From the Belgian coast, across the fields of Flanders, over the valley of the Somme and down the line to the Argonne: all the major battlefields of the First World War, Ypres, Arras, Cambrai, Amiens, St. Quentin, Mons, Le Cateau, Reims, Verdun and St. Mihiel, are criss-crossed in this book over more than thirty different routes, each clearly shown on a Michelin map. Every significant feature is described in detail.
Indispensable for anyone contemplating a tour of the battlefields in Belgium and France, this book combines the years of knowledge, travel and research of its author, Rose Coombs, who worked at the Imperial War Museum in London for nearly forty years.
Since her death in 1991, "After the Battle's" editor, Karel Margry, has travelled every route, checking and revising the text where necessary, as well as re-photographing every memorial. Many new ones are included, yet we have striven to keep true to the flavour of Rose's original concept...before endeavours fade.
CONTENTS Introduction by the Author About this book The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Demarcation Stones The Poppy Legend Battlefield Debris CALAIS-YPRES Route I via Bergues CALAIS-YPRES Route II via Cassel CALAIS-YPRES Route III via St Omer ZEEBRUGGE-YPRES The Yser Battlefield - Battles of the Ypres Salient 1914-1918 Summary YPRES YPRES SALIENT BATTLEFIELD TOUR Route I The Northern Sector Route II The North-eastern Sector Route III The Eastern Sector Route IV The South-eastern Sector Route V The Rear Areas THE ROAD SOUTH ARRAS THE BATTLES OF THE SOMME ARRAS-CAMBRAI Route I via Monchy-le-Preux ARRAS-CAMBRAI Route II via Bullecourt FIVE ROUTES TO MONS MONS MONS BATTLEFIELD TOUR MONS TO LE CATEAU LE CATEAU TO AMIENS AMIENS TO CALAIS Route I via Abbeville AMIENS TO CALAIS Route II via St Pol-sur-Ternoise ST QUENTIN TO REIMS The Chemin des Dames and the Champagne Battlefields REIMS TO VERDUN The Argonne Battlefield VERDUN VERDUN BATTLEFIELD TOUR THE ST MIHIEL SALIENT MS TO COMPIEGNE INDEX