A Guide to WW1 Battlefields and History of the First World War
This site provides an overview of the First World War battlefields on the Western Front by showing you where they are, what happened there and what you can see today.
With the passing of the last three British veterans (Bill Stone, Henry Allingham and Harry Patch) in 2009 the living link to WW1 has been broken. This hasn't however diminished people's interest in all things First World War. There are still many families who had a father or uncle in the Great War and are now interested in finding out more about their life or visiting where they fought.
The Western Front The Ypres Salient French Flanders and Artois The SommeFeatures
The Story Behind the Remembrance Poppy
As Armistice Day recedes, this is the story of how the red field poppy came to be known as an internationally recognized symbol of Remembrance. From its association with poppies flowering in the spring of 1915 on the battlefields of Belgium, France and Gallipoli this vivid red flower has become synonymous with great loss of life in war.
The Story of the Remembrance PoppySounding Last Post in Ypres
Listen to a live recording of the Last Post and Reveille ceremony at the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, Ieper (Ypres), Belgium. Go to Armistice Day in Ieper (Ypres) for information about the annual events on 11th November.
Listen to the Last PostBattle Study — The Second Battle of Ypres
98 pages of an innovative study of the Second Battle of Ypres. Told from the German and Allied sides of the wire with the aid of Map & Timeline windows the story is illustrated with maps, previously untranslated German material and original research.
On the sunny afternoon of 22nd April 1915 French soldiers on the battlefields north of the Belgian town of Ypres were suddenly engulfed by a frightening new development in the 1914-18 war. This was a trial by the German Army to send chemical gas drifting on a gentle wind over the enemy positions. A way of “knocking out” the enemy by gassing him out of his static defensive positions was revealed by German scientists. Gas warfare on a large scale on the Western Front had begun ...
Second Battle of YpresVisiting the WW1 Western Front Battlefields
Helpful information if you are visiting the Western Front battlefields as an independent visitor or a traveller with a tour group.
Visiting the WW1 Western Front BattlefieldsLocations of WW1 Cemeteries and Monuments on the Battlefields
Our listings of cemeteries and monuments for Allied and German forces killed or commemorated on the battlefields include a location marker for where they can be found. This should be helpful for visitors planning to visit a grave or memorial, or simply to see the geographical location and numbers of burial sites in a battlefield sector. Cemetery listings can be found at:
Ypres Salient cemetery listings French Flanders and Artois cemetery listings Somme battlefields cemetery listingsThe LMS Patriot Project
The LMS-Patriot Project is a charitable company with the express aim to mark the 100th anniversary of the Great War in 2018 by building a new Patriot class steam engine called "The Unknown Warrior".
Project DetailsThe Poppy Umbrella — A Gift to Remember
In keeping with the spirit of Remembrance The Poppy Umbrella is a practical way to 'Remember' throughout the seasons — in sunshine or in rain.
The idea for this unique umbrella originated in Ieper (Ypres) on Armistice Day 1995, not far from where the famous poem 'In Flanders fields the poppies blow...' is believed to have been written. A vivid reminder of the poppies of Flanders and Picardy, the umbrella features a striking red poppy design on a high quality, lightweight frame.
Retail sales of The Poppy Umbrella from this website generate funds to support the Help for Heroes fundraising campaign. Poppy Umbrellas sold by charities generate much needed income for their own charitable causes, especially those dedicated to the welfare support of serving and ex-servicemen and women. Income from sales in museum shops benefits the work of organizations dedicated to preserve the memory of those who have served their country in war.
Order your umbrella online The story behind this unique umbrellaCopyright — No text, images or soundfiles on this website may be extracted or reproduced without permission.
Any images which are not the copyright of the authors of this site have been used with permission.
If you have any comments about the site or would like to ask permission to use an image or soundfile please e-mail us at webmaster@greatwar.co.uk