Northern France- remembering two great-uncles

I have been granted some refreshment leave in 2020, and in May I plan to visit the places associated with two great-uncles who died in northern France during WW1. I have already visited their war graves- 20 years ago now, in 1998- and plan to revisit those. But since then I have also researched more about the battles both were involved in and hope to visit those areas.

My maternal great-uncle, John Francis Payn, was born in Kumara in 1895 to Francis Davis PAYN and Johanna SCETTRINI. (I have already blogged about him here and also here.) Through the Tourist Office of Cambrai I have managed to organise a tour to see the battleground area he fought in, near Crevecoeur-sur-l'Escaut. He was initially buried in the Masnières-Crevecoeur Rd Cemetery, and was later reburied at Flesquières Hill British Cemetery. I will visit both of those cemeteries as well.

He died on 3 October 1918, after he had been in France for more than a year. Everyone back home in New Zealand knew the war was coming to an end, and apparently my great-grandmother Johanna was devastated by his death.

I am nervous about driving in France on the other side of the road, and the tour covers the cost of a rental car as well as an English speaking guide who will drive me. It is expensive, but I will record what I discover for present and future generations of the family. It also means I won't end up hitch-hiking to visit the grave like I did 20 years ago!!

My paternal great-uncle, James Riordan, was born at Charing Cross in 1887 to Patrick RIORDAN and Mary BURKE. (My previous blog posts about him can be found here and here and here.) James Riordan was wounded when his unit was involved in the fighting at Flers-Courcelette in the Battle of the Somme. He then died a few weeks later from the wounds he received in action, and was buried at Etaples Military Cemetery, a huge cemetery south of Boulogne-sur-Mer, near where there were field hospitals.

The Cambrai Tourist Office told me I could contact the Albert Office de Tourisme to organise a tour to see the area near where he died, but I haven't had a reply from them. I might end up having to hire a car from Arras, but I notice the Albert tourist office also hires out bicycles, so perhaps I can organise to do that when I arrive. (Meanwhile I will make sure I am doing more cycling over the summer to get fitter before I depart!) I am not so worried about not having a tour organised in this area though, as the Ministry for Culture and Heritage have published a brilliant brochure and an App called Ngā Tapuwae that includes maps and audio guides for various trails on the Western Front. The 1916 Battle of the Somme is one of the areas this covers.

It is easy enough to reach the cemetery James is buried in. I can catch a train to Etaples from Paris, then walk a few kilometres along the highway to the cemetery, so it will be a day trip.

So that's the plan... and time is racing along so my departure will be here before I know it!

ADDENDUM: In the process of researching more about my Payn family great-uncles and great-aunts, I discovered that Mum had a first cousin who died in WW2, Robert Clarence Fleming. He was the son of Hilda Selina Payn and Robert Fleming, of Christchurch. He died on 27 July, 1944, and is buried in the Florence War Cemetery. I have worked out I can take a day trip by train from Milan to Florence when I reach Italy, to visit his grave. I will be jetlagged, but I am sure I can still manage to go there, and show my respects.

From Commonwealth War Graves Commission website