Return to the forestIf Wilfred Owen could return to the house in the forest near Ors in Northern France, where he and his comrades sought refuge from the battlefield, he would see an amazing change.� But if he went into the cellar, where he spent the last night of his life on November 3rd 1918 he would instantly recognise the spot where he felt so content in the company of his men.?There?s no danger down here, or if any, it will be well over before you read these lines.� I hope you are as warm as I am, as serene in your room as I am here, and that you think of me never in bed, as resignedly as I think of you always in bed.� Of this I am certain, you could not be visited by a band of friends half so fine as surround me here.� Ever,� Wilfred x ?This was the letter he wrote to his mother, which arrived on November 11 after the armistice had been declared.� He had been killed on November 4th just a week before it was ?well over?.Every death in war is a tragedy but for this brilliant 25 year old poet to die almost at the end of hostilities was such a loss.Lieutenant Wilfred Owen MC, 2nd Battalion Manchester Regiment was instructed to take his troops across the Sambre-Oise canal at 05.45 on November 4th 1918 to capture a farm in German held territory about 1 kilometre away.� It was foggy and as the mist lifted the men crossed the narrow canal on improvised rafts.� The Germans had been expecting the attack and hit the Manchesters with terrible effect.� It was while he was crossing the water or as he reached the far side that Owen was killed.� That attack failed but later the same day the farmhouse was captured.� Four Victoria Crosses were awarded as a result of the great courage shown by the officers and men.A PoetWilfred Owen was born in Oswestry in 1893 and he decided to become a poet at the age of 19.� At the outbreak of war he was a private tutor in France but felt compelled to enlist.� He joined the forces in October 1915 and arrived in France at the end of 1916 ready to do his bit.� He was wounded and spent his convalescence in Edinburgh where he met Siegfried Sassoon.It was from Sassoon that he gained his poetic inspiration.� Back in France in September 1918, he won the Military Cross for capturing a machine gun post.� Owen was close to his mother and wrote hundreds of letters to her; every one was preserved.He is regarded as the greatest war poet of all time and his writing reflects the terrors of war, the physical and psychological shock of conflict and traumatic personal experience.VisitorsInterest in Northern France and First World War battle sites first grew about 25 years ago.� Museums were established, battlefields signposted and tourist trails set up.� In the little village of Ors, the Mayor Jacky Duminy noticed that more and more UK visitors were arriving to find out about Wilfred Owen, so the local council decided to provide suitable plaques to commemorate the poet.� On a bridge over the Sambre-Oise canal is the plaque where the trail starts and 500 yards along the bank is the spot where the troops crossed.In the village cemetery Owen?s grave stands alongside those of his comrades. The library and school study centre has a section dedicated to Owen?s work and a short drive away is the renovated ?Maison Foresti�re?, where he spent his last night.� While the cellar remains unchanged the exterior is painted white with a circular ramp leading down to the original troops? shelter.� The project, undertaken by the artist Simon Patterson at a cost of 1.5 million Euros, can best be described as a place of homage rather than a museum.� It?s a place to contemplate and to read and listen to Owen?s words in the house's interior. The glass-clad walls carry the words of 'dulce et decorum est' and� the unmistakeable voice of Kenneth Branagh recites his poetry.The house is right beside the route 959, very near a delightful restaurant called L?Estaminet de L?Hermitage.� Enquire here about visits to the house and read about Owen before your visit.� There are no guides or books available.Places to VisitThe region abounds in First World War cemeteries beautifully maintained by The Commonwealth War Graves Commission.� If you are trying to trace a relative killed in World War One, just go to the website http://www.cwgc.org/ type in a name, answer a few questions and you?ll find where the grave or, if unknown, an engraved name can be located.In Le Cateau Cambr�sis there?s a magnificent art gallery founded 50 years ago by Matisse.� Situated in the Renaissance Town Hall his 82 works were given to the town?s people as witness to his life devoted to painting.In Caudry the lace museum has giant looms thundering away producing the intricate lace, some of which was used for Kate Middleton?s wedding dress.� A display of fashions over the past 50 years provides an enjoyable view of what we used to wear.Tank in a Barn - In Flesqui�res, in a barn behind a shell-splintered wall, there?s a treasure trove of WW1 objects.� A field gun, a truck, piles of rusty shells and war debris surround a tank which was excavated from a nearby battlefield.� There are plans for a permanent museum for ?Deborah? the tank and it?s hoped that it can be registered as a national monument.� The story of the six year search for the buried vehicle by Phillipe Gorczynski, after he heard about it from a ninety two year old local, is quite fascinating.� Phillipe tells visitors about the Cambrai attack using 476 tanks to breach the Hindenburg line in 1917.� Although tanks made their first appearance on 15 September 1916 at High Wood on the Somme, they had never been used en masse.� Over 150 tanks were lost on the first day of the battle but the strategy worked.� Mark 4 tank Deborah had a crew of 8 and 5 died during the advance.� All are commemorated with photos alongside the tank.�� Where to stayCambrai is a good base from which to visit Ors and other interesting places.� Close to the town centre and a short walk from a supermarket is the pretty three star Hotel B�atus at 718 Avenue de Paris. In a public room is a display showing the discovery of the tank at Flesqui�res. Hotels in Cambrai start from ?44 for a double room per night. Where to eatCambrai has a great selection of restaurants and bars but for an extra special dinner try the cellars of the Ch�teau de la Motte Fen�lon just to the north of the town.For more information on the Nord Region visit www.tourisme-nord.com and the Wilfred Owen Association Getting thereWe took the ferry from Dover to Calais on the Spirit of Britain, the new �150 million ship that P&O Ferries added to its fleet earlier this year.� We dined in the brasserie on the way out and we settled ourselves in the club lounge on the way back.� Fares for a car and up to 9 passengers are from �50 return. Cambrai is under two hours? drive from the Port of Calais.� If driving on motorways can ever be a pleasure, then the journey on the A26 was traffic free, extremely smooth and relaxing.� Tolls cost around 10? each way.DFDS Seaways also has ferries from Dover to Dunkerque, which is about 1h30 drive from Cambrai.Eurostar operates up to 9 daily trains from London St Pancras to Lille with the journey time of 1h20 and return fares from �65. If you are flying, the nearest airport is Lille (70km, 1h from Cambrai). Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Brussels International Airport are both about 150km or 1h40 drive from Cambrai.
14 January 2012
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