I visited the memorial at Thiepval along with many others during a trip to the Somme in 1999. I do not believe I've ever been moved so much when I turned the corner from the visitors car park and the huge structure came into view..
The headstones at Mill Road are laid flat because the cemetery is built over the Schwaben Redoubt, which was a strongpoint consisting of very extensive underground works with several entrances and lots of tunnels. Not all the stones are laid flat - just those above an area which suffers from a lot of subsidence.
The Ulster Memorial Tower is designed to replicate Helen’s Tower in Clandeboye Estate in Co. Down. Many of the soldiers of the 36th (Ulster) Division trained in the Clandeboye Estate and the tower, high on the hill, would have been a familiar sight to them. A service of remembrance is held there every year on the 1st of July.
I had no idea the Common Wealth War Graves Commission had a information centre! Very interesting to see how much work goes into preserving all of the cemeteries. Great video!
Absolutely agree. Much appreciated. THANK YOU. Hope that sometime, some day you'll do a Vimy (16:11) update as well as that is (also) a magical place. One of my personal favorites - - so to speak - in terms of magical - somewhat eternal timeless - places is Butte de Montsec in the East of France. American memorial. And the US Meuse Argonne cemetery is also very very impressive and dare I say beautiful. Thanks very much for that Commonwealth Grave Commission piece. Wasn't aware of it's existence, will put it on my 'must see before I die' list.
Absolutely brilliant, I have visited the Somme nine times on my motorcycle from Northern Ireland, after watching this I have to go back and do the Commonwealth War Graves Tour, I didn't know about it. Looking forward to your Belgium video, my Great Uncle is buried in Lijssenthoek Military Cemetry, Cpl RJ Hunter. Thank you so much.
This is great Ruth. Thank you - it’s nice to hear a fellow Scotswoman’s voice speaking about these sad losses. Yes, there was a fee that families had to pay for the gravestone inscriptions. It was threepence ha’penny (3.5 pennies) in old money or 1.5 new pence. So if the full 66 letters were used it would cost nearly £1 (£76 in today’s value). My granny said it was pitiful seeing widows and mothers struggling to raise the money. She helped her neighbours, in a poor part of Glasgow, to apply to the council, churches, charities and ex-employers for help in paying the bill. Such was the public outcry (this was during the years of the interwar Depression) that the fee was dropped or the debt not pursued. Her older brother was killed at Gallipoli and has no known grave.
The British ruling class must have been one of the most despicable and cruel in modern European history. They had the cheek to charge the families of the dead for the gravestones! I did not know that! 🤬🤬🤬
The best book to read about the WW1 graves is David Crane’s “Empires of the Dead”. It describes how Sir Fabian Ware, a Quaker, had the vision to set up the War Graves Commission so that all the war dead would be buried equally near where they fell instead of officers’ bodies being brought home and other ranks being in mass unmarked graves as happened in previous wars.
Very moved. Thankfully, to my knowledge, our family had no loss during WW1/WW11. Even as a 10 year old, seeing the Normandy graveyards had an effect on me. 40 years later, the sacrifice those young people made hasn't diminished. We are still living in an era, sadly, where good people are being sacrificed for the vanity of the ruling classes. Thank you for reminding us all of what these people went through/ died for
After my grandfather passed away I found all his little keepsakes he had from WW2. Hand warmers that used fuel and Swiss army knife, ect I treasure them ❤
As a coach driver in the 90,s i have visited nearly all WW1 cemetries,bit I must say,lochnagar crater is the place that really hits you,you just cannot imagine the horror that both sides went through. Always remember NEVER forget 🌹😔 A fantastic no2 video ruth,i must admit i had tears in my eyes on this one,one of my relatives is buried at thiepval cemetry,looking forward to the next one.
My childhood was in the shadow of Lochnagar as I grew up on Royal Deeside. Until today I never knew about this crater and the horror that it caused and will eternally memorize. I think I am going to look into this further and find out about the connection.
I’ve always wanted to do what you are doing. My great grandfather and his two brothers were Grenadier Guardsman that fought at the Somme . His two brothers were killed there. I highly respect that you are honoring your family and those who died for us.
Thank you for this one Ruth. Coming from Northern Ireland I can say that the Battle of the Somme is still commemorated every year by some members of our community. I thought you handled the fact that some from the other provinces of Ireland took part in this war which was not a popular choice in those provinces. It is a delicate subject over here. The thing to remember though is the fact that so many from all walks of life made the ultimate sacrifice. Beautiful video.
A friend and I did pretty much this exact trip as this and your last video, with a trip to Verdun and surrounds as well. Extremely emotional and such an incomprehensible loss of life on every side. We have also cycled the Normandy landing beach area Ouistreham - Cherbourg, again so much history and so many memorials. As appalling as the subject matter is I have loved watching your visits - very moving. Thank you.
Ruth, what a fascinating episode. That Commonwealth Graves Commission is an amazing organization. Thanks for placing so many researchable links in the episode. This could be a great resource for geanological research.
Thank you Ruth for giving us this wonderful and emotional presentation. Coming from Northern Ireland I thank you for showing us the Ulster tower. My late neighbour was awarded the Military Medal on the 1st July 1916 while serving with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
I think it is also important to stress that aside from volunteers, most of the soldiers were civilians, just like us, forced into war. Penalty for desertion could be capital punishment. Thank you for reminding us about the importance of visiting these graves
Thank you for this series; I found it much more moving than I expected. Thank you for touching upon Ireland’s role. My grandfather served in one of the two Irish divisions of the British Army. He was promoted at least twice in the field as men above him were killed or wounded. He survived the war and emigrated to America. If he had not made it, I would not be here typing this comment!
Thank you Ruth. Very moving video from a beautiful sensitive soul. Next time you visit a distillery, have a "wee deoch an doris" on me & say, "It's a braw bricht moonlicht nicht," My grandfather from Donaghadee , County Down NI, had been missing since WW1 & my father searched for him unsuccessfully all his life. I continued the search, and thanks to the internet, I found him some 100 years after his death & have a photo of his war grave.. My grandfather was shot on about 3 separate occasions at Gallipoli, evacuated, patched up then sent back to fight. His last battle at Gallipoli was a place called HILL 60. My wife's great aunt was a nurse on Lemnos island where they brought the casualties so I would like to think that she nursed my grandfather.
Outstanding! Totally fascinating & very informative! As well as deeply moving! A truly fitting dedication & Memorial to all of these courageous soldiers! May all of these brave souls Rest in Peace! Thank you for sharing! Blessings to you Ruth!
thanks for the telling as a motorbike traveller and casual military history enthusiast I have visited many cemeteries and memorials and its always emotional, its often a random experience , and I take time to wander around and say hello and thanks to some, its very likely that some graves have never been visited. Everyone should have to go. Lest We Forget.
I lived in Newfoundland for 10 years. The Royal Newfoundland Regiment and Memorial Day, and the name of the province's university (Memorial University of Newfoundland) are huge parts of the old and current memory. I must say, your descriptions and handling of the Irish are so well put, insightful, and respectful. You're a wonderful person and it's great to see younger people remembering the wars, because the wars are so far behind us, they are being forgotten by many. Take care.
Your video strongly conveys the sadness of war. This seems like a quiet but powerful message against the ongoing wars on Earth. 😊Thank you for the wonderful video.😊 I'm looking forward to watching your next videos. From Japan. 😊😊
I remember rocking up to Thiepval as a 15 year old kid on a school trip, and immediately what I thought was going to be my next witty utterance just ending. To anyone who goes to the region, the German graves are also worth a visit.
Thank you for the important attention that's been paid. My😢 mother was born Czech and given to West German foster parents as the war ramped up. Her perception of events occured when she was too young to directly comprehend.
thank you for ding this video Ruth, its a long way from NZ so i dont think i'll ever make it myself the commonwealth war graves commission do a fantastic job taking care of the resting places of our war dead who never got to come home
The reason why the gravestones are flat is that that part of cemetery was built on an old dugout and there has been subsidence leading to the decision in the 1950s to lay the gravestones flat.
Ruth, I discovered you and your channel only a few weeks ago. I have enjoyed seeing many places where my ancestors lived. It has always been fun and joyous because that is what you are. These respectful presentations of the war memorials and grave sites have been heart wrenching for me. You have done a marvelous job, thank you. --- North California
1 of my grand dad's brothers is named on Thiepval Monument. My grand dad's family is from Armagh, he is buried at the church there & was in the Royal Ulster Rifles.
Another wonderful video Ruth. I don’t know a lot about WW1 myself so watching your video has taught me some things. It’s really amazing how they care so greatly for the graves and the memorials. That memorial of Somme was so massive. It must have been emotional to stand there and take in the reality of the amount of lives lost. Thank you for shedding a light on such an important event.
I have recently visited Thiepval in search of 2 great uncles among the more than 72000 missing listed. It was incredibly moving. Then visited The Canadian Beaumont Hammel site. This was so professionally pr dented with restored trenches to view and a small army of young Canadian guides on hand to offer further advice. Even more impressive and moving was the Canadian Vimy Ridge memorial. The adjacent site again had trenches restored which showed the harrowing proximity of the 2 opposing armies. Well done Canada for your efforts both then and now.
Newfoundland was not part of Canada in 1960 its Regiment was I the British army therefore its the Newfoundland memorial take it from this British born Canadian the Newfoundlanders I know get pissy and rightly so when it's referred to as Canadian
I started to watch your video and pressed 'like', but i could'nt keep going after 5.30 mins. I will watch it eventually but PTSD sad no you can't. It's so long ago but so visceral i'm overwhelmed. Please keep these vlogs going I will catch up as i love military history, just not yet. Thank you for bringing all this to the fore, where it maybe have forgotten to most. Love and best wishes stay well x
Ruth, your descriptions of events are clear and easy to understand! You deal with these acts of war in a sensitive and understanding manner. Hopefully a younger generation will see from these events the reality of total war! Your use of drone footage especially around the Lochnagar crater brings the hell of war in stark reality. Your journey is following the footsteps of your family through life and death. 👍
I was like you, Ruth; I didn’t realise that so much work had been and continues to be done until I visited. I also went back to Ypres for the Battle of Passchendaele. The Cloth Hall , which is now the war museum had silhouettes of soldiers illuminated in each of its windows in the evening - it was heart-stopping. The museum is excellent to visit if you get a chance - a real learning experience.
Thanks for the recommendation Carol. That museum was also closed during January. I’ll need to go back again and visit all the museums at a different time of year.
Excellent job. I did the same tour 2 weeks ago. My Great Grandfather is buried in Cabaret Rouge British War Cemetery just south of Souchez. he was originally buried at the St. Laurent Blangey British War Cemetery west of Arras then in 1024 relocated to Cabaret Rouge Cemetery). I also visited Thiepal, Locnagar, Ulster Tower, Arras Caves and Canadian Vimy Memorial. Beautiful trip as it was emotionally draining.
I used to visit a firm in Soissons for my work and drove through the battlefields, so very utterly, utterly depressing. I later found out my Grand Uncle was buried there but as I had retired I did not get the chance to visit his grave, maybe some day I can.
Ruth - thank you for a very moving video. I have visited the Western Front many times and even led small groups. Everyone finds the cemeteries so moving even if, like my family, we didn't lose anyone in either war. A few points. In the UK the 'medal cards' - records of what medals a soldier was entitled to - are on line and may be worth trying if you only have some details of the person you want to trace. Headstones are usually flat because ground conditions make it risky to have them standing. You might want to visit the ossuary at Verdun and the markers for the villages which were never rebuilt on that battlefield - they tore my heart. We had a talk at my WFA Branch from someone who made a pilgrimage to visit and pause at every grave and not just those in the CWCG cemeteries, he visited the graves of those in small Frence cemeteries for those lost at sea for example. It took him years. A very mild grumble - you didn't visit the Dragon at Mametz Wood which is a memorial to the 38th (Welsh) Division which the wood on 10/11 July 1916 losing over 4,000 killed, wounded and missing. It's said the be the second most visited memorial on the Somme after Thiepval. One year I visited the German Cemetery at Fricourt on 14 July. There were wreaths from the local Commune - maybe we can forgive. Also do remember that many of those commeorated on the Memorials to the Missing do have graves in the cemetaries with the inscruption 'Known Unto God', which was chosen by Rudyard Kipling.
I appreciate you sharing all this information, thank you. I would like to go back and visit again especially as so many of the places were closed in January.
Amazing work of visiting the common wealth cemeteries in the France you mentioned. I can imagine very complicated history in the British empire during WWI and WWII. I really respect your calm worship of all those war dead.
Ruth, I'd like to commend you on the progress and substance of your channel. I've been watching from the beginning and just was happy to hear and see your earnest reactions to exploring Scotland. These last two videos (but, not limited to these) have illustrated a curiosity, skill and deft journalistic vigor, which lends these videos a short form doc sensibility. Great job, Ruth; it's really nice to spend time with you on these adventures. I only wish Jean Paul was there to experience them with you.
What an emotional visit to the battlefield of the Somme I am too half Irish (and partly Scottish) my Grand father fought at Somme coming from Ulster he was severely wounded and had to make his way back crawling to the trench whilst passing dead comerades thankfully he survived ...the Ulster Memorial looks beautiful love how all the memorials and graveyards are being so well kept and looked after even today in 2024 thank you for sharing this.
Great video again Ruth I was also delighted to see how well the graves and headstones are keep nothing looks worse than a grave that is overgrown and not taken care of.
Well done Ruth, the scale of Memorials is beyond belief, how sad! You have done a great job again. I’m surprised you could sleep after spending all day in the different places. Cheers Mike 🥃
Beautiful and moving, Ruth ❤😢! Just watched via Facebook and commented over there - overwhelming, and it was especially nice that you spotlighted the support personnel and facilities necessary to maintain these enormous Gardens of Stone 😢 around the world! I’m not really sure who / what organization in the U.S. has an equivalent responsibility, although I believe most of our military cemeteries fall under the control of our Veterans’ Administration. A few, such as Gettysburg, are technically National Military Parks, so they would fall under the National Park Service (United States Department of the Imterior). Great show 😁👍 - keep the history coming, although I can’t wait to get back to a more cheerful subject … like Whiskey 🤪😋🥃👍!
@@ruthaislingand hopefully you’ll get some of the aforementioned Scots Whisky ❤️ for yourself - just watched the follow-up video about the mechanical issues and the dog attack 😮😢! “I’ll go home to me parents, confess what I’ve done, and ask them to pardon their prodigal son! And when they’ve carresed me, as they oft have before … I never will play the Wild Rover no more!” 🥃🥃🥃❤️😊
I literally stumbled on this channel tonight (The rough crossing from Amsterdam to Newcastle) Loved it. I recently ventured to France, the Compeigne area and Paris (I also got bitten by a dog there, it was an arsey Pomeranian whom I interrupted while she was peeing) she just bit me 🙄🥴 We visited the Lochnagar Crater, Thiepval Memorial & countless other WW1 cemeteries starting with Ambleny. It was a real experience! Keep up the good work, I'll be watching 💯
Thank you. My Grandfather was a survivor of the Scottish 9th division of The Battle of Delville Wood. There were 7517 casualties from his division. I don't know how many survived. He never spoke about the war. He was by nature a peace loving man. I often wonder about the horror he felt. He was a very fit man, so was used as a runner. He must have had to step over the corpses from both sides. This is very moving.
Ruth, thank you for sharing information about the Commonwealth War Graves website. I’ve just found that a relation of mine (Australian - died July 1916) is “interred or commemorated” at Villers Bretoneux. I previously looked for his grave around ten years ago, but didn’t find any information at the time. Lest We Forget 🕊️
We visited the Somme in the summer ,it’s so peaceful now , but you can still get a feeling of the absolute carnage that took place here . People should visit these places , these events should not be forgotten.
Another heart-wrenching video Ruth. I'm so glad you were able to make this and I'm looking forward to the 3rd Episode with great anticipation. Please don't stop there, you have World War ll (many countries to visit there) and then maybe off to South Africa for the Zulu and Boer Wars. There's so much scope for you. I believe you should have your own TV show. Your narration is superb! What more can I say? You deserve all the success coming to you because you are so hard-working. Good Luck, your friend in Brazil!❣
Another lovely emotional video Ruth. As a bit of a history nut I do know quite a lot about WW1, but I’ve never been to the memorial sites and I don’t know why. As I’ve spent a lot of time in northern France.. it was nice to see it from your point of view. I think I’ll have to go back. Thanks Ruth😊
Ruth, another moving and brilliant narration. Your emotion’s exude your respect and heartfelt sorrow for all those souls that were lost. As you say so profoundly, “ They left and never came home”. True Patriots. Lest we never forget.
I have to commend you for the way you present these videos. Very informative and held my attention from start to finish. I come from Northern Ireland and my mother's side of the family has very strong connections with WW1. Her grandfather fought at Thiepval Wood with 9th Bn, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on July 1st 1916, one of his brothers was with a Canadian unit and 2 other brothers fought in the Battle of Arras with 10/11 Highland Light Infantry. One, Robert Clinton, was killed on 24-4-1917 and is commemorated, alongside your family members, on the Arras Memorial. Again, thank you.
Ruth, I am a piper. There are two tunes that came to mind watching your video. The first one is “The Battle of the Somme”. Its cheery melody has always baffled me for commemorating such a tragic event. The second is “The Taking of Beaumont Hamel”. Thanks again for another thoughtful and sobering episode.
Bravo to the CWGC. Fantastic respect, dedication and thoroughness. The work they do and the upkeep is exemplary 👏. Great video, very informative, thank you 👍
From Nova Scotia, I will be doing a similar journey in Flanders, The Somme, The Netherlands to visit family (Scottish) war graves from both WWI and WWII …. I really enjoyed your video …
A Very sobering moving Vlog Ruth. It’s a heartbreaking memorial. You give amazing history with your visits. Any loss of life is tragic but the horrendous amount of lives lost is unimaginable . It’s a stark reminder of the ultimate sacrifice that they gave.
Having been to the Somme battlefield a few times, i was saddened to see you did not feature the Welsh dragon Memorial at Mametz, of course i realize you can only squeeze so much into making a video, well done!
Really enjoyed your videos. I hope they serve as a teaching tool for the younger generation. My grandfather served in World War 1 and told me of the horrors. Lest we forget. 🇨🇦.
We visited this area in our motorhome last year. As you say it’s incredible how well looked after these graveyards are. It’s very humbling when you visit them and see the thousands of grave stones. Very well presented video perfect balance.
Thank you for making this journey and sharing it with us. Watching both of these episodes I felt quite emotional. As always, you handled it professionally, with sympathy and thoughtfulness.Well done.
Mornin Ruth epic video glad you found your relatives resting place thank you for sharing your insight to this very sad time at start of war you explained it as if I was there in person thanks for your documentary take care 😘🌸🌺☕️🚗
Thank you so much Ruth for your heartwarming log and search of your ancestors that played their part in World War l . Every single man and woman were absolutely heroes . It is heartbreaking to see the huge cemetery’s where so many people lost their lives from so many countries. We will be forever, so grateful to them, going into the unknown and leaving their loved ones. I found your two Vlogs, so so amazing with all the history of things that I didn’t even realise what went in to keeping those graves so so beautiful. I have been to a cemetery in Dunkirk a few years ago, as I wanted to pay my respects at a cemetery. And it was so beautifully looked after, but it was awful to see stone after stone after stone of young soldiers that died and also so many headstones where the words unknown were on them. Oh my gosh, it just felt awful they were so so brave .
Thank you Ruth for this series of videos in France. I love history, and this has been a learning experience for me. I don’t know of any of my family that may have served in WWI, but I did have a grandfather and some uncles who were in Europe in WWII. This has been a somber experience watching this…
A further note on your great video of the Somme. At Lochnagar we saw numerous memorial plaques on the walkways which also commemorated the survivors of the carnage. One was chilling stating a 25 year old who was ‘Shot at Dawn’ but pardoned in 2006’. Lochnaghar crater site needs a fair bit of maintenance and is not funded by the CWGC.
Lochnagar Crater is an eerie place. I visited it when me and a few mates did the Somme battlefield tour a few years ago. The whole Somme area is so emotional. Glad you’ve been and seen it Ruth.
I visited the memorial at Thiepval along with many others during a trip to the Somme in 1999. I do not believe I've ever been moved so much when I turned the corner from the visitors car park and the huge structure came into view..
It's so moving :(
The headstones at Mill Road are laid flat because the cemetery is built over the Schwaben Redoubt, which was a strongpoint consisting of very extensive underground works with several entrances and lots of tunnels. Not all the stones are laid flat - just those above an area which suffers from a lot of subsidence.
Thank you for sharing about this
The Ulster Memorial Tower is designed to replicate Helen’s Tower in Clandeboye Estate in Co. Down. Many of the soldiers of the 36th (Ulster) Division trained in the Clandeboye Estate and the tower, high on the hill, would have been a familiar sight to them. A service of remembrance is held there every year on the 1st of July.
Thank you for sharing more information about this
I had no idea the Common Wealth War Graves Commission had a information centre! Very interesting to see how much work goes into preserving all of the cemeteries. Great video!
What a powerful and moving series of videos. Thank you so much for bringing these stories of sacrifice to life for us, your ancestors would be proud.
Thank you for watching. ❤
Absolutely agree. Much appreciated. THANK YOU. Hope that sometime, some day you'll do a Vimy (16:11) update as well as that is (also) a magical place. One of my personal favorites - - so to speak - in terms of magical - somewhat eternal timeless - places is Butte de Montsec in the East of France. American memorial. And the US Meuse Argonne cemetery is also very very impressive and dare I say beautiful. Thanks very much for that Commonwealth Grave Commission piece. Wasn't aware of it's existence, will put it on my 'must see before I die' list.
Fascinating, my London ggrandfather hit 40 and retired from the Somme just a week before all his friends went over the top, now buried there.
Absolutely brilliant, I have visited the Somme nine times on my motorcycle from Northern Ireland, after watching this I have to go back and do the Commonwealth War Graves Tour, I didn't know about it. Looking forward to your Belgium video, my Great Uncle is buried in Lijssenthoek Military Cemetry, Cpl RJ Hunter. Thank you so much.
I highly recommend the new audio tour there, it was so informative and interesting
Yes, saw that on your video, I didn't know about it, I'll definitely do it next time, thank you.
This is great Ruth. Thank you - it’s nice to hear a fellow Scotswoman’s voice speaking about these sad losses. Yes, there was a fee that families had to pay for the gravestone inscriptions. It was threepence ha’penny (3.5 pennies) in old money or 1.5 new pence. So if the full 66 letters were used it would cost nearly £1 (£76 in today’s value). My granny said it was pitiful seeing widows and mothers struggling to raise the money. She helped her neighbours, in a poor part of Glasgow, to apply to the council, churches, charities and ex-employers for help in paying the bill. Such was the public outcry (this was during the years of the interwar Depression) that the fee was dropped or the debt not pursued. Her older brother was killed at Gallipoli and has no known grave.
The British ruling class must have been one of the most despicable and cruel in modern European history. They had the cheek to charge the families of the dead for the gravestones! I did not know that! 🤬🤬🤬
The best book to read about the WW1 graves is David Crane’s “Empires of the Dead”. It describes how Sir Fabian Ware, a Quaker, had the vision to set up the War Graves Commission so that all the war dead would be buried equally near where they fell instead of officers’ bodies being brought home and other ranks being in mass unmarked graves as happened in previous wars.
Very moved. Thankfully, to my knowledge, our family had no loss during WW1/WW11. Even as a 10 year old, seeing the Normandy graveyards had an effect on me. 40 years later, the sacrifice those young people made hasn't diminished. We are still living in an era, sadly, where good people are being sacrificed for the vanity of the ruling classes.
Thank you for reminding us all of what these people went through/ died for
Thank you for watching ❤
May God grant eternal Peace to your relatives and all those who lost their lives. Thank you for sharing such unique content. ❤
After my grandfather passed away I found all his little keepsakes he had from WW2. Hand warmers that used fuel and Swiss army knife, ect I treasure them ❤
What lovely items to have
As a coach driver in the 90,s i have visited nearly all WW1 cemetries,bit I must say,lochnagar crater is the place that really hits you,you just cannot imagine the horror that both sides went through.
Always remember NEVER forget 🌹😔
A fantastic no2 video ruth,i must admit i had tears in my eyes on this one,one of my relatives is buried at thiepval cemetry,looking forward to the next one.
Sorry to bring tears to your eyes. I also had tears in my eyes when there and I don’t have any relatives mentioned. 😥
My childhood was in the shadow of Lochnagar as I grew up on Royal Deeside. Until today I never knew about this crater and the horror that it caused and will eternally memorize. I think I am going to look into this further and find out about the connection.
I’ve always wanted to do what you are doing. My great grandfather and his two brothers were Grenadier Guardsman that fought at the Somme . His two brothers were killed there. I highly respect that you are honoring your family and those who died for us.
Hope you can make it there sometime. In real life is so much more impactful than the video.
Thank you for this one Ruth. Coming from Northern Ireland I can say that the Battle of the Somme is still commemorated every year by some members of our community. I thought you handled the fact that some from the other provinces of Ireland took part in this war which was not a popular choice in those provinces. It is a delicate subject over here. The thing to remember though is the fact that so many from all walks of life made the ultimate sacrifice. Beautiful video.
Thanks Jim
A friend and I did pretty much this exact trip as this and your last video, with a trip to Verdun and surrounds as well. Extremely emotional and such an incomprehensible loss of life on every side. We have also cycled the Normandy landing beach area Ouistreham - Cherbourg, again so much history and so many memorials. As appalling as the subject matter is I have loved watching your visits - very moving. Thank you.
Thank you, I’m glad you been able to do a similar trip and have enjoyed the videos.
Ruth, what a fascinating episode.
That Commonwealth Graves Commission is an amazing organization.
Thanks for placing so many researchable links in the episode.
This could be a great resource for geanological research.
Thank you for your kind comments 🙏
The headstone at mill road are laid on the cemetery is build over schwaben redoubt. Great video ruth 👍
Thank you Ruth for giving us this wonderful and emotional presentation. Coming from Northern Ireland I thank you for showing us the Ulster tower. My late neighbour was awarded the Military Medal on the 1st July 1916 while serving with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
Thanks Jim, I’m glad you enjoyed seeing the Ulster Memorial. It really stands out on that flat landscape
I think it is also important to stress that aside from volunteers, most of the soldiers were civilians, just like us, forced into war. Penalty for desertion could be capital punishment. Thank you for reminding us about the importance of visiting these graves
Wow thanks for showing us around Ruth, such amazing places for people to rest in peace.......god knows they deserve that
Thanks for watching Phil.
@@ruthaisling thanks for uploading 🫶
Through you, we know also. Thank you for this emotional series.
Another exceptionally moving video, with great respect for the fallen soldiers and their families. Thanks Ruth well done.
Thank you ❤
Thank you for this series; I found it much more moving than I expected. Thank you for touching upon Ireland’s role. My grandfather served in one of the two Irish divisions of the British Army. He was promoted at least twice in the field as men above him were killed or wounded. He survived the war and emigrated to America. If he had not made it, I would not be here typing this comment!
My Oldest Great Grandpa served in World War One. Henry Otto Grill Private First Class United States Army 1895-1979.
Absolutely amazing video's Ruth really looking to your third instalment, a really emotional trip to France, thank you for sharing it with us.
Thank you Carl. ❤️
no doubt about it.................. you make the finest video that are on RUclips............ Simple the best videos, very professional.
That’s so nice of you to say, thank you! ❤️
Thank you Ruth. Very moving video from a beautiful sensitive soul.
Next time you visit a distillery, have a "wee deoch an doris" on me & say, "It's a braw bricht moonlicht nicht,"
My grandfather from Donaghadee , County Down NI, had been missing since WW1 & my father searched for him unsuccessfully all his life.
I continued the search, and thanks to the internet, I found him some 100 years after his death & have a photo of his war grave..
My grandfather was shot on about 3 separate occasions at Gallipoli, evacuated, patched up then sent back to fight. His last battle at Gallipoli was a place called HILL 60.
My wife's great aunt was a nurse on Lemnos island where they brought the casualties so I would like to think that she nursed my grandfather.
You are doing a beautiful thing
Outstanding! Totally fascinating & very informative! As well as deeply moving! A truly fitting dedication & Memorial to all of these courageous soldiers! May all of these brave souls Rest in Peace! Thank you for sharing! Blessings to you Ruth!
Thank you so much for watching ❤️
@@ruthaisling My pleasure Ruth! Have a lovely day!🙂
Nothing more to say, absolutely suberb, well done and Thankyou. ❤
Thank you Steve
thanks for the telling as a motorbike traveller and casual military history enthusiast I have visited many cemeteries and memorials and its always emotional, its often a random experience , and I take time to wander around and say hello and thanks to some, its very likely that some graves have never been visited. Everyone should have to go. Lest We Forget.
Totally agree with you.
I lived in Newfoundland for 10 years. The Royal Newfoundland Regiment and Memorial Day, and the name of the province's university (Memorial University of Newfoundland) are huge parts of the old and current memory. I must say, your descriptions and handling of the Irish are so well put, insightful, and respectful. You're a wonderful person and it's great to see younger people remembering the wars, because the wars are so far behind us, they are being forgotten by many. Take care.
Your video strongly conveys the sadness of war. This seems like a quiet but powerful message against the ongoing wars on Earth. 😊Thank you for the wonderful video.😊 I'm looking forward to watching your next videos. From Japan. 😊😊
Thanks for watching from Japan
I remember rocking up to Thiepval as a 15 year old kid on a school trip, and immediately what I thought was going to be my next witty utterance just ending.
To anyone who goes to the region, the German graves are also worth a visit.
I have no interest in the Germans.
@NaillHaig I have no interest in you, so begone.
That bomb crater was insane! I couldn't imagine the sound of that detonation! Great video
It must have been so so loud. 😢
If I remember correctly it was filmed.
May I add that Dr Delton would surely appreciate your work and your video.
Thank you for the important attention that's been paid. My😢 mother was born Czech and given to West German foster parents as the war ramped up. Her perception of events occured when she was too young to directly comprehend.
Ruth, you did a magnificent job. So much I did not know about this subject. Thank you.
thank you for ding this video Ruth, its a long way from NZ so i dont think i'll ever make it myself
the commonwealth war graves commission do a fantastic job taking care of the resting places of our war dead who never got to come home
The Commission is doing a wonderful job 👍
Absolutely moving and so educational Ruth….thank you. I’ve visited several war memorials and cemeteries as well.
The reason why the gravestones are flat is that that part of cemetery was built on an old dugout and there has been subsidence leading to the decision in the 1950s to lay the gravestones flat.
Thank you for sharing about this
Ruth, I discovered you and your channel only a few weeks ago. I have enjoyed seeing many places where my ancestors lived. It has always been fun and joyous because that is what you are. These respectful presentations of the war memorials and grave sites have been heart wrenching for me. You have done a marvelous job, thank you. --- North California
Thank you for the history lesson ☺ very interesting.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!
Once again a very moving video. Many thanks for doing this.
Thank you for watching Rob
1 of my grand dad's brothers is named on Thiepval Monument. My grand dad's family is from Armagh, he is buried at the church there & was in the Royal Ulster Rifles.
Another wonderful video Ruth. I don’t know a lot about WW1 myself so watching your video has taught me some things. It’s really amazing how they care so greatly for the graves and the memorials. That memorial of Somme was so massive. It must have been emotional to stand there and take in the reality of the amount of lives lost. Thank you for shedding a light on such an important event.
Thank you Mary, it’s been very interesting to visit these places and learn more about WW1
I have recently visited Thiepval in search of 2 great uncles among the more than 72000 missing listed. It was incredibly moving. Then visited The Canadian Beaumont Hammel site. This was so professionally pr dented with restored trenches to view and a small army of young Canadian guides on hand to offer further advice. Even more impressive and moving was the Canadian Vimy Ridge memorial. The adjacent site again had trenches restored which showed the harrowing proximity of the 2 opposing armies. Well done Canada for your efforts both then and now.
Newfoundland was not part of Canada in 1960 its Regiment was I the British army therefore its the Newfoundland memorial take it from this British born Canadian the Newfoundlanders I know get pissy and rightly so when it's referred to as Canadian
Thanks Ruth, respectful quality presentation, believe they would all appreciate, God bless.
Thank you 🙏
I started to watch your video and pressed 'like', but i could'nt keep going after 5.30 mins. I will watch it eventually but PTSD sad no you can't. It's so long ago but so visceral i'm overwhelmed. Please keep these vlogs going I will catch up as i love military history, just not yet. Thank you for bringing all this to the fore, where it maybe have forgotten to most. Love and best wishes stay well x
Sorry it triggered your PTSD. ❤️😥
@@ruthaisling Thanks but please don't worry about it. You do amazing vlogs and soon I hope I can watch the history ones. Keep up your great work
Ruth, your descriptions of events are clear and easy to understand! You deal with these acts of war in a sensitive and understanding manner. Hopefully a younger generation will see from these events the reality of total war! Your use of drone footage especially around the Lochnagar crater brings the hell of war in stark reality. Your journey is following the footsteps of your family through life and death. 👍
Thank you, that’s good to hear as there is sometimes so much information, it’s hard to concise it down without missing key points.
I was like you, Ruth; I didn’t realise that so much work had been and continues to be done until I visited. I also went back to Ypres for the Battle of Passchendaele. The Cloth Hall , which is now the war museum had silhouettes of soldiers illuminated in each of its windows in the evening - it was heart-stopping. The museum is excellent to visit if you get a chance - a real learning experience.
Thanks for the recommendation Carol. That museum was also closed during January. I’ll need to go back again and visit all the museums at a different time of year.
Excellent job. I did the same tour 2 weeks ago. My Great Grandfather is buried in Cabaret Rouge British War Cemetery just south of Souchez. he was originally buried at the St. Laurent Blangey British War Cemetery west of Arras then in 1024 relocated to Cabaret Rouge Cemetery). I also visited Thiepal, Locnagar, Ulster Tower, Arras Caves and Canadian Vimy Memorial. Beautiful trip as it was emotionally draining.
Thank you Ruth. ❤
Thank you Ruth. This episode was very touching ❤
Thank you 😞
I used to visit a firm in Soissons for my work and drove through the battlefields, so very utterly, utterly depressing. I later found out my Grand Uncle was buried there but as I had retired I did not get the chance to visit his grave, maybe some day I can.
I hope you can visit sometime ❤️
@@ruthaisling Thank you, I do plan to make a visit sooner or later !
Ruth - thank you for a very moving video. I have visited the Western Front many times and even led small groups. Everyone finds the cemeteries so moving even if, like my family, we didn't lose anyone in either war. A few points. In the UK the 'medal cards' - records of what medals a soldier was entitled to - are on line and may be worth trying if you only have some details of the person you want to trace. Headstones are usually flat because ground conditions make it risky to have them standing. You might want to visit the ossuary at Verdun and the markers for the villages which were never rebuilt on that battlefield - they tore my heart. We had a talk at my WFA Branch from someone who made a pilgrimage to visit and pause at every grave and not just those in the CWCG cemeteries, he visited the graves of those in small Frence cemeteries for those lost at sea for example. It took him years. A very mild grumble - you didn't visit the Dragon at Mametz Wood which is a memorial to the 38th (Welsh) Division which the wood on 10/11 July 1916 losing over 4,000 killed, wounded and missing. It's said the be the second most visited memorial on the Somme after Thiepval. One year I visited the German Cemetery at Fricourt on 14 July. There were wreaths from the local Commune - maybe we can forgive. Also do remember that many of those commeorated on the Memorials to the Missing do have graves in the cemetaries with the inscruption 'Known Unto God', which was chosen by Rudyard Kipling.
I appreciate you sharing all this information, thank you. I would like to go back and visit again especially as so many of the places were closed in January.
Never gave much thought into WW1 until you walked us through the memorials. Sad. Thanks!
Same until I started looking into, I didn’t learn much at school about it
Very moving and informative.
Thank you 🙏
Very interesting. Thx so much for bringing these informative videos to us. 🙏🏻❤️
Amazing work of visiting the common wealth cemeteries in the France you mentioned. I can imagine very complicated history in the British empire during WWI and WWII. I really respect your calm worship of all those war dead.
It was a really interesting experience to visit and learn more.
Fantastic video Ruth thank you 🏴
Glad you enjoyed it, thank you 😊
Ruth, I'd like to commend you on the progress and substance of your channel. I've been watching from the beginning and just was happy to hear and see your earnest reactions to exploring Scotland. These last two videos (but, not limited to these) have illustrated a curiosity, skill and deft journalistic vigor, which lends these videos a short form doc sensibility. Great job, Ruth; it's really nice to spend time with you on these adventures. I only wish Jean Paul was there to experience them with you.
Thank you for this series of videos. You have done a very good thing in creating these.
Thank you so much! ❤️
It is very informative stuff I'm thankful to you for giving us such stuff ❤❤❤
Thanks sweetheart
What an emotional visit to the battlefield of the Somme I am too half Irish (and partly Scottish) my Grand father fought at Somme coming from Ulster he was severely wounded and had to make his way back crawling to the trench whilst passing dead comerades thankfully he survived ...the Ulster Memorial looks beautiful love how all the memorials and graveyards are being so well kept and looked after even today in 2024 thank you for sharing this.
Thank you for sharing this family story and watching my videos.
Fantastic formation, you are amazing 🤩
Great video again Ruth I was also delighted to see how well the graves and headstones are keep nothing looks worse than a grave that is overgrown and not taken care of.
Yes it’s very sad to see overgrown graves and worse is when the headstones have fallen down, that always makes me sad to see
@@ruthaisling where my parents are buried in County Kilkenny prodistant at the front of the church and catholic burial at the back
Wonderful video Miss Ruth! You do a fantastic job! God Bless You!
Thanks for watching
Well done Ruth, the scale of Memorials is beyond belief, how sad! You have done a great job again. I’m surprised you could sleep after spending all day in the different places. Cheers Mike 🥃
Beautiful and moving, Ruth ❤😢! Just watched via Facebook and commented over there - overwhelming, and it was especially nice that you spotlighted the support personnel and facilities necessary to maintain these enormous Gardens of Stone 😢 around the world!
I’m not really sure who / what organization in the U.S. has an equivalent responsibility, although I believe most of our military cemeteries fall under the control of our Veterans’ Administration.
A few, such as Gettysburg, are technically National Military Parks, so they would fall under the National Park Service (United States Department of the Imterior).
Great show 😁👍 - keep the history coming, although I can’t wait to get back to a more cheerful subject … like Whiskey 🤪😋🥃👍!
Thank you. Hopefully more whisky videos coming soon! 🤞
@@ruthaislingand hopefully you’ll get some of the aforementioned Scots Whisky ❤️ for yourself - just watched the follow-up video about the mechanical issues and the dog attack 😮😢!
“I’ll go home to me parents, confess what I’ve done, and ask them to pardon their prodigal son!
And when they’ve carresed me, as they oft have before … I never will play the Wild Rover no more!” 🥃🥃🥃❤️😊
I literally stumbled on this channel tonight (The rough crossing from Amsterdam to Newcastle) Loved it.
I recently ventured to France, the Compeigne area and Paris (I also got bitten by a dog there, it was an arsey Pomeranian whom I interrupted while she was peeing) she just bit me 🙄🥴
We visited the Lochnagar Crater, Thiepval Memorial & countless other WW1 cemeteries starting with Ambleny. It was a real experience!
Keep up the good work, I'll be watching 💯
We both got bitten by dogs in France 😖
Thank you. My Grandfather was a survivor of the Scottish 9th division of The Battle of Delville Wood. There were 7517 casualties from his division. I don't know how many survived. He never spoke about the war. He was by nature a peace loving man. I often wonder about the horror he felt. He was a very fit man, so was used as a runner. He must have had to step over the corpses from both sides. This is very moving.
Ruth, thank you for sharing information about the Commonwealth War Graves website. I’ve just found that a relation of mine (Australian - died July 1916) is “interred or commemorated” at Villers Bretoneux. I previously looked for his grave around ten years ago, but didn’t find any information at the time.
Lest We Forget 🕊️
I’m glad the information was helpful for you. I found it really useful during my research.
You are such a talented youtuber, I love watching your videos. Keep up the sensitive and emotive subjects X❤
Thank you so much, I’m glad you are enjoying the videos. ❤️
We visited the Somme in the summer ,it’s so peaceful now , but you can still get a feeling of the absolute carnage that took place here .
People should visit these places , these events should not be forgotten.
Especially in January with hardly anyone else there, it’s so hard to imagine what happened there
Another heart-wrenching video Ruth. I'm so glad you were able to make this and I'm looking forward to the 3rd Episode with great anticipation. Please don't stop there, you have World War ll (many countries to visit there) and then maybe off to South Africa for the Zulu and Boer Wars. There's so much scope for you. I believe you should have your own TV show. Your narration is superb! What more can I say? You deserve all the success coming to you because you are so hard-working. Good Luck, your friend in Brazil!❣
Thanks so much Geoffrey, that’s so nice of you to say. ❤️
Another lovely emotional video Ruth. As a bit of a history nut I do know quite a lot about WW1, but I’ve never been to the memorial sites and I don’t know why. As I’ve spent a lot of time in northern France.. it was nice to see it from your point of view. I think I’ll have to go back. Thanks Ruth😊
Thanks for watching Paul. It’s definitely worth visiting these places, they have such a bigger impact in real life compared to seeing them in a video.
@ruthaisling hiya I may have time in the summer🤞 I just watched your dog story and left a comment that was probably more info than you neede
Ruth, another moving and brilliant narration. Your emotion’s exude your respect and heartfelt sorrow for all those souls that were lost. As you say so profoundly, “ They left and never came home”. True Patriots. Lest we never forget.
Thanks for watching Brian.
Superb videos, thank you for showing these memorials , wonderful and so moving.
Thank you so much Richard
I have to commend you for the way you present these videos. Very informative and held my attention from start to finish. I come from Northern Ireland and my mother's side of the family has very strong connections with WW1. Her grandfather fought at Thiepval Wood with 9th Bn, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on July 1st 1916, one of his brothers was with a Canadian unit and 2 other brothers fought in the Battle of Arras with 10/11 Highland Light Infantry. One, Robert Clinton, was killed on 24-4-1917 and is commemorated, alongside your family members, on the Arras Memorial. Again, thank you.
Thank you for the kind comments 🙏
Ruth, I am a piper. There are two tunes that came to mind watching your video. The first one is “The Battle of the Somme”. Its cheery melody has always baffled me for commemorating such a tragic event. The second is “The Taking of Beaumont Hamel”. Thanks again for another thoughtful and sobering episode.
I'll give them a listen on RUclips, thank you for sharing
Bravo to the CWGC. Fantastic respect, dedication and thoroughness. The work they do and the upkeep is exemplary 👏. Great video, very informative, thank you 👍
Thank you for watching and yes I agree about the CWGC
Thanks, for a very informative and interesting video.
Thank you for watching. ❤️
From Nova Scotia, I will be doing a similar journey in Flanders, The Somme, The Netherlands to visit family (Scottish) war graves from both WWI and WWII …. I really enjoyed your video …
Thank you for watching. All the best with your trip.
@@ruthaisling Ruth ~ It is also my plan to visit the CWGC Visitor Centre at Beaurains. A question ~ how long is the “Audio Tour” at the centre …?
It took about one hour I think
@@ruthaisling Thank you …….
A Very sobering moving Vlog Ruth. It’s a heartbreaking memorial. You give amazing history with your visits. Any loss of life is tragic but the horrendous amount of lives lost is unimaginable . It’s a stark reminder of the ultimate sacrifice that they gave.
Thanks for watching Clive
Having been to the Somme battlefield a few times, i was saddened to see you did not feature the Welsh dragon Memorial at Mametz, of course i realize you can only squeeze so much into making a video, well done!
I visited the Welsh memorial in the Ypres video
Really enjoyed your videos. I hope they serve as a teaching tool for the younger generation. My grandfather served in World War 1 and told me of the horrors. Lest we forget. 🇨🇦.
Thanks for watching ❤️
Another wonderful video about the commemorations and memorials in France and how I'm they are looked after.❤
Thanks for watching. ❤
Was there last week very moving indeed. Great video 👍
Thanks for watching and glad to hear you visited too
Thank you for making this moving video Ruth.
Thanks for watching Robin
We visited this area in our motorhome last year. As you say it’s incredible how well looked after these graveyards are. It’s very humbling when you visit them and see the thousands of grave stones. Very well presented video perfect balance.
Thank you for watching, it's such an emotional place. 😢
Thank you for making this journey and sharing it with us. Watching both of these episodes I felt quite emotional. As always, you handled it professionally, with sympathy and thoughtfulness.Well done.
Thank you ❤️
Mornin Ruth epic video glad you found your relatives resting place thank you for sharing your insight to this very sad time at start of war you explained it as if I was there in person thanks for your documentary take care 😘🌸🌺☕️🚗
Thaks Linda, glad you could feel like you were there too
Thank you so much Ruth for your heartwarming log and search of your ancestors that played their part in World War l .
Every single man and woman were absolutely heroes .
It is heartbreaking to see the huge cemetery’s where so many people lost their lives from so many countries.
We will be forever, so grateful to them, going into the unknown and leaving their loved ones.
I found your two Vlogs, so so amazing with all the history of things that I didn’t even realise what went in to keeping those graves so so beautiful.
I have been to a cemetery in Dunkirk a few years ago, as I wanted to pay my respects at a cemetery.
And it was so beautifully looked after, but it was awful to see stone after stone after stone of young soldiers that died and also so many headstones where the words unknown were on them. Oh my gosh, it just felt awful they were so so brave .
Yes, it must have been so scary. I'm glad I could share about the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as what they are doing is great.
Thank you Ruth for this series of videos in France. I love history, and this has been a learning experience for me. I don’t know of any of my family that may have served in WWI, but I did have a grandfather and some uncles who were in Europe in WWII. This has been a somber experience watching this…
Thank you for watching and I’m glad you’ve found the videos interesting
A further note on your great video of the Somme. At Lochnagar we saw numerous memorial plaques on the walkways which also commemorated the survivors of the carnage. One was chilling stating a 25 year old who was ‘Shot at Dawn’ but pardoned in 2006’. Lochnaghar crater site needs a fair bit of maintenance and is not funded by the CWGC.
Just thank you, very emotional videos very respectfully filmed. I do think sometimes we take for granted the freedoms and choices we have today.
Yes that's very true, thanks for watching.
So interesting, thank you
Lochnagar Crater is an eerie place. I visited it when me and a few mates did the Somme battlefield tour a few years ago. The whole Somme area is so emotional. Glad you’ve been and seen it Ruth.
I’m glad I went
Hi again Ruth, just got to the end & thought, you could have asked at the CWGC why in one cemetery the headstones are laid down?
Thank you very much for this vidéo of memory.
Thanks for watching