November 5th 2016 Commemoration Plan

My plan for November 5th this year is as follows:

1. Meet at 11am at the French memorial in the middle of Gueudecourt.

2. Meet with the Mayor by 11:30am at the mairie.
Unveil the plaque, have a couple of speeches and there may be other items as well.

Anyone my follow me with the rest of my plan -
3. Go to the Bayonet/Hilt Trench area where the 1st and 3rd Battalions attacked where a wreath will be placed.

4. Go to the area of the Maze attack and lay a wreath.

5. Go to Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.

The battlefield (where the 1st and 3rd Battalions attacked)

French soldier memorial in Gueudecourt

Villers-Bretonneux Memorial

A Wonderful Surprise!!

Last night around 9:15pm I received an email from my contact in France that informed me of some fantastic news ...

Some of you may remember last year (or even the year before) I wrote that I was planning something special for the 100th anniversary but I didn't want to say to much in case I couldn't pull it off - well after the email last night I am feeling comfortable enough to let you all in on my special thing. 

This is where the battle for the 1st Battle occurred.

Back Story: 

After my last visit to Gueudecourt for the 95th Anniversary I had the crazy idea that I wanted a monument or plaque erected either right next to the battlefield or in Gueudecourt that commemorated our dead soldiers, especially those still buried on the battlefield. Even though I REALLY wanted this I never thought I could achieve any thing. Though over the last couple of years with the aid of my contact in France I have been trying to achieve something - I had decided at this point in time I wanted a plaque in Gueudecourt. The last thing I did a few months ago was directly write a letter to the mayor of Gueudecourt which my contact passed on for me.

WELL ...

... GUESS WHAT?

The email last night said that the mayor of Gueudecourt had agreed for a plaque to be erected on the wall of the 'mairie'.

 SO ...

This means I need to get busy now organising the creation of this plaque and getting it to France in time for 100th anniversary.

Actual Attack and Burial Site

Over the two trips I have made I have come close to the actual attack and burial site of the soldiers. On many different maps I have been able to pinpoint and highlight the areas but have never had a photograph. Thanks to Google Maps now having the street view options for the area I am looking at I have now got an actual image of the burial site and attack area.

The area surrounded by the blue line during the war linked up and made Bayonet Trench. The area marked with red is where they attacked from. The area surrounded by the pink line is Hilt Trench. The green arrow is pointing roughly to the co-ordinate given in the military files. The yellow line shows the area where the soldiers would have died and been buried.  The road makes up part of what was called Fritz Folly.

The above map shows the actual attack and burial sites. In 2016 when I go back for the 100th anniversary of their death I will be stopping here and if there are no crops in and the weather permitting, I hopefully will be able to walk out onto this or at least up hilt trench.

This is the same image as above, however without the coloured lines.

Memorial at Gueudcourt

After my last visit to Gueudecourt for the 95th anniversary of the death of Thomas and the other soldiers I decided that for the 100th I REALLY want to place a plaque in France commemorating them and the battle they lost their lives in.

A couple of months ago I decided to start to try and make this happen, I have contacted someone in France in the hope they can help me and I have started saving money for the plaque.

I have to admit in a perfect world I would be able to get the plaque I have imaged (and drawn) and it would be placed right near their burial site. I know I am going to have to settle for something else, but I will not settle for anything less then a plaque recognising the battle and the loss of lives.

I may have already posted the following previously on here - My image of the perfect plaque (or monument) to Thomas and the other soldiers would be the return of what was placed for them when they were originally buried (though in stone) - A simple cross bearing all their names. I have to admit when I told my family and friends most were a little confused (confused might not be the right word) as I am far from religious, but I feel it is only fitting that the cross be returned. I know others may not feel this way.

I will post updates on what happens when things occur (hopefully).