The Somme and WW1

The visit to the Somme River was high on our list in planning our 2013 routes and we are very glad to have been able to visit here. We rate the Somme River and Canal very highly for the beauty and interest of the country it traverses, for the quality of the lock equipment and moorings and for the many interesting and accessible towns along the route.  

The idea for this canal dates back to 1729 and most of it was completed by 1827. It used to carry commercial traffic and during World War 1 was used for the transport of men and equipment. Wilfred Owen wrote a the poem "Hospital Barge" to reflect on his evacuation in this way in 1917. Now the traffic seems to be only pleasure craft.

The beautiful Somme River
Since 1992 the Canal system has been maintained and operated by the Department of the Somme, not by the VNF which looks after most French waterways. The locks, moorings and the canal as a whole are very well maintained, and the system is well organised and integrated with the total tourist effort. One phones the central control half an  hour before the desired start. If all goes well there is someone at the nominated time to open and close the lock and subsequent locks for the day and also to give information about whether or not potential mooring spots are free. The system works well as long as there is not too much traffic, one has a mobile phone and can speak enough French to be understood. The lock keepers are very friendly and keen to make one's stay enjoyable.
The countryside is notable for its many lakes and streams. Peat was extracted along this river for many years, adding to its wealth and at the same time creating lakes which have been put to good use for recreation, particularly fishing and as market gardens.

An unusual floating, fishing/hunting/living house on a peat lake

The stopping spots are well placed in the pretty towns along the Somme and are free. Some have provision for electricity and water for two euros for several hours. We were amused when we read both the French and the English version of the information signs and discovered that there was a limit of "three days" stay on the French, "48 hours" on the English. In fact neither length of stay is policed as far as we could see, and most people seem to move along at a good rate. There is a hire boat base in one town so the traffic around there is quite busy but most of the Canal was quiet.

Australian War Memorial, Villers Bretonneux
Of course the "Somme River" is a name associated for Australians with fierce battles during the First World War and both David and I have relatives buried in this area. The Somme Department has done very well in documenting this history, with an excellent down-loadable description as well as informative brochures. We stopped at Corbie to cycle to the National Australian Memorial and the Franco Australian Museum at Villers- Bretonneux where in the April 24th/ 25th/ 26th 1918 battle the Australian troops stopped the German push towards Amiens. An elderly gentleman in Corbie on finding out where we were from told us that Australians are given the credit for stopping the Germans in this region and turning the tide of the war.  

The War Memorial and Cemetery are outside Villers- Bretonneux on a dominant hill with magnificent views over the whole valley, while the Museum is in the town, on the first floor of the "Victoria" school, built with money raised by Victorian school students between 1923 and 1927. A large message in green letters on a yellow background is displayed in the school yard: Do Not Forget Australia. We have certainly noticed that our flag is recognised more frequently on the Somme than elsewhere and several people passing have stopped to check that we are Australian and shake our hands.

Grave of Eric Richmond Jurd, Abbeville
We visited the War Cemetery at Abbeville, an extension of the Community Cemetery there, to honour a member of Penny's family, Eric Richmond Jurd. He fought on the Somme but died of Spanish flu, aged 20, two days after the Armistice, 13th November 1918. There were many graves around his of other soldiers who had died of the flu and several Army nursing staff who had succumbed. Abbeville, near the Coast, was a headquarters and supply centre during World War 1. As there were three hospitals in the area, many who had been wounded or taken ill elsewhere died and were buried there. It suffered gravely in World War II particularly from German bombardments on May 20th 1940 during the push into France. Most of the deaths in that bombing were civilians.

Another interesting site is the spot where the Red Baron was shot down. He took off from Cappy near the Australian base and was shot down when he crossed their lines, it is said, in the local history, by an Australian machine gunner in the front line trenches.

Best Regards,

Penny and Dave