81014 .....let it sink in....it's not a French postal code or American Zip code (before you rush off to Google It, I've saved you the trouble.......Pueblos, Colorado, USA and some virtual post office in France...happy? OK where was I?) That's right 81014 graves and memorials visited today.........72,343 whose bodies were never found and a further 4,454 bodies that were found but could not be identified!
All of these casualties fell in the area of the first battle of the Somme and most within the first month and with the exception of three they are all Commonwealth soldiers. I walked a circle of just about 10 miles to cover all these (the other 12 miles I walked were to the post office and back twice, but more on that later).
The horrific statistics above bring me to my conclusion on sense not prevailing 100 years ago, but I suppose they were different times (the funny thing Is though, Blackadder goes Forth must be the most accurate depiction of what any sane Tommy thought about it all that has ever been produced)
Here are some pictures of the Thiepval memorial and a few of the columns full of names of men whose bodies might still lie undiscovered in the surrounding farmers field's.
If I ever work out how to rotate pictures on wixsite I will, until then turn your monitor on it's side.
Hope you didn't turn your monitor back the right way!
Back the right way now!
Suckers!
Ok, stop that, it's getting silly. The last two attempt to capture the listings for the Devonshire Regiment and Duke of Cornwall's Light infantry.
So, I mentioned some sense had entered my head earlier as well as 12 miles walking to the Post office....what's that about?
Well, today I collected my first resupply boxes shipped from the UK to one of my scheduled B&B's which, means my darling wife Mags can expect a box and a half of sweaty clothes which I posted today! (She is a diamond, never a word of complaint)
Now, the post office is only 3 miles away, but no one could tell me what time it opened. So, having noted that most post offices I'd seen in France were open in the mornings only, I packed my parcels put them in my rucksack a headed off, only to find this post office opened 1400 to 1700 everyday except Wednesday!!
Now onto the little bit of sense.....in one of those boxes was my Hammock. Yes I am afraid I have abandoned the idea of camping out, in order to ensure I complete the walk. The temperature during the day has had me wearing all possible layers three hats and gloves (and that's when I've been walking 20 plus miles everyday), to risk sleeping out in even lower temperatures would be suicidal I suspect.
So, In summary, 100 years ago many of the men endured days and nights exposed and often wet and now, me an overweight 40 something has shied away from that challenge! Sorry everyone, you all have carte Blanche to call me a pussy / whimp / snowflake etc. etc.
Night night, from my warm cosy bed...some of us have got 20 plus miles to walk tomorrow!
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