A poignant tour of WW1 battlefields and cemeteries

The Coachmakers’ European trip this year was to the battlefields and cemeteries of WW1 in Belgium and France. The tour began on 12th June in Bruges at the lovely Dukes Palace Hotel. Along with four Coachmakers (Liveryman Robert Dover, Liveryman Simon Gurney, Assistant Nick Lyford, and Freeman Kevin Timms) and their partners (Gina, Lynne, Ann and Anne) were our Clerk, Lt Col Craig Hallatt and our exceptional tour guide, Major Brian Rogers.

The following day we set off for Ypres, or Wipers as it was known to the Tommies. The town was totally re-built after WW1, back to how it looked prior to the war. Therefore, it is a beautifully restored 13th century Flemish town. Within the town ramparts is the Menin Gate, a memorial to the nearly 55,000 British soldiers lost in and around Ypres, that have no known grave.

At 8pm each evening the last post is played and wreaths laid in honour of the fallen. Nick, Simon and Craig laid a wreath on behalf of the Coachmakers for the men from the various Worshipful Companies that are inscribed on the walls. Kevin and Anne laid a wreath for Anne’s great uncle, whose name is also on the monument.

The following morning, we visited a number of the memorials and cemeteries in the surrounding area, including the memorial to the Household Cavalry at Zandvoorde, where Brian’s skill at telling the story under pressure from some local cows impressed us all! He will be forever known as the ‘Flanders’ Cow whisperer!’ Craig’s moving rendition of the last post was an emotional moment. Later, we visited Tyne Cot Cemetery – the largest Commonwealth War Graves cemetery in the world, with nearly 12,000 graves. The sheer size of the site and loss of human life was difficult to comprehend.

In contrast, the Langmark German Cemetery was dark and foreboding, very different from the English country garden feel of the British cemeteries.

On Monday we left Belgium and headed south to the Somme region. We reconvened at the Thiepval Memorial, a Lutyens’ designed giant arch with the inscriptions of the names of more than 72,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers with no known graves who fell in the area during WW1.

Brian then took us to Sheffield Memorial Park where a number of the so called ‘pals battalions’ are remembered. He had us reenact the morning of 1st July when the soldiers had to climb out their trench and walk 900 yards uphill towards the German lines, a brave effort that ended in disaster, with all but a few lost before 100 yards.

Next it was Craig’s turn to take us to the Devonshire Trench Cemetery, where the Devonshires tried to do much the same thing on the same day with the same disastrous result.

The final location was Dives Copse Cemetery in a quiet part of a field where we remembered Anne’s great great uncle – once again with a moving and emotional playing of the last post by Craig.

This was a different tour than others but was immensely rewarding. It was poignant, emotional and educational. Brilliantly organised by Nick and Simon as usual, beautifully guided by Brian, and Craig’s Last Post in these locations brought us to tears.