Britain and its Empire lost almost a million men during World War One; most of them died on the Western Front stretching 440 miles from the Swiss border to the North Sea.
The First World War was basically a war of attrition carried out through trench warfare along that front. The line of trenches, tunnels, dug-outs and barbed-wire fences moved very little between 1914-18, despite attempts on both sides to break through.
Attrition meant killing as many of the enemy as possible and hope they run out of soldiers/resources before the other side does. Most of us would call this stupidity, because it treats men as disposable and as fodder for battle. Last man standing wins.
As an example of the slaughter, consider this incident. On 1 July 1916, the British forces (including Canadians) suffered 57,470 casualties, including 19,240 fatalities at the Battle of the Somme. All those men harmed in just one day. The Allies gained just three-square miles of territory in this battle. Stupid, senseless, sad and shameful.
Canada lost 66,000 men and women along with 172,000 wounded in the First World War. One of those who was seriously wounded was Joseph Albert Bonneau of Willow Bunch. He was wounded on September 7, 1918 and died the next day, roughly two months before the end of First World War at the age of 25. He was buried in a small British Cemetery at the edge of a small town in northern France. 150 other young men are buried there with him. Conflicting emotions came into play as I knelt beside Bonneau鈥檚 beautiful headstone in September of 2018. Sadness for sure. But it was also an honour.
I knelt beside the grave of the uncle of Gilles Bonneau, a friend of mine back in Assiniboia. I was able to give a personal thankyou to Joseph Albert Bonneau for his sacrifice. That meant a lot to me.
The headstone for Private Joseph Albert Bonneau is in the British Cemetery at Ecoust St. Mein. The headstone has a maple leaf engraved at the top and the attached poppy. The year 2018 was the 100th anniversary of his death on the battlefield. The Inscription reads: 256467 Private Joseph Albert Bonneau 28th BN. Canadian Inf. 8 September 1918. Age 25. NE A Willow Bunch Sask, Canada LE 5 Oct. 1892 Fils De T. and M.L. Bonneau. 聽聽
Very few headstones have this kind of detail on them. Four other Canadians are buried in this cemetery, a cemetery containing the remains of 151 men. The town that Joseph Bonneau is buried near is Ecoust St. Mein. It is just a few minutes south of Arras and approximately two hours north of Paris by car.
Visiting the battlefields of the First World War can be a very emotional experience whether the traveller lost relatives in the Great War, or had relatives who were in combat and returned, or if there鈥檚 just a desire to see where it all happened. Visitors can easily spend a week in the Arras area. My wife Colette and I were fortunate enough to visit the Battlefields region in September of 1918, almost exactly 100 years after the Armistice was signed.
Heading north of Arras leads to Ypres, Belgium, journeying past German cemeteries with as many as 45,000 dead and Allied cemeteries with up to 70,000 dead. Cemeteries are plentiful, placed along roadsides every few kilometres. Of course, they are located near sites of major battles and military hospitals. All are superbly groomed. Canada pays a share of the cost of maintaining the many cemeteries. It is sad to see many headstones that say only one thing: KNOWN UNTO GOD.
One of the highlights in driving from Arras to Ypres is visiting Vimy Ridge. Vimy Ridge is the site of a major Canadian battle in 1917, in which Canadian troops using new military strategies (such as creeping barrage) captured the hill from the Germans.
A giant monument now stands on this hill (Hill 145) that has been designated by France for Canadian use. No words can describe the emotions experienced when touring the trenches, the tunnels, the museum, the monument and the two adjacent cemeteries.
The monument on Vimy Ridge is spectacular. Twin pylons sit on a base and tower over the landscape below. The pylons are 27 metres tall. Carved on the walls of the monument are the names of 11,285 Canadians who died in France and whose final resting place was unknown. Thirty war cemeteries lie within a 20-kilometre radius of the Vimy memorial.
One has to be careful when touring Vimy Ridge. It is a very large area and walkways are roped to prevent people from wandering into dangerous grounds where unexploded ordnances still lie. As many as 400 sheep graze the grassy terrain to keep the place groomed.
Travelling north takes visitors to Ypres, Belgium. Ypres is a special place. The Ypres Salient was the site of many battles involving Canadians. We suffered huge losses. Ypres was the location of the first use of chlorine gas in war. Several gas attacks killed about 12,000 Canadians.
It is possible to visit many battlefields here as well as the hospital where John McCrae worked and wrote Flanders Fields. Passchendaele is nearby too. The battles there were disastrous as the foul weather continued for months. The town of Passchendaele was reduced to tiny piles of rubble.
Someday, the hospitality and travel industry will be back. It may be different, but there will be travel opportunities. For proud Canadians who enjoy history and visiting other countries, travellers cannot go wrong by visiting the battlefields of the First World War in France and Belgium. There is no experience like it.
