DAY 4 11TH SEPTEMBER 1997

Well next to last day, we got up and sat down for breakfast , and discussed todays events. We were going on a walk, but we had todrive somewhere to leave the car where it was safe. We had discussed this in the UK earlier and elected Delville Wood as the best site. It was under constant observation, and had creature comforts (ie a decent bog!!!). We had a rough plan of a walk that would take us half a day so we would get back to the wood for lunch. We got in the car and made for Delville wood and got there just after 09:30. The order of the day was light ruc ksack empty just in case an artifact was found. I had on our long walk on day two found a nice walking stick, really good for leaning on when walking, also had a heavy end in case of Chien Grand!!!. We set off walking past longueval and headed towards High wood direction. David had the plan, we we going to walk up an old track then know as Wood Lane. We set of in that general direction, as usual High wood was half off the edge of my map, and we had to try and identifywood lane, as it turned out it was easy, it was a slight sunken laneleadingup to the S.W. corner of High wood. We found the start of the lane, to out right we could see the New Zealand memorial in the middle of the field. We made our way down this cart track, High wood was to our 10 o clock position. In 1916 this was the direction of attack, the 1st West Kents used it. Along the way we found a few empty sharpnel cases to put weight into our sacks and after a while we reached High Wood. Boy this place must hold some memories. Now high wood is very much private property with a large house and wire fencing all around. We respected the privacy and didn't try to enter. We walked to the West and looked through the wire, the ground looked very cut up, there is even a lake, it wouldn't suprise me if the trees were just chucked on top of the battlefield. There were many live shells along this fence. We saw several memorals, not an unsurprising place to find them really as many divisions were sacrificed here. We reaced the SW corner and this was the place to head back to Longueval. The fields either side of the road had been cleared of thier crops, so we decided to walk just inside the edge and look for relics, the reason for this is that I feel uncomfortable walking on French roads as the speed they travel we could get hit easily also raod walking is hard on your feet, and last ly this was the route of attack and we were looking for evidence of it. To cut a long story short we found much evidence, apart from the usual shell cases, I found a vbayonet scabbard, ironically diving off the road into the field to avoid bieng hit by a car!!, entrenching tools, mule shoes (and mule bones) and bullet cases. All this withing 4ft of the field edge( I feel uncomfortable walking further in fields even if uncultivated, if they contain crops, field walking is a no no). We arrived back at Delville wood at lunch tme. Sitting down with the nose bag an un pleasant thought occured to us, as this was a good spot to get acoffee and a pee, perhaps coach tour operators would do the same. Sure enough a coach tour arrived and suddenly 50 people invaded the small area. Dave and I decided to stretch our legs and headed for the Delville wood cemetery only to find that many of the coach trip also did. It's hard to be at piece when a tour party arrives. So we went for a walk behind the South African memorial, there are still trenches there. So we returned half an hour later to see the tourists bieng rounded up and packed off to their next halt. We sat down and it struck me how sad it wasfor the poor sods on the trip, we worked out what their itinery for the Somme was, probably New Foundland park, Thiepval Memorial, Delville wood to relieve themselves and probably a few cemeteries. My god they see none of the real Somme and what they do see , it is in company with 40+ others. I instantly took a dislike to coach parties, more likely, I actually felt sorry for them. Our afternoon was spent turing various sites around Bezatin , Fricourt etc and finished up at the Pozieres memorial. Back at base there was a rumour that a new memorial was bieng opened near the site of Mouquet Farm near the Thiepval Memorial, so we investigated, and found that the event had already taken place. A couple who we at Les Galets witnessed the event which was a memorial to the Australians at Mouquet Farm. Apparently very pissed off Gendarmes were trying to keep people away, and a sad Australian reporter was having great fun speaking into a large cam corder on a trypod, he was giving it all the channel 9 news bit!!. Apparently next year there will be many events to commemorate the last year of the war, so as we don't like ceromonies we will have to be careful when we go. I find most of these ceromonies stage managed and a bit false, but thats me. We retired to pack get our dinner and finish off our beer, hard life weren't it.