A civilians experience of War. ( late March 1918.)
Mr George Horner of Pickering visited the Western front in late March 1918. George and the other 14 representatives of the National Union of railway men were invited to do some investigating for the government. The following events where George’s experiences and encounters of the Western Front.
George and the 14 others left for London early on the 19th march, and on their arrival in France. Were passed into the hands of military escort and travelled to the hotel which was their head quarters for the night. They left early the next morning by train to Amiens. There George visited the Cathedral which is one of the finest in the world, for its beauty of architecture. The town of Amiens fell into the hands of the Germans in the early part of the war. The French who wished to save the beautiful building from destruction by the enemy, offered them an indemnity, but only a very small part of this was paid before the Germans were driven out again.
At Albert
George and his fellow men were transported by cars to Albert. Here he saw one of the most extraordinary sights of his tour. Overhanging the smashed spire of the church was the figure of a mother and her child about 30 feet in length. There it hangs looking as though it might fall at any moment. The people believe that when it does fall the war will be over. When he left this town they visited the tanks, and their experience of a ride in one of the tanks showed him how these monsters of war can overcome every obstacle that gets in their way. They travelled for miles on the Somme battle-line. There was not a shred or particle of a building of any kind-even the trees had been shattered to the ground-and where once were happy homesteads was just miles and miles of desolate moorland and shell holes, amongst all the hundreds of crosses mark the resting place of the fallen. The roads were made and kept in repair by Indians, Chinese and German prisoners who then seemed quit happy with their lot. They also passed thousands of our soldiers moving up with artillery, motor lorries and implements of war. As George approached the town of Arras he could hear the booming of guns and the whistle of the shells as they came flying over him, which told them all too plainly that the most devastating battle in history had begun. The town itself was in ruins and in what was once a most thriving industrial city, with a population of 200,000 there was a scarcely 1.000 inhabitants left. Their experience here was of a most disturbing nature, shells being dropped in many directions. They visited the famous caves in the market square which afforded us good protection. George was particularly struck with the way the caves connected up one to another. These caves date back to the time of Joan of Ark.
On Vimy Ridge.
Four or five miles further brought them to the foot of Vimy Ridge. They walked up and was almost at the top of the Ridge is where the erected the monument in memory of the brave Canadians who fell during the great battle in April 1917. When the Ridge was taken and retaken again and again. As they stood on the top they could see for miles. Many villages were completely wiped out and all around were a mass of shell holes and barbed wire entanglements. The guns boomed, and they could see the shells bursting. They were about two and a half miles from the German trenches. I visited Vimy Ridge tunnels in 2009 with Lady Lumley’s school and had the chance to walk through the tunnel. We walked through the tunnels as one holding hands. I was full of emotion when we reached the other side of the tunnel as I felt so bewildered and I only had to walk through it not effectively live in it like so many brave heroes did.
Picture above Vimy Ridge Memorial and tunnels.
They journeyed from Vimy ridge to a delightful old château, where they stayed the night. On their way the next morning along the British line they passed thousands of troops with artillery moving up the line, many were walking to their death,He said that it was very emotional time. George was very impressed by the magnificent way in which transport of material and troops from place to place was carried out. A most interesting feature was the ordnance and salvage works. There they saw thousands of work people of many nationalities French girls sang as they worked and German prisoners looked quite pleased to be where they were. All sorts of equipment were brought in for repairs. In one department alone it was stated that £10.000 a week had been saved in repairing boots which would once have been thrown away; 30.000 pairs a week were being repaired. There was also six extensive bakeries and the one visited turns out 3000.000 two pound loaves per day. There were four rows of ovens and bread was a day old before being sent up the line to the fighting forces. The organisation of their transports was conveying food. Etc. to our troops was indeed wonderful and there was no look of food stuff in France.
By Debbie Grayson.
