Trip Details

Introduction

On Sunday 23^rd June 2013 the Cadets & Adults of Rossett Platoon will embark on the annual pilgrimage to France and Belgium where we will once again take part in the Commemorations of the Battle of the Somme and the Battles of Ypres. This year we will be joined by the other Detachments of Albuhera Company.

So why do we do this? Well, due to the enormous and continued success during the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal, the Cadets of Rossett Platoon are invited to these commemorative events each year by the Governments of the UK, France and Canada. In fact, we are the only Army Cadet unit in the whole of the UK to receive such an honour. We are very proud of this and as such the responsibility is not something we take lightly.

The trip is carefully planned with its primary intention being educational. It’s been over ninety years since the end of the First World War and for many Cadets this is their first taste of that important part of the UK’s history. We feel obliged to ensure that the new generations of young adults are aware of the enormity of what happened all those years ago and will be able to pass on their experiences and support the continued Commemorative events long into the future. It’s the very least we can do to remember all those who died.

We also have fun and recreation… there’s swimming, tennis courts, games room and a bar for soft drinks. We are even planning a day trip to Disney Resort in Paris.

A little History

2013 will mark 97 Years since that eventful day right in the middle of the First World War when, at 07:28 hrs on Saturday 1^st July 1916, a huge explosion at Lochnagar signaled the start of a 5-month battle which became known as the Battle of the Somme. The explosion was so enormous that it is said it could be heard at Whitehall, in London, which is 160 miles away!!

On that first day, the British alone lost over 40,000 men in just 16½ hours of fighting. That’s the same as 2 British soldiers being killed every three seconds. Just think about that for a moment… Castell Alun High School in Hope has about 1,200 people and that’s how many were being killed every 30 minutes.

By the end of October 1916, the British had lost over 200,000 soldiers and another 190,000 were badly wounded. And that’s just the British. Let’s not forget all the other soldiers from other allied nations who died too.

Ypres in Belgium was the subject of several battles spanning almost the entire First World War. The first battle there started in October 1914, just a few weeks into the War and the last battle didn't end until October 1918, just one month before the end of the War. The City of Ypres in Belgium was virtually wiped off the map.

We will never forget the ultimate sacrifice made by those young soldiers and that is why taking part in these commemorations is so important. With the Regular Army and the TA being busy in other parts of the world right now it is very much down to the Cadets to take part in these important events.

More about the trip...

So, what exactly happens on the trip? Well, a small advance party of senior Cadets and Adults will leave slightly earlier, on the evening of Friday 21^st June. They will set up camp ready for the main party who follow on a 50-seat coach on the evening of Sunday 23rd June. We all meet up at Dominique’s fantastic campsite called Camping du Château et de l’oseraie. Here it is on Google Maps. You can also look round the campsite on this Website. It is located in a quiet village called Feuillères, near the River Somme in the Picardy Region and is about 100 miles from Calais. It takes about two hours to get there on the coach from the ferry.

Once everyone has unpacked and settled in we will go straight round to the all-weather courts where drill and standard-bearing practice will be the order of the day. It is at this point that a number of Cadets will be nominated for the honour of laying wreaths later in the week at the various commemorative parades.

Mametz Wood Memorial

We will spend time visiting the Mametz Wood Memorial. It was placed here in the 1980’s in remembrance of the 5,000 soldiers from the 38^th (Welsh) Division who died over a five day period just a week or so into the Battle of the Somme.

Lochnagar Crater

One day will be dedicated to a very important duty undertaken by our group each year… the on-going maintenance at the huge crater left when the explosives were detonated at Lochnagar on 1^st July 1916. This crater was purchased a number of years ago by Richard Dunning, with the aim of preserving its important heritage for all time.

Each year our Cadet group is tasked with clearing a specific area of undergrowth so that the views given to visitors are similar to those witnessed by the young men back in 1916. We go about this task with great enthusiasm that is key to the success of this annual event.

Thiepval, Ulster Tower and Beaumont Hamel

Another day will see us off to the huge Thiepval Memorial. With more than 72,000 names of missing soldiers inscribed into the panels it will certainly be a time for reflection. During previous visits one Cadet was able to locate the name of his Great-Great-Uncle. It was a very emotional time.

We visit the Northern Irish Memorial called Ulster Tower and the Canadian Memorial at Beaumont Hamel. It is here that we can look at genuine First World War trenches, preserved in history by dedicated teams of volunteers.

Day trip to Belgium

However, our day in Belgium is probably the most emotional of all. The first port of call, as always, will be the massive Tyne-Cot Cemetery. It is the biggest commonwealth war cemetery in the world and holds the bodies of some 12,000 men and the names of another 25,000 missing soldiers. No words or pictures can really portray the enormity of what is here. It simply has to be visited. Many Cadets, and adults too will be left somewhat tearful at the sheer impact this place has. Please take a look at our short videos from 2009 and 2010 (beware, they are quite emotional). You may even recognise a few faces!!

After gathering our thoughts we will board the coach and, time permitting, make our way across Ypres to the Essex Farm Cemetery. Here we will look at the remains of the hospital at which Canadian surgeon John McCrae tried in vain to save the lives of battle-worn soldiers who were falling all around him. He simply couldn’t believe the huge numbers of victims and tried against the odds to save as many of the men as possible. His experience here on the outskirts of Ypres left him both exhausted and dismayed at such a massive and cruel loss of young lives. It prompted him to pen the world famous poem “In Flanders Fields”, a direct result of the carnage he had witnessed first-hand.

All the visits to the various memorials and cemeteries tend to be rather somber so with this in mind a couple of hours of recreation are granted where everyone can enjoy the fantastic city of Ypres. As we’ve already mentioned, Ypres was completely destroyed during the First World War and over many years afterwards was re-built from original plans. It is now home to the most delightful Belgian Chocolate shops, open-air cafés, waffle-houses and ice-cream parlours. You bet we are going to enjoy ourselves… what a shame we have only a couple of hours!!

Ypres is also home to the Menin Gate memorial, yet another monolithic structure displaying the identities of many more missing soldiers. Almost 55,000 names adorn this huge memorial. Each and every night, at 8:00pm, the Last Post is played, with various groups taking part in the commemorations. They say that if the Last Post is played at 8:00pm just once for each and every name on this memorial alone, then it will take almost 150 years before the list is exhausted. It is truly vast. To hear the Last Post being played at the Menin Gate click here.

Once again we hope to take part during the event at 8:00pm, proudly marching into the Menin Gate with Standards held high. After laying a wreath and observing the two-minute silence we head back to the coach and make our way back to camp, satisfied and proud in the knowledge that the first of our parades is complete.

The French Army Cadets

Every year since 2010 we meet Capt. Nourouddine Abdoulhoussen, Commandant from Area 93 (Seine & St. Denis, Paris) and his group of Army Cadets. We will  meet them again this year and together we will take part in the main day of Parades on Monday 1^st July…

1^st July Commemorations

This date is, and always will be, the main reason for our annual visit. The Commemorations of the Battle of the Somme are held each and every year on this day and 2013 will be no exception. Parades and Commemorative services will be held at Lochnagar, Thiepval Memorial, Ulster Tower and at the Canadian Memorial at Beaumont Hamel.

It can become extremely hot, sunny and very exhausting during these parades and it’s hardly a surprise that some of us can become overwhelmed by the heat. The number-one rule for the day is to drink plenty of water.

Day trip to Paris and Disney Theme Parks

We’ll be sure to have lots of fun as we all enjoy a full day of recreation by visiting Paris, which will include the Disney Resort!!

Heading Home

Before we know it we’ll be back on the coach and heading up towards Calais and the ferry to Dover, followed by the road home to North Wales.

Conclusion

Each year our trip to France and Belgium is a massive success story, not just for Rossett Platoon, but Clwyd & Gwynedd ACF and the UK Army Cadet Force as a whole. We established links with the French Army Cadets in 2010 and each year their numbers increase, ensuring that our trip continues to get better and better.

Finally, and most importantly of all, we will once again clearly demonstrate our everlasting commitment to honouring all the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice and laid down their lives for us.

Their bodies are buried in peace;

but their name liveth for evermore.

Ecclesiasticus 44:14