From Flanders to The Somme...Your photographs.

[Parmesan]

gen what a wonderful thing you have done 

[TF13]

I just thought I would pop back and mention that I've started to look into the other men that are on the panel with Bernard. Some of these men must have been friends so I think it's important, to me anyway, to try and find out something about their lifes and deaths. I'm going to be on the Australian War Memorial site a lot methinks!!!
I wouldn't have been able to do this without your photo so thanks again Jen and I'm really looking forward to hearing about the rest of your journey!
Tony

[genjen]

I agree, Tony, that finding out about others on the panels would be a really interesting thing to do. I also thought that someone else in here just might come across something, or someone, relevant to their own family, which is why I included some of the larger shots.

I'll be back with more, probably tomorrow some time.

Jen

[Lydart]

Jen, we've got a distant Canadian relative in the cemetery at Sunken Road Cemetery, Contalmaison ... would he also have been named on one of the panels ?  Or is it just those with no known burial place ??

[genjen]

The Menin Gate and Thiepval memorial are for those whose bodies were never found, or identified, so if he has a grave, he will not be on a panel. I was so close to there - went through Contalmaison. If only I had known.

[Lydart]

Its OK ... grand-daughter went to the war graves on a school trip ... she was the only one in the class who had someone buried there, so the whole party went to that cemetery (and others !)

She took the photo's ... which I've sent on to the Canadian side of the family ...

[tedscout]

Hi Everyone,

My hubby had an idea that I think is wonderful. He suggested if we have photos of the people Jen found graves and memorials for, we should post them so we can all see who they really were.

So this is my hubbys Great Uncle John Henry Freeman who Jen found on the Menin Gate for us

Cheers Ted

[BumbleB]

What a wonderful idea, and another two ideas from me.  Following visits to various cemeteries in Flanders and on the Somme, I contacted the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and congratulated them on the state of the cemeteries, all so wonderfully maintained.  I am sure it is a great comfort to all of us that those who gave their lives for us are now being looked after so well.  CWGC were pleased to know that their endeavours had been recognised.  And if anyone has photographs of those commemmorated at Thiepval, you can submit them, along with other personal details, to the Thiepval Memorial Visitor Centre database, where they can be viewed by visitors.  I have an e-mail address for anyone interested in doing so (at least I hope it is still valid as I used it in 2005)

BumbleB

[genjen]

The photographs are a great idea Ted. It makes it all so much more real and I'd be delighted to know what these people looked like. I found three of my own but have a photograph of only one of them. This is Ernest Cooper Smith, always known as Cooper, whose name is also on the Menin Gate.