Our last stop in France was somewhere I had wanted to visit for a while and I felt that Katy, as an ambulance who has seen active service should visit as well it was the Thiepval Memorial in the Somme area.
The Thiepval Memorial is to the 72,337 missing British and South African men who died in the Battles of the Somme of the First World War between 1915 and 1918 with no known grave.
My personal reason for wanting to visit was to see the inscription on the memorial to one of my ancestors Sergeant William Allison Barnett
He was one of three brothers who went to war, one survived unscathed, one was taken prisoner and William was the unlucky one. he was recommended for the medal just 2 days before he was killed in action.
Even as we pulled up we gathered interest from visitors who understood what she was and I was really happy to be able to tell them that she had been saving lives in Croatia and she saved even more in Rwanda when she did active duty.
There is a new visitor centre and I was amazed when they printed a summary of information of Uncle Bill as he was known in our family.
The spotless nature of the war graves in France is testament to the work of the CWGC and to the people of France who maintain them in this way in partnership with them
What I had never known until I read the exhibition was that he had been killed on the first day that British Tanks had been used in action and that this day was a major offensive for the British Army.
No wonder he was lost somewhere in combat that day it must have been horrible
Thiepval is one of those places that everyone responsible for sending people to war should go.
Imagine if we sent every politician to sit and think for a day on the possible consequences
After that we needed something nice to end the day and so we stopped at a local store to pick-up some fresh produce for tea and settled down to our last night in France
Up early the next morning and some shopping on the way and then another uneventful day on the road and we were finally home by the evening of the 14th
So the trip in summary
Some Stats
To end This Adventure...
I've often been asked if we've taken Katy on any adventures and I feel I can now look people in the eye and say
Yes!
She's been over the Alps and I don't mean on the Tarmac, I mean up and down mountain tracks and it won't be the last adventure we have. Just watch this space.
The Thiepval Memorial is to the 72,337 missing British and South African men who died in the Battles of the Somme of the First World War between 1915 and 1918 with no known grave.
My personal reason for wanting to visit was to see the inscription on the memorial to one of my ancestors Sergeant William Allison Barnett
He was one of three brothers who went to war, one survived unscathed, one was taken prisoner and William was the unlucky one. he was recommended for the medal just 2 days before he was killed in action.
Even as we pulled up we gathered interest from visitors who understood what she was and I was really happy to be able to tell them that she had been saving lives in Croatia and she saved even more in Rwanda when she did active duty.
There is a new visitor centre and I was amazed when they printed a summary of information of Uncle Bill as he was known in our family.
The spotless nature of the war graves in France is testament to the work of the CWGC and to the people of France who maintain them in this way in partnership with them
What I had never known until I read the exhibition was that he had been killed on the first day that British Tanks had been used in action and that this day was a major offensive for the British Army.
No wonder he was lost somewhere in combat that day it must have been horrible
Thiepval is one of those places that everyone responsible for sending people to war should go.
Imagine if we sent every politician to sit and think for a day on the possible consequences
After that we needed something nice to end the day and so we stopped at a local store to pick-up some fresh produce for tea and settled down to our last night in France
Up early the next morning and some shopping on the way and then another uneventful day on the road and we were finally home by the evening of the 14th
So the trip in summary
- We met some really fabulous people, especially the Alpine rovers crew, Mike, Mike and Mandy
- A major achievement for all of us and a set of memories to treasure
- About 50 hours driving in total across 2 weeks
- No significant breakdowns
- A lot of learning so we do it better and easier next time
- A sense of capability that will remain with us whenever we venture off-road in Katy again
- Some fun with some very nice people, and stories to tell
Some Stats
- 2020 miles round trip
- 481 Litres / 105 gallons of diesel
- 19.3 mpg on the runs and 19.4 on the mountain days (which did include road work)
- Total cost in Diesel £655 approx. I haven't taken into account all the exchange rates and charges
To end This Adventure...
I've often been asked if we've taken Katy on any adventures and I feel I can now look people in the eye and say
Yes!
She's been over the Alps and I don't mean on the Tarmac, I mean up and down mountain tracks and it won't be the last adventure we have. Just watch this space.
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