12. Education begins

Mesen, West Flanders

First shower at this lovely camp site proved disappointing as not only does the nozzle spray widely with fifty percent hitting its target but also each unit turns into a steam bath which is great if one is a Mollart* but suffocating for the rest of us.

At Fyfe's request I purchased a family login for Maths Buddy and then he spent the next couple of hours happily attacking the Year 8 syllabus until getting bettered by Roman Numerals.  Iris did a

module then got out her piano and had a good session on Yousician.  It was nice to hear her while I carried out various jobs.  

Audrey is quite dog mad and I must admit that as dogs go, she is a goodun. Roman was in solitary mode, explored the site by bike then used the trampoline.

The older two and I biked into Bailleul for supplies, passing by the very

Belgium hills from our French pitch

imposing sight, just round the corner, of heavily armed police,  slinging automatic weapons just over the brow of the road waiting for something/someone.  We coasted past with my best attempt at a confident, innocent, smile.  On reflection it is more likely that they thought, going by my expression, I had a reaction to something I had eaten and was concerned that it might escape me by one, or other, end.  Biking through the town on a 20º autumn day was a joy and we took a slightly longer route on our return and stopped at a tiny crossroads to scoff pain au chocolat. 

Memorial, just behind the German line

Plaque, between the emplacements

One of the two machine gun emplacements

After lunch we headed to the first of the WW1 sites we intend to visit.  Again Voices of the First World War podcast playing but only lacklustre protests were uttered and silenced when it started playing.  It was amazing driving through the actual sites of the 1915 Christmas Truce and Messines Ridge Assault by the New Zealanders as they were being talked about.

Our first stop was the New Zealand Division Memorial which is just behind the German trench and contains two of the machine gun emplacements that they had to overcome.  Standing on the emplacements looking at the sweeping field of overlapping fire that the machine guns had I can't imagine how the Kiwis achieved it.

From the memorial with the two emplacements overlooking the valley.

The Messiness Ridge New Zealand and British Cemetery and Memorial was, as always, very moving.  It is incredible .... graves marked Known unto God, the sheer number of Kiwis beggars belief.  

I first visited in 2012 with my Mum and we were as shocked then, as we are now. One grave had a photo, left by family, which made it particularly poignant.

Our last stop for the day was in the captured village itself where there is a statue of a Kiwi infantryman.  Very simple, very moving.

*Tim has famously spent significant time and fortune installing such a device in his Holyport home.