around the headland about a 150 metres and the site Geoffery Mallins chose to set up his equipment to film the detonation of the Crater at 07:20 hrs, ten minutes before Zero Hour at 07:30hrs, which obviously killed many German troops but also alerted all the German Forces along the 14 miles of Front that the Battle was at hand.

Hawthorne Ridge Crater is far better than Lochnagar Crater. This is a very good site to visit and it’s just down from Oceanvillas. The crater was on land owned by five Farmers, who resented visitors who they thought were trampling down their crops around the rim, before they agreed to cede/lease the land the crater is on, to the Hawthorn Ridge Crater Association an Anglo-French collaboration. Soil analysis since showed that the ground was heavily contaminated with ‘heavy metals’ i.e. lead from the German MGs. You might come across Andy Robertshaw who has given talks at the old Aykley Heads Museum.

 Return to the road and drive back to Oceanvillas to visit Newfoundland Park. As youl pass along St John’s Road, there is a sign to Hawthorne Ridge CGWC cemetery. Do visit Newfoundland Park with its original trench system, the statue of a ‘Moose’, on a mound.

To the bottom left there is a plaque recording the names of Newfoundlanders who perished on all the Fronts, including Sailors. Around the Moose are signposts with the distances to Newfoundland etc.

The Dead Tree (Below) was as far as the Newfoundlanders got on 1^st July. “Y Ravine” is at the end of the field in the ‘dead ground’ between the field and the trees, and the little museum. It’s easy to spend an hour or more at Newfoundland Park.

 

From there turn left from the carpark and drive on to Hamel, turn left and cross the River Ancre to Ulster Tower – below.

This is a must, not for its historical interest but also forThiepval Wood, which was recently purchased and excavations of the trench system have been carried out, where the Ulster & Irish Regiments stormed across ‘No Mans Land’. There is a small Museum with a Trench Mortar, the Base Plate of which was found in one of the excavated Trenches. On one of our visits, one of the members told us that his Father had been a Trench Mortarman, and was’over the moon’ that he had actually seen one! The object in the tube and another on the base is a “Toffee Apple” for obvious reasons.

The site of the Tower is built on top of the German subterranean bunker system, “The Shwaben Redoubt”, and is the cause of the tower starting to tilt slightly to the right as you look at it from the road, due to subsidence. Towards the right is “Mill Road” CWGC cemetery, where many of the Markers are laid flat also due to subsidence.

From the Tower the view covers across to Newfoundland Park right round to Thieval War Memorial in the distance. About 200 metres from the Tower looking towards Newfoundland Park is a lump of concrete, marked by a bit of white plastic – see below, the remains of “The Popes Nose”, an Observation Post (OP) and Machine Gun (MG) emplacement which covered the arc from the wood, the R. Ancre all the way up to the Park.

Looking toward Thiepval Memorial the Germans would have had many more machine guns covering the arcs from the Woodall the way to Thiepval, all giving excellent fields of fire.

Next drive onto Thiepval to the Carpark. From the Thiepval position, the Germans covered from all the way across to Albert and Poziere and back to the Schwaben Redoubt / Ulster Tower.

Visit the Museum, then walk up to the Memorial to the Missing, passing the DLI bench, which on our annual visits, we clean up the Bench and Lecturn. As you walk to the Memorial there is a track that continues on, and although I haven’t walked it leads to “Leipzig Salient”.

The Memorial is a very moving place, with the names of those with no known grave are listed. The DLI names are on the Right Hand SIde

On returning to your car, drive back to the X roads and turn Right to Poziere, passing “Mouquet” or “Monkey” Farm on the left. There is a plaque on the left side of the road describing its capture by the Australians. In Poziere, visit the 1^st Australian Division Memorial. Opposite is a raised mound with a semi-circle with panels pointing to key features of this part of the Battle. The mound is part of “Gibraltar”, a German Bunker. Again it commands excellent fields of fire of la-Boisselle and “Mash Valley” on the right of the D929 road and “Sausage Valley” on the left either side of la Boisselle. Before you reach la Boisselle there is CWGC cemetery, Poziere  British Cemetery, Orvillers-la-Boisselle, which gives you a view the Germans had of the British Front Lines, including Sausage and Mash valleys.

In la Boisselle is a Memorial to George Butterworth, the composer of ‘Banks of Green Willow’ who was killed in this area and has no known grave his name being on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing. Follow the signpost to “Lochnager” Crater and spend a while there. On returning to la Boisselle, turn left for Albert, but stop as you reach the Y Auction at the apex of the two roads and park up as there is, below a photograph of the Memorial to the Tyneside Irish and Scottish Brigades who suffered grievous losses.

There is a photo, below of the Tyneside Irish and ScottishBrigades advancing on la Boiselle.

Next, continue into Albert. There is a good Carpark in front of the Marie/Town Hall and it’s an easy walk to the Church with the “Golden MadonnLa” on top of the Tower. There is a nice underground Museum under the Church.  On the following page is a photograph of the Church showing the effects of the Battle of Albert, part of the Battle of the Somme,1916

Opposite, across the square is ‘Le Bistrot’, where we have had some very pleasant meals.

From Albert return to ‘Oceanvillers’ via Aveluy and take the road to the right of the River Ancre towards Authuille. Stop at “Blighty” CWGC, the site of a Casualty Clearing Station as it was in ‘Dead Ground’ from “Leipzig Salient”. In Authuille the CWGC cemeteryis interesting as it contains the Graves of Sikh Lancers (I think). Continue and cross the R. Ancre, turning right to Hamel and continue on to ‘Oceanvillas’. The villages of Beaumont-Hamel and Hamel have many memorials and Plaques to various Regiments, Brigades and Divisions, as do most of the villages on The Somme. From there continue to Oceanvillas.

Alternatively, at the X-Roads in Authuille turn left and left again towards Albert on the D50. As you drive along the D50 through ‘Hamel’, look to your right and to the Hill: you will see a hedgerow that slopes left to right towards to the village. This is “Jacobs Ladder” or one of them, as there is another at “White City/Auchonvillers”. This one by Hamel is the more likely one, as the topography is more likely compared to the topography of “White City” near Auchonvillers/Beaumont Hamel.

Then take the Roman Road, the D929. In la Boisselle take the right hand fork, and then take the right turn to Becourt, and follow the sign to “Lochnager Crater”. Return to la Boiselle and turn left and take the  road to Becourt, which is along “Acoca Valley”.

As you enter Becourt the ground on your left is rising up towards Fricourt and stop at “Norfolk Cemetery” No.58 which has a number of 15 DLI Graves. It was from this area that 64 Brigade (Bde), of which15 DLI was a part, in the second wave assaulted the German Front Line along the ridge line of la Boiselle – Fricourt. The first wave, 9 and 10 KOYLI had been cut down by Machine Gun (MG) fire, “the front lines simply swept away. The rear Coys pushed forward filling the gaps the line never wavered but continued on. The German line (wire was well cut here) was reached and taken” “The 15 DLI and 1 East Yorks arrived, and the four Bns, now mixed up carried on, and took the support trench sending back 200 prisoners. The attack had lasted 10 nminutes but the two assaulting Bns had lost half their number” [Michael Gavaghan – The forgotten battles Series Book 5 Somme 1916 Part 1, 1^st July 1916]. If you can find a copy of a Book by Thomas Crauford, who wrote an autobigraphy he gives a tremendous account of the assault by 15 DLI, of being wounded and making his way back to the First Aid Post, ending up in Gloustershire four days later, still with his initial bandages.

From this point drive up to Fricourt, turning left to the German Cemetery “No. 69”, below, which is sign posted. It was where Baron von Richtofen (The Red Baron) was initially buried.

When you come out, facing the Cemetery, look to your left. The strip of wood you can see is “Lozenge Wood”, with the “Dingle” and “Round Wood” further on, on the left side of the road and “Shelter Wood” on the right hand side.

Follow the signs to Fricourt New Military Cemetery No. 68. The end of the cemetery you will see the slope down to Norfolk Cemetery that the attacking troops had to climb carrying 60+lbs of kit. Looking towards the Cross are “The Tambours”, mine craters blown to undermine German positions.

15 DLI, now mixed up with the other three Bns had reached the Sunken Road within 30 minutes of Zero hr – 07:30 in the area of “The Dingle” etc., which you may be able to see the tops of the trees. Some of the attacking forces reached “Crucifix Trench”, between the “Dingle” and “Shelter Wood” – see Map.

From Fricourt drive through the village to Mametz to the Communal Cemetery, the location of “The Shrine”, a MG emplacement which was to cause devasting casualties to the attackers coming from Mansel Copse to 8 and 9 Devons.

The base of the ‘Shrine’ had been converted to a MG Post with a commanding view of the area, including Mansel Copse, within which is the “Devonshire Trench” Cemetery.

 ‘A’ Company Commander of the Devonshires, Capt. Martin had, in the weeks leading up to the Battle made a detailed model and determined that if this MG post was not destroyed in the bombarded, the attackers, including 8 and 9 Devons would became casualties. And so it passed. He, and 163 others were buried in “Devonshire Trench” and has the incription “The Devonshires held this trench, the Devonshire hold it still”. The cemetery holds the grave of a war Poet, Lt. William Noel Hodgson MC.

Return to Mametz and drive towards Mametz Wood. Follow the signs to the 38^th Welch Division, and stop by the Red Dragon (Q) on the map.

                                                               Area of ‘Siegried Sassoon’s ‘Bimble!’          ‘The Hammerhead’                    ‘Death Valley’         ‘Flatiron Copse’        

Look at the Map and to the left is a thin strip of wood with a track running east/west. It was here that Siegfried Sassoon, according to his autobiography “Memoirs of an Infantry Officer” and “ Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man”, walked into the unoccupied German trenches. It is easy to orient yourself with the features of “The Hammerhead”, “Death Valley” and “Flatiron Copse”. It was here that one of the very few cavalry charges was made by Indian Cavalry.

Drive along the side of “Death Valley” to Bazantin, which holds two CWGC cemeteries and at the X-roads turn right to visit “High Wood” and “London Cemetery & Extension”, High Wood, Longueval”. The Bazentins are close to “High Wood”, as are many CWGC cemeteries in that area.

From there drive down to Longueval and “Deville Wood” or “Devils Wood” and the site of the South African National Memorial and Museum” – (R on the map). It is an interesting Memorial as, apart from the outline of trenches it also documents South Africa’s WW2 Battlefields and the struggle for independence by the ANC.

From here it is difficult to advise any one direction as there are so many scattered CWGC cemeteries as can be seen from thte Map. However, eventually I would advise returning to Poziere and visit the “Tank Corps and Windmill (Australia) Memorials” (N) on the map. Continue towards Bapaume on the N929, through Sars to “Butte de Warlincourt”, a site of great significance for the DLI, and near to Eaucort L’Abbaye where Lt. Colonel Roland Boys Bradford was awarded the VC “for most conspicuous bravery and good leadership in attack ….”

To visit the location, turn off the D929 onto the D11. He was killed in 1917 near Cambrai and is buried in “Hermies British Cemetry”, about 25 minutes away. Take the D74 to Gueudecourt, then the D574, along which is another Newfoundland Memorial, through Beaulencourt, the D11 and join the D7 turning right, through Haplincourt to Bertincourt until the D19 is reached and continue along this to “Hermies and Hermies British Cemetery”, which is on the left and signposted.

Other places of interest on the Somme

You will appreciate from reading the Map 2) of The Somme one can be confused for choice. For example there is the River Ancre and the “Royal Navy Divisions Cemetery” at “No. 27” on the Map, Courcelette, Martinpuich, “Trones Wood” and “Bernafray Wood”, all places that figured in the long months of the Battle of Somme, which ended on the 18 November 1916.

A little further out is Vimy Ridge and its magnificent Memorial and is ‘a MUST,’ with young Canadian Guides taking you through the preserved trenches, including a tunnel, one of many that the Royal Engineer Tunnelling Companies, which included many Miners from The Durham Coalfields, and preserved trenches dug. Do visit the Memorial,  and look at the Sculptures and their meaning, and also the view.

                                                                                                                            The Canadian War Memorial, Vimy Ridge.

,                                                                                                                             The view of the Loos Slag Heaps from Vimy Ridge

Notre Dame de Lorette is one of the National Shrines and Necropolis to the dead of the Battle of The Somme. It has spectacular views, like Vimy Ridge of the area including the Slag Heaps.The Necroplis holds over 46,000, with many in mass communal Graves. The Chapel is well worth a visit as is a circular Memorial with the names of the dead in alphabetical order, again well worth visiting, and close by is a viewing platform overlooking Loos and Lens area including the Slag Heaps. The photograph below gives a more intimate view of the Chapel and Lantern, and on site there is a very nice Bistro/Cafe that serves some really excellent artisinal Ice Creams: well worth sampling!

While in the area, a visit to the “Lens 14-18 Great War Museum” below, on the ‘rue Pasteur, Souchez’, holds a mixture of the local life of the area, with images, artefacts of the various Battles and also the sporting life: Rugby, Football to name a couple, so well worth a visit.

Arras isn’t that far away for a visit either, with the “Wellington Quarry”, ‘an underground museum …. of many kilometres of tunnels dug by the British Army in the 1914-1918 war. The First World War tunnels connect with original tunnels and quarries dating back to the middle ages and Roman times underneath the city of Arras. The Museum was established in 2008 in  memory of thousands of men of the British Army and Dominion Forces who lived under the city during the Great War of 1914-1918. In particular work of the tunnelers of the New Zealand Division is commemorated. The New Zealand Tunneling Company was based in this part of the underground tunnel system during the build-up to the Allied offensive, the Battle of Arras 1917, which was launched in the early hours of 9 April 1917.

Further afield are Mons and Le Cateau, the latter has the Matisse Museum, and opposite that is “L’Estaminet du Musee” for a bit of “La France Profonde”, the heartland of France. It belongs/belonged to a ‘Re-enactor’ and has 1914 Uniforms and weapons of the Allies, with the early French uniforms before the Horizon Blue Uniforms were issued, as well as Britsh Khaki uniforms, weapons etc. as you will see on the website. It also serves very nice food and beers! 

The reason for visiting Le Cateau, apart from the above is that it was the site of a holding action in 1914. It was the second major Battle of the war after Mons. It was fought by II Corps, commanded by General Smith-Dorrien. He reported that he would have to stand his ground on the Le Cateau positions as some of his forces were scattered and all were very tired from the retreat from Mons. In doing so, he repulsed the Germans advance and gained valuable time for the British and French Armies to retreat to the River Marne where the German advance was halted. There is a Memorial on the high ground above the Town where 2nd Bn Suffolk Regiment, amongst others occupied and fought the German hordes and helped buy time for the British Army to withdraw.