The European Tour 1 -10 October 2024

 

My wonderfully considerate wife Jo was in the final stages of her PhD in Q4 of 2024, when we received an invitation to travel to Copenhagen to celebrate the birthday of our niece Hannah, who is based there. Jo suggested that we drive in order that we could take our time on the return journey, offering me the opportunity to visit a number of War Cemeteries and Memorials so that I could photograph them for my MA project. This was a very generous offer bearing in mind that she was very keen to complete and submit her PhD thesis. 

 

We drove to the north of Denmark on day 1, arriving late in the evening, prepositioned for visiting three cemeteries on day 2,  marked 1 to 3 on the map, on our journey to Copenhagen. 


After a lovely few days in Copenhagen we headed south and crossed to North Germany on the morning of day 6, driving down to Kleve to visit the Reichswald Cemetery (4) on day 7. From Reichswald we travelled to Nijmegen (5) and Arnhem Oosterbeek (6) (Operation MARKET GARDEN), and from where we drove to Bergen-Op-Zoom to visit the British War Cemetery next day (7) (Walcheren - Operation INFATUATE).

 

From there we headed through Belgium and France visiting many more locations, staying in a beachfront townhouse overlooking Gold Beach on the final evening. Unfortunately the final two days were marred by torential rain which prevented any practical photography, so the planned Normandy locations remained unphotographed - at the moment.

 

The map below shows all of the mainland European locations that were visited during the trip, and many of the UK and Irish locations visited both before and after the trip. 

 

INDEX TO MAP

 

Denmark

  1. Arestrup Kirkegard. (11 members of the crew of a B24 Liberator crashed nearby)
  2. Aarhus Vestre Cemetery.
  3. Odense Assistens Cemetery.

Germany 

  1. Reichswald British War Cemetery, Kleve.

Holland  

  1. Jonkerbos Cemetery, Nijmegen. (Mainly Graves from Op MARKET GARDEN 1944)
  2. Arnhem Oosterbeek Cemetery, Arnhem. (Graves from Op MARKET GARDEN)

Belgium

  1. Tyne Cot Cemetery.
  2. Menin Gate Memorial, Ieper (Ypres).
  3. Poperinghe New Military Cemetery. (17 Graves of Soldiers ‘Shot at Dawn’).
  4. Bergen-Op-Zoom Cemetery. (Graves from Op INFATUATE, Walcheren 1944).

France

  1. Ration Farm Cemetery, Chapelles D’Armentieres.
  2. Dunkirk Town Cemetery.
  3. Ranville (Pegasus Bridge).
  4. Normandy
    1. Sword and Juno Beaches
    2. British Normandy Memorial
    3. Ryes War Cemetery
    4. Bayeux War Cemetery
    5. Port-En-Bessin, and 47 RM Cdo Memorial

Ireland

  1. Cork Military Cemetery Park. Republic of Ireland.
  2. Belturbet Church of Ireland Cemetery. Republic of Ireland.
  3. Enniskillen. Northern Ireland.

 

England

  1. Surrey
    1. Brookwood Military Cemeteries
    2. Frimley Cemetery
  2. Hampshire
    1. Basingstoke Worting Road Cemetery
    2. Aldershot Military Cemetery
  3. Runnymede Commonwealth Air Forces Memorial.
  4. North West London Area
    1. Northwood
    2. Harefield ANZAC
    3. Denham
  5. Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery, Cannock Chase Military Cemetery.

   23. Waterhouses Cemetery, Esh Winning, Durham.

   24. Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire.

   25. Lincolnshire

           a. Cranwell

           b. Scopwick

           c. Leasingham

           d. South Kyme - St Mary and All Saints Churchyard

           e. Wildmore - St Peter Churchyard

   26.  Cambridge American Cemetery, Madingley, Cambridge.