After a good day on the Somme, we headed up to Arras for Part Deux of the Rachel Battlefield Tour. Rob Wolsey, a Canadian Battlefield Guide who works for NATO had recommended Le Comptoir Restaurant, and I had visited it twice during my week in Arras, so of course we went for dinner. I have discovered Carbonnade Flammade (Belgian Stew) and that is now my go to Belgian (and Belgium adjacent dish).
After a quick morning stop at a great patisserie where we watched the baker bring out tray after tray of tiny perfect desserts, we headed out.
Vimy Memorial
The first stop was at the visitor’s centre at the Vimy Memorial. The centre offers tours of the underground tunnels and reconstructed trenches but you can’t reserve in advance, so we stopped there first to sign up for an early tour before all the touristes hit the hill.
In the display area, they have a Lego model of the Vimy Memorial. Very impressive, the model uses 11,285 bricks, the exact number of names listed on the memorial. The model took more than 200 hours to build.
The detail is amazing, as shown by Canada Bereft overlooking the tomb of the unknown soldier.
Battle of Vimy Ridge
The Germans had taken Vimy Ridge in December 1914, and repeated attacks first by the French, then by the British had failed miserably. The French suffered 150,000 casualties during their attempts to take the ridge from 1914 to 1916. The British took over in February, 1916 and suffered repeated attacks and mine explosions in their attempts to take the ridge. In October 1916, the Canadian Corps moved into the area to relieve the British.
The Canadians spent 6 months preparing the infrastructure to support the attack, conducted extensive training exercises, dug assault tunnels, located enemy gun positions and amassed massive fire power for the assault.
This would be the first time the 4 Canadian Divisions fought together. Nearly 100,000 Canadians along with 70,000 British Infantry and Artillery were involved in the conflict. For a week before the attack, the artillery pounded the German positions, destroying most of the trenches and defensive positions, and inflicting what the Germans called “the week of suffering.”
The attack went in at 0530 on 09 April and by the end of the day, most of the objectives were taken, except for Hill 145 (where the memorial now stands).
Hill 145 was taken the next day and on 12 April the final objective of the Pimple (hill just north of Hill 145) was taken and the Canadian positions consolidated. The photo shows Canadian troops in a captured German trench.
During the battle Canadians suffered more than 10,500 casualties including 3,598 killed. The bulk of these casualties 7,707 were suffered on 09 April and the early part of 10 April, making it the single bloodiest day in Canadian Military History. Worst than the losses at Beaumont Hamel, Dieppe and D-Day combined. The Germans suffered approximately 20,000 casualties, many from the pre-attack artillery barrages and an additional 4,000 were captured.
Many people think of Vimy as the birth of a Nation. I don’t believe that, but is was definitely the birth of the Canadians as Shock Troops, and they would fight together and lead the successful Allied assaults for the remainder of the war.
The area underground is chalk, good for tunneling. Both The Allies and the Germans dug a series of tunnels to access the front lines and to dig galleries for mining operations. Since the Germans had the high ground, the Allies dug an extensive networks of subways to allow the troops to get to the front line safely and unobserved. By the time the Canadians were ready to assault the ridge, there were 14 subways from the rear areas to the front lines to support the attack.
The trench lines were very close together, in some areas 25 m apart, making it easy to dig short galleries and set off mine craters. Both sizes had blown more than 30 mines throughout the more than two years of conflict.
The mine craters are still visible from the reconstructed trench lines.
The row of craters in no man’s land.
The Grange subway is accessible by a guided tour. It was change of season for the tour guides, so we got to be initial tour of a new, well-informed but very nervous tour guide. Fortunately there were only four of us on the tour, and she got us down and back safely. The tunnels had been widened slightly, some supporting structure and electric lights added but other wise are the same as 100 years ago. There were side tunnels for deep mining operations.
There were also command bunkers for Battalion staff. 1000 men spent up to 24 hours underground before the attack, waiting in the dim light to assault the Germans.
The subway lets out into a front-line trench. The trenches were rebuilt while the Vimy memorial was being constructed. There was a pause while Walter Allward found the perfect stone for the memorial, and the workers filled sandbags with concrete, and built cement duckboards to preserve the trenches.
Both Allied and German trenches were rebuilt. The aerial photo shows the proximity of the Canadian (on the left) and German trenches.
The Germans had observation posts built of concrete to keep an eye on the Canadians. Someone was always watching.
After digging our way out of the subways, we stormed the ridge and made it to the monument. Despite being on hill 145, the highest point around, the memorial is not visible from many angles so when you get a break in the trees it is just there.
The memorial, in most people’s opinion, is the most beautiful monument on the Western Front. This is in no small part due to the stone used. The architect, Walter Allward, searched for years for the perfect stone, finally finding it in an ancient quarry in Croatia. The quarry was used to build Diocletian’s Palace in Split in the year 305. The Quarry was then closed until the Vimy Memorial was built in the 1920’s and used again for the renovation to the monument finished in 2007.
The burial crypt for Diocletian which would be converted to the second oldest Catholic Church still in existence, and the oldest remaining religious building, shows the limestone.
By coincidence, Rachel and I spent Christmas in Croatia, including a 3 day stay in Split, in a 13th Century building inside Diocletian’s Palace. We didn’t know the Vimy story at the time, but marveled at the ancient buildings, and the street tiles that had become burnished with 2000 years of wear.
I have been fortunate to visit the memorial four times in eight months and the differences are remarkable. The stone appears to change colour depending on the light.
The first visit was on 15 September 2023, first thing in the morning. The sun is coming up on the other side of the memorial.
The next visit was on 10 January 2024, again early in the morning.
Next visit was on 17 April, late afternoon. The stone looks pure white.
Three minutes later, the sky and the monument changed completely.
Finally, on our recent Rachel tour on 19 May, early in the morning.
This is the approach to the monument, but it is actually the back of memorial. The Front of the monument overlooks the Douai Plain, and the high wall represents a fortress that appears to arise out of the top of the ridge.
The Vimy foundation has produced a website to honour the Vimy Memorial and highlight the sculptures. The introduction also has some awesome aerial photography of the monument and is well worth a look.
The entire park is 250 acres, much of which is untouched battlefield. The area around the monument was fully cleared of explosives, but the wooded areas are off limits due to the potential of unexploded ordinance. The shell craters are visible around the monument, and the shell and mine craters are visible throughout the forest. There is said to be one tree planted for each of the 60,000 Canadians who lost their lives in the war.
The theme of the memorial is peace and not victory. I looked at the symbolism of the statues in a previous post.
The memorial is so spectacular, that you sometimes forget its purpose is to commemorate the Canadians soldiers missing in France. In total, more than 600,000 Canadians served in WWI, with more than 60,000 losing their lives. More than 18,000 Canadians have no known grave. 11,285 soldiers missing in France are named on the Vimy Memorial. A further 6,925 Canadians with no known grave in Belgium are listed on the Menin Gate and 820 missing Newfoundlanders are listed on the Beaumont Hamel memorial.
We don’t, as far as I know, have any relatives listed on the Vimy Memorial, but I took a few photos of the Allens just in case. Using the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site I found there are 21 Allens listed on the memorial. The great thing about WWI is that all of the service records of all of the serving members are available through Library and Archives Canada. I looked at their dates of death, and picked Ben Allen who was killed on 09 April 1917, the bloodiest day in Canadian military history. He was one of 3 Allens killed that day.
Ben was born in Wymer, BC on 17 July 1897 and enlisted in Toronto on 11 January 1916, where he was living. He went overseas with the 124th Battalion, landing in England on 18 August 1916. Ben was reassigned to the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) and landed in France on 06 December 1916, and assigned to the PPCLI Camp behind the front lines where replacements were held for further training. He was assigned to the field on 04 February 1917 spent a few weeks in hospital with Bronchitis before finally reaching his unit on 25 February 1917. Ben was killed on 09 April 1917 in his first action at the age of 19. Every soldier has a story, and Ben’s is a tragically common one, the soldier being wounded or killed in his first action.
Vimy Foundation Centennial Park
Just beside the upper parking lot next to the memorial is the Vimy Foundation Centennial Park. The park was opened on 09 November 2018 to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War, and provide a reflective space near the memorial. The park is on a 4-acre site purchased from a farmer and cleared of ordinance before the park could be created.
The park features 100 Centennial Oak trees that are descendants of acorns taken from Vimy Ridge in 1917. The acorns were taken by Leslie Miller and planted on his farm in Scarborough. The trees were repatriated to Vimy and planted in the Centennial Park.
There are benches all around the circle. The park is kept in a natural state to reflect the tranquil setting.
The individual trees are sponsored by a number of groups, including the RMC Class of 1973. I had not visited the park during my previous visits, but it is a worthy addition to the memorial grounds.
Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery
Our next stop was the Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery, just down the road. The Cemetery was opened in 1916 and populated with Canadians during the battle of Arras in 1917. After the war the cemetery was expanded through the concentration of over 100 smaller cemeteries and now has 7,650 burials, 4,465 of whom are unknowns. The cemetery is the sixth largest Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery and one of the most beautiful
The cemetery has a very unique shape, with many of the headstones in a circle centred on the Stone of Remembrance.
The cemetery was designed by a former Canadian Army Officer, Frank Higginson, who worked as an archetect for the CWGC in the 1920’s. The stately entrance defines the cemetery’s importance.
In May 2000 the remains of an unknown Canadian soldier were taken from this cemetery and buried in a special tomb at the foot of the National War Memorial in Ottawa, Canada. A focal point for remembrance, he represents more than 60,000 Canadians who lost their lives during the First World War. A headstone in plot 8, Row E, Grave 7 marks his original grave.
Notre Dame de Lorette French Cemetery
We moved on to Notre Dame de Lorette, a massive French Cemetery. The cemetery was first opened in 1915 during the Battle of Artois. It was inaugurated in 1925 as a National Military Cemetery, and within the grounds are the remains of more than 40,000 soldiers in individual graves as well as eight ossuaries.
The cemetery is built on the peak of hill 165 and the sloping ground masks the number of grave markers.
The original Basilica on the grounds was built in 1727 but was destroyed during the French Revolution. The chapel was rebuilt in 1815 and became a favourite site for pilgrimages, until it was destroyed in World War One. The basilica was rebuilt and dedicated in 1927.
Also on the site is the Lantern Tower built in 1921. The lantern casts its light for miles around. At its base is a chapel and ossuary which contains the remains of nearly 6,000 soldiers who died on this hill during WWI.
Ring of Remembrance
Adjacent to the cemetery is the Ring of Remembrance, a memorial built in 2014 to commemorate all of the fallen in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region.
The ring alphabetically lists the names of more than 576,000 soldiers from more than 40 different countries, without rank or nationality.
The ring consists of 500 3 m high panels listing the names of the fallen.
We are able to find a few names of people that we knew.
Sgt Robert Connelly was killed on 30 September 1918 at the Battle of Canal du Nord.
Two of the British Goodfellow Brothers, Lance Sgt Henry Thomas Goodfellow killed 26 August 1914 at Le Cateau, and Pvt Walter James Goodfellow killed on 03 November 1915 at the Hohenzollern Redoubt just north of Lens.
Hill 70 Memorial
Our next stop was the Hill 70 Memorial at Lens. This site was developed with private funds, as for 100 years there was no memorial to the first Battle that the Canadian Corps served under a Canadian, Gen Sir Arthur Currie. The memorial was dedicated on 08 April 2017 by Governor General David Johnston. Since the memorial was only recently constructed, it is not located at the actual Hill 70, but is in a park about 1.5 km from the original site, the jumping off point for the assault.
The site has many information boards, and a Hill 70 app that tells the story of the battle and a description of the actions of the Victoria Cross Winners. The app has audio and video clips, and is worth looking at for pictures and stories of the battle.
The Hill 70 foundation also created a book about the Battle that was distributed to schools to educate students about this forgotten Battle.
The Walkways are named for the 6 Victoria Cross Winners at Hill 70.
One of the interesting features of the walkways, are the imprints of Maple Leaves. There is one Maple Leaf for each of the 1850 Canadians killed during the Battle of Hill 70.
The memorial features an amphitheatre and with a red maple leaf in the centre. The park-like setting is very peaceful, while we were there some kids were playing soccer.
The Obelisk stands 70 m above sea level, the height of Hill 70 itself. The Obelisk features the words Hill 70 and Canada 1917 as well as the Sword of Sacrifice.
At the entrance to the park is the Memory Tree designed to honour and name the 1,056 Canadians killed on 15 August 1917.
Battle of Hill 70
The British had launched the Battle of Passchendaele on 31 July 1917 and the Canadians were tasked to attack Lens as a diversion to draw German troops away from Ypres. Lens had been in German hands for several years and was heavily fortified. Currie proposed that the Canadians take Hill 70 that overlooked Lens as he knew the Germans would be desperate to retake the hill. Currie’s plan was to Bleed the Germans White through a killing field of artillery and machine gun fire. He knew the effectiveness of this plan as the Allies had been too often the victim of the same tactics.
As at Vimy, the Canadians repeatedly rehearsed the assault, and amassed an extensive collection of artillery pieces to hammer the Germans. The Canadians also located the German artillery using flash spotting, sound ranging, aerial surveillance and photography.
At 0425 on 15 August the Canadians attacked Hill 70 behind a creeping barrage from more than 200 guns and devastating counterbattery fire. The Engineers also sent drums of burning oil and poison gas to cover the advance. In less than one hour, the Canadians had taken their objectives, and furiously dug in to face the inevitable counterattacks.
The Germans launched their first counterattack at 0815 on 15 August, but the Canadians had pushed forward more than 250 machine guns to stem the attack. Forward Observers and Spotter Aircraft equipped with Wireless Radios directed the artillery fire with devastating effect. Both sides extensively used gas to impede their enemies. The Germans were using mustard gas against the artillery. The troops had gas masks, but the lenses fogged up so the gunners could not read the gradation dials on the guns or settings on the fuzes, so they worked without gas masks, often sacrificing themselves to provide support to the infantry. On 18 August, the Germans fired almost 20,000 gas shells against the artillery. More than 180 gunners were killed by the gas. Photo of a captured German Bunker.
Over the next 3 days, the Germans launched 21 counterattacks that were all beaten back. On 21 August Currie launched an attack against Lens itself, but the strong fortifications prevented any significant progress, and the battle was finally called off on 25 August.
The Canadians suffered 9,198 casualties in the Battle of Hill 70, including over 1,850 killed. The Germans suffered over 20,000 casualties in their repeated attempts to retake the Hill.
Despite Lens remaining in German hands until almost the end of he war, the attack at Hill 70 achieved the aim of pulling troops away from the Battle of Passchendaele. Currie stated that this was the most difficult battle his troops faced in the war, and firmly entrenched Canadians as elite Shock Troops who would soon be called on again to lead the fight for Passchendaele Ridge.
Wellington Quarries
The final stop on the tour was at the Wellington Quarries in the suburbs of Arras. The Wellington Quarries Museum has an excellent display area, and underground tour.
Quarries had been dug under Arras since Medieval times, including under the main square. Several other quarries were dug further from the main square, and in Sep 1915, the vast array of quarries was rediscovered, and the decision was to link them together to allow the attacking army to proceed to the front lines in safety.
A call went out to all the Commonwealth Nations for Tunneling companies, and the New Zealanders were the first to respond. The New Zealanders were mostly miners and railway construction workers, many of them over 40 so not eligible for initial enlistment. These were hard men who excelled under ground but did not care at all for military drill or discipline, much to the chagrin of the British Officer corps.
The New Zealanders joined the Quarries together, so the British troops could pass safely from Arras to the Front lines. The Wellington Quarries Museum tour takes you underground to see the Quarries and appreciate the efforts of the Tunnelers. As part of the tour, you get issued a WWI helmet as protection.
The guide is fluent in English and French, and the accompanying audio guide provides additional information in multiple languages. In addition, there are multiple video projections on the chalk walls to enhance the tour experience.
The NZ Tunnelers joined all of the quarries together and dug galleries out into no man’s land to get the troops safely into battle.
Up to 25,000 men spent a week in the caves in preparation for the assault. The Battle of Arras commenced on 09 April 1917, as part of the offensive that included the Canadians at Vimy Ridge. The use of the underground caves led to initial successes, but the British were not able to hold their ground as the Canadians had done at Vimy.
Another great day on tour. Vimy Ridge is a must see for any Canadians, or anyone else, touring the Battlefields. Wellington Quarries is one of my new favourite tours, the museum has excellent information, and the tour underground is first rate.