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[babyjane]

There are so many ladies here from all walks of life I wondered if there is anyone who has visited a war grave in a British Cemetery abroad because I am wondering how to go about arranging to visit my grandfather's brother's grave in Northern France.

I do not want to go on a tour or an organised trip, I want to do it just with my husband but not sure how to go about it.

[CLKD]

Have a look at the various War Grave sites.  War Graves Commission?  Do you have his Service Records if so contact his regiment?  One can go alone.  Under the Channel by car and have a few days in the area where the particular grave is?

There may be a 'better' time to visit i.e. Spring would be brighter. 

There is also a 'site' not far from Leicester I think - somewhere I want to go as it has the Far East Memorial there.

[Taz2]

I agree with CLKD that The War Graves Commission are good at providing details of each cemetery so you can find out the opening times and then just visit it as you would any other cemetery http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/72001/RAMLEH%20WAR%20CEMETERY

Taz x

[oldsheep]

I was just going to post that too. Do you know the nearest town to the cemetery in France? The CWGC suggest contacting the local tourist office there, who should know how to get there and what times you can visit. They will probably speak English in Northern France if you don't speak french.

[CLKD]

   I believe that the people tending the graves are often English.

[babyjane]

Oh thank you, yes I know the town, I have all the records.  I will look up the tourist office.

Not going until next year in the spring if possible. Need advice on where to stay too.

Yes I speak French but rather rusty now 

Thank you all so much for these pointers 

[honeybun]

What a lovely thing to do. I hope you get all the plans in place and manage to get there in the spring.

The cemetery in my home town has a surprisingly large number of war graves, a lot of them un named. There was a escort aircraft carrier sunk just off our coast line. Even in a little town cemetery it brings tears to my eyes when I visit.


Honeyb
x

[babyjane]

thanks honeybun. I promised my late mother I would visit one day.  She never knew him but didn't like to think of him far from home on foreign soil. I said I would go one day and I think it's time I did 

His brother, my grandad, survived the war and he didn't. I imagine that was tough for grandad.