In 2010 as part of our family holiday we visited some of the battlefields, cemeteries and memorials in Northern France. The biggest monument was at Thiepval, an enormous arch with the names of over 72,000 servicemen who died during the fighting on the Somme who have no known grave. It was a moving experience, especially as we found the name of one army lieutenant possibly connected to our family.
We also visited the trenches and Canadian memorial at Beaumont Hamel which commemorates the sacrifices of servicemen from Newfoundland. To walk through trenches and see the bomb craters was quite chilling even on a hot and peaceful summers day. The second of today's pictures is a poem that was part of a memorial at the site.
Again today's pictures are not so much about the photography but as a tribute to the many servicemen and women who have sacrificed so much for us and to whom I am forever grateful.
We have a duty to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for what they believed was right and those who gave their all for duty and their country no matter what side of the conflict they were on. Remembering their sacrifice does not glorify war but the men who answered their countries call, and these days, women also. Thank you for the pictures and the reminder.
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