Remembering the Second Battle of Arras. The Real Story of Birdsong

On Vimy Ridge the closeness of the trenches of the two front lines provokes an emotional reaction which is heightened by visiting the Canadian War Memorial on Hill 145.

Barely fifty yards apart, opposing troops in forward positions would have been able to hear each other's conversations. The trenches and tunnels are still well preserved. They are surrounded by pock marks from shells and large craters, now softened by time, where mines had exploded. Sappers placed the mines by tunnelling from their own lines under the positions that formed the enemy lines.

Tunnels , Underground Bunkers and Accommodation

There are tours that guide visitors around the tunnels and underground accommodation. During the years of stalemate, such works were dug in to the chalk of Vimy Ridge  by both sides . Both armies created miles of tunnels to move men and materiel to the front line from the rear positions.

Other tunnels were offensive and were used to place mines, large quantities of explosive, under the enemy positions. Tunnels were being dug both sides heading in opposite directions, often the tunnels were within feet of each other. Miners had to listen out for enemy excavations to prevent the enemy undermining their positions.  Miners often broke through into enemy tunnels and they would have to fight hand to hand in the dark confines of each other's tunnels. It chills the bones to think of the young men, often still in their teens, who faced such horrors.

Artillery shells were able to penetrate deep into the soft chalk of the ridge, often exploding in the tunnels. There is an unexploded one still in the roof of one of the tunnels used for public guided tours.

There are highly charged descriptions in the novel, Birdsong, by Sebastien Faulkes. It describes the hand to hand fighting, the mines and the collapsed tunnels. A visitor should read Birdsong before exploring the trenches and tunnels of Vimy Ridge. It will heighten the experience and bring both the book and the history alive.

Second Battle of Arras, the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

In April 1917 the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Canadian troops knew it as the Second Battle of Arras, broke a seventeen-month impasse. The allies, predominantly Canadians, achieved real territorial gains but with the loss of 3,598 Canadian troops and many more wounded. The success was due to innovative planning and extensive rehearsal. The improved training gave each platoon a clear job to do with the authority and skills to do it. Without the new approach, the losses would have been much greater and the result less clear-cut.

Canadian War Memorial on Hill 145

The scale of the Canadian losses is brought home on seeing the names of the dead covering the walls of Canadian War Memorial. There are five Canadian memorials in France but the Hill 145 Memorial is one of only two Canadian National Historic Sites outside Canada (the other, Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, is also in France on the Somme). The Canadian War Memorial is visible for many miles across the plain of Artois as it is set in dramatic position on the edge of the ridge. Surrounding the twin-spired monument is a huge area of well-tended grass, despite the sad history it is a calm and peaceful place.

The serenity and solemnity creates a significant emotional impact. On a fine day it is both striking and pleasant. It is very different from the often wet, muddy and frightening place it would have been for the troops, on both sides, as they faced each across fifty yards of no-man's land.

That those troops, often still in their teens, were the same age as today's high school and college students, just like our friends and children, is very sobering. Naturally, most people take a few moments to reflect on the sacrifice of so many young men who died so far from home. In the environs of the Memorial it is noticeable that many visitors want to be on their own with their thoughts. Hill 145 is a place that encourages reflection and introspection.

Visitor Centre

There is a nearby visitor and interpretive centre which chronicles the events at Vimy Ridge and the surrounding area.

A Place to Stay , Lighter Diversions in Nearby Arras.

The nearest town of any significance is Arras which was all but destroyed during the First World War. Arras was nearly taken by the German army. Its narrow escape left it on the front line and Arras suffered heavy bombardment throughout most of the war.

Arras was rebuilt between the wars and is now a pretty and historic town with good restaurants and shops. It makes a convenient base for visiting Vimy Ridge and a relaxing diversion after the emotion of the battlefields.