Yesterday we got to sleep in and left the hotel at about ten o’clock. We had a short bus ride to Beaumont-Hamel, where the Newfoundland regiment of Canada fought on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. 800 men went into battle that day but the regiment suffered huge casualties; the next day only 68 men were up and present for role call. Mr. Kissick told us that entire fishing villages in Newfoundland died out because the generation of men that were lost in the war could not come back to take over their fathers businesses and have children of their own. The mothers, sisters and wives of these men lost in battle came together to fundraise the money to buy the land where the battle took place. They left the land untouched, and it remains the way it was years ago when the battle took place. Next we visited the fourth country we visit on our tour, Belgium! We had some free time which we used to buy lots of chocolate of course then had supper. After supper we made our way to Menin Gate to take part in the ceremony that is held there every night. It was unbelievable to think that these people remember and honour the fallen soldiers every single day whereas in Canada we dedicate one single day of the year to them. After this trip I don’t feel like that one day out of 365 is enough.
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