Somme: Newfoundland Park

Posted on July 4, 2020 by

26 Comments

In this episode we are on the Somme and take a visit to the Newfoundland Memorial Park at Beaumont-Hamel, a unique area of preserved First World War battlefield where the Newfoundland Regiment, among others, fought on the First Day of the Battle of the Somme. We follow a route through the park to the front line, walk the trenches and look at the two ends of the battle in July and November 1916.

RECOMMENDED READING:

The Ayre Family

In the podcast while visiting Y Ravine Cemetery, I mentioned L/Cpl Edward Ayre of the Newfoundland Regiment who died on 1st July 1916. He was one of five members of the Ayre family to die that day, four of them with the Newfoundlanders at Beaumont-Hamel, and another with the Norfolk Regiment at Carnoy. These images are all taken from the Canadian Virtual War Memorial and put faces to these men.

Podcast Extras: WW1 Photos & Maps

Podcast Extras: Air Photos by Stephen Kerr

Thanks to Stephen Kerr for these photos he took of the Newfoundland Park from a microlight during the WW1 Centenary. Do follow him on Twitter. All images ©Stephen Kerr.

Category: Uncategorized

26 Comments on “Somme: Newfoundland Park”

  1. Would have liked this podcast with me when I last visited The Park. Never there long enough on a guided tour. Next time maybe ?.

    Like

    Reply

  2. Great podcast, brings it to life. Have been lucky enough to visit the park and it is a must see on the Somme. Many thanks for describing it so well
    Cheers, Guy

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. Fabulous, Paul. I’ve been to NMP several times but I’ve learnt so much more from this podcast.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  5. As usual an excellent overview……good point well put about the differences between the 29th Div attack and the 51st in November….

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. Another great podcast. Even though I have visited NFP many times before, Paul’s narrative provides a fresh and interesting insight. Good that he mentioned Newfoundland’s Dominion status. A unique position that continues to this day. It’s the only part of Canada that a British person can give notice of intention to marry! I would also recommend talking to the Canadian volunteers, as one sent me a map of the battlefield and a badge, they had run out in the Visitor Centre.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. All of these episode have been outstanding. Great to see the low lighting so that all of the sheet craters are visible. I would suggest to people, using. google maps as Paul discusses the areas that he travels through. Allows me to relive my tours of the Somme. The Google maps of The Newfoundland Park are exceptionally useful. I absolutely love these podcasts. Best on the Internet!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  8. Fantastic Podcast. A few years since I was here but it brought it all back.! As someone has said I would like to play it again whilst visiting.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  9. I visited here several years ago as I could not believe what I had read in books. A friend alerted me to these podcasts. Your podcast brought it all back and I was lucky enough to explore the ravine as then I was on my own and had it all to myself.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. Really enjoyed this podcast. Visited Newfoundland Park in 2014 with my Dad, Aunt and Uncle when visiting my Great Uncles’ graves – two brothers killed on the Somme in August 1918. Dad, Aunt and Uncle have subsequently all passed away and podcast brought back good memories of an emotional and moving visit

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  11. Thanks so much for this special podcast. While we’re not able to visit a present, your description and detail has brought us right there on the ground and is the perfect substitute. It was on this piece of ground, 13th November 1916, that many Shetland lads fell as part of 153rd Brigade of the 51st Highland Division. A very special place for so many, and for so many different reasons.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  12. Thanks so much for this special podcast. While we’re not able to visit a present, your description and detail has brought us right there on the ground and is the perfect substitute. It was on this piece of ground, 13th November 1916, that many Shetland lads fell as part of 153rd Brigade of the 51st Highland Division. A very special place for so many, and for so many different reasons.

    Like

    Reply

  13. I really enjoyed this podcast and the associated material. Like others have stated, my visit to the park (2021) would have been better had I listened to this podcast beforehand. I’m a graduate of Memorial University of Newfoundland. The university was founded as Memorial University College to honour the war dead from World War I, and opened in September 1925. A fitting tribute to the men that lost their lives in WWI (and WWII).

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      • I’m only an honourly Newfoundland. A Scot by birth, and a Canadian by choice. My grandfather was in the the 1/7th Battalion Black Watch (May 1915 until Sept/Oct 1915) before being invalided.

        Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment

Enter your email address to follow the Old Front Line and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 3,964 other subscribers
Paul Reed on Twitter