Somme Sentinel

1. Somme Sentinel Covering events and activities of cadets in YOUR company to spread the news! Special Edition D Day Trip May 2014 This year marks a double Anniversary - 70th Anniversary of D Day and the 100th Anniversary of the start of the First World War. We wanted to do something to mark the occasion and as we became Somme Company at the beginning of the year in the restructuring of Cheshire ACF, we thought it would be fitting to visit the sites and memorials in the Normandy & Somme region. The tour spans sites from the First and Second World Wars and our hope was the cadets going on the trip would learn the historical value but also appreciate the human sacrifice involved. This trip surpassed our expectations. The Start 27th - 28th May We Left Chester at 2 am after celebrating the birthdays of two of the cadets at midnight and finally arrived at our first destination at midday on Wednesday 28th May. Vimy - monument at Vimy Ridge, the memorial, was an impressive structure built out of white limestone which strikes an imposing figure on the landscape. It is one of two large memorials to the Canadian soldiers killed in Northern France. We discovered life in the trenches and the unique tunnel systems used by both sides which are opened up to the public during guided tours delivered by Canadian volunteers. We then continued onto the Normandy beach area to our Chateau which would be our base for the next three nights.

2. 29th May Pegasus bridge - crucial objective in the Normandy Landings to prevent the German forces outflanking the allied troops during the D-Day Landings. The bridge was preserved for transport links, but with the bridge held the allied forces had some protection as far as Caen. The successful airbourne assault was carried out by the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Regiments who were flown in via gliders. Ranvillecemetary- where paras killed during the Pegasus Bridge assault were buried. This was the first war graves we had visited and the cadets walked around silently paying their respects; finally appreciating the cost of war on human lives. Merville gun battery - the major parachute assaults on D Day. The worry was the range on this multiple gun emplacement would be enough to fire on Sword beach, (British and French landing sites) hampering the invasion. We then drove to Le Grande Bunker which was an important German target command post overlooking Gold, Juno and Sword beaches. There were multiple displays of German equipment and the original viewing equipment. Arromanches- site of the famous Mulberry Harbour which was built the day after D Day. It was a major feat of military engineering, built and towed from the UK. It allowed the allied forces to unload men, stores and munitions directly onto the Normandy beaches - allowing vehicles to drive from ship to shore. Like many of the towns and villages in and around the area, the preparations for the remembrance of the 70th Anniversary of the D Day landings were well underway. Banners and signs were strewn around and the shop fronts were all decorated and themed. Here we visited the 3D cinema showing scenes of the build and and events leading to D Day up to the sacrifice of the invasion and rejuvenation of the area post war. We also visited the museum which helped us appreciate the magnitude of the Mulberry Harbour.

3. 30th May Bayeux cemetery - largest British second World War cemetery. We laid a wreath and individual poppies on graves of Cheshire Regiment soldiers, unknown and some named. The atmosphere was reflective and sombre. Whilst in Bayeux we took the opportunity to visit another well known piece of British military history - the Bayeux Tapestry, which follows the story of the Battle of Hastings in 1066 at the time of the Norman Conquest. We had time to enjoy the French culture and shopping in the historical town centre. Next came Longue-sur-mer situated on the cliff tops of the northern coast, looking out over the beaches of Gold and Juno. This was a very important German gun battery responsible for defending the German held northern coast of France. The imposing bunkers, emplacements and even guns are still to be found at the site. From here we visited Omaha beach and cemetery. 9, 835 graves in a large and immaculately presented cemetery. As we arrived fog rolled in off the sea giving an even more eerie and atmospheric feel. Preparations were well under way for the visit of the world leaders for the anniversary on the 6th June.

4. 31st May We travelled up to the Somme as there is also a significant date to be remembered in this area - the 100th Anniversary of the start of the first World War. We started with a visit to the Somme museum in Albert which was built into the town's underground tunnel systems - with the sights, smells and experiences of the first World War and trench warfare (French, British and German forces). The museum contains an extensive collection of memorabilia from the period. We had lunch in the pretty French town and then set out to visit the Somme memorial at Thiepval. The Sommme Memorial The cadets were humbled by the huge impressive structure and the volume of names carved into the stones. The names of 68,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers never recovered from the battlefields - including the name of the grandfather of Somme Company's OC. We laid a wreath in remembrance. We dropped into the Ulster Tower en route to the Lochnager Crater. This crater is 91 metres in diameter and 21 metres deep was formed when the Royal Engineers detonated an explosive packed mine, creating a column of earth 3,000 and an explosion that at the time was the largest man-made noise ever made. An absolutely amazing experience, thanks to everyone who organised, fundraised for and came on the trip. Special thanks to SMI Ellis.