First World War - Pigeon Ravine Cemetery

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First World War - Pigeon Ravine Cemetery

Рет қаралды 9,828

Steven Upton

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 84

@karen1000thompson 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you Steven for making this video. I have visited this cemetery a couple of times and will be there this year on the 29/9/18 at 5.30am, 100 years ago to the exact time of when this battle took place. The objective was that the first platoon was to take Pigeon trench and the second platoon to take Gloster road. Both leading from Limerick trench. They were under heavy machine gun fire from the right flank of Lark spur. This diversionary attack helped the successful break though the Hindenburg line at the Riqueval bridge at St Quentin canal.

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and the information on what happened here.

@WoldsEndPhotography 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for making this video. My Great Uncle, Rifleman Fred Rushforth is buried there. He was killed in action on 21st September 1918.

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. Had I known I would have shown a close-up of his grave. As its such a small cemetery you may catch a glimpse of it.

@paulellam6926 5 жыл бұрын

Discovering this video 100 years and 2 days after Private D Thompson gave his life for our freedom, is very poignant, bless them all, may they rest in peace.

@StevenUpton14-18 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. I will be doing a similar film in December by request of another subscriber.

@tooyoungtobeold8756 5 жыл бұрын

Your control of your drone is stunning.

@StevenUpton14-18 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@jukeofwelly6354 4 жыл бұрын

Well done Steven … A very touching video

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@clive.r1414 5 жыл бұрын

A moving tribute Stephen, thank you.

@StevenUpton14-18 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@kevinoneil56 3 жыл бұрын

That was a noble and kind gesture, Steven, thankyou.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. It is always a pleasure to help those who cannot visit a family members grave.

@jamesbrook16 2 жыл бұрын

@@StevenUpton14-18, we were able to visit Steven. Karen and I were at Pigeon Ravine Cemetery on 29.09.2018 from 5am onwards to commemorate 100 years of the passing of Dick Thompson. As you know, the cemetery is small and in a very quiet backwater that sees very few visitors. As you also know, most of the soldiers in the cemetery died on that day in that battle. Through the morning there must have been more than 100 visitors all paying their respects to loved ones/ancestors. We hope to visit later this year and also visit the area again.

@nightw4tchman 6 жыл бұрын

It's quite humbling when you visit these grave yards. I remember going with school to Normandy and seeing the WW2 graves. The sheer size and seeing the dates, like in this at 1:57 with so many lost on the 29th September, just throws you off entirely. It's shocking to read. The deaths must have hurt the families at home an immeasurable amount but the sheer impact of losing so many friends in one day must have destroyed the surviving soldiers. Thanks to you for the video and thanks to those who gave their life's.

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and for your comments.

@jamesbrook16 2 жыл бұрын

The vast majority of the losses were on the 29th September 1918. Karen has commented on the reason elsewhere in the comments. It’s normally a very quiet peaceful backwater, but when we visited 100 years to the day on 29.09.2018 there were probably over 100 people visiting through the morning all to pay their respects and commemorate the anniversary.

@brusselssprouts560 Жыл бұрын

Your beautiful memorials are just welcome reminders of what we can do to others when we don't really want to. The need to hate shouldn't be necessary anymore.

@StevenUpton14-18 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@longhunter1951 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you again Steve for another of your very moving and much appreciated videos.The lads were all so, so very young.

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. There is a grave at Essex Farm cemetery, near Ypres, for a 15 years old.

@longhunter1951 6 жыл бұрын

That's very tragic ! My grandfather arrived in France on September 12th 1914 serving with the Dorset regiment I believe in the Ypres area. Sadly he was seriously wounded in Mesopotamia 1918 and suffered from his wounds for the rest of his life.Thanks again for your informative videos.

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

longhunter1951 Ceolwulf My GF arrived in March 1915, 5th Warwicks, and served throughout. He died in 1951 as a consequence of being gassed. that generation gave so much.

@jamesbrook16 2 жыл бұрын

@@StevenUpton14-18, Valentine Strudwick was indeed 15, but John Condon was only 14. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Condon_(British_Army_soldier)

@tonynewton5668 5 жыл бұрын

What I really appreciate is the the fact that this is a very small cemetery. Yet , it is beautifully maintained as it should be with the same attention to detail as a large one. Every one who lost their life recieve the same recognition and are buried as equals.

@StevenUpton14-18 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. I have visited a lot of British military cemeteries. Every British one is immaculate. A credit to the Commonwealth War Grave Commission.

@Jeffybonbon 6 жыл бұрын

Sterling work again What a lovey jester to film this for a family member well done DL

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@simonkerr1899 4 жыл бұрын

I'm a new subscriber. I love what you do.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and subscribing.

@siskothekid4620 4 жыл бұрын

Much respect to you for making this video from a request by a fallen soldiers family member. We will always remember them.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching, again! I hope you enjoy your trip next year. You are coming a long way, try to allow as much time as you can there is a lot to see. I have a friend - former Canadian army - when he was over here a couple of years ago I took him to see all the Canadian memorials in France and Belgium. We had a great trip - Ypres, Vimy, Hill 70, Beaumont Hamel Newfoundland Park etc. When you are at Vimy go to the new Hill 70 Canadian memorial, its not far away.

@siskothekid4620 4 жыл бұрын

@@StevenUpton14-18 thank you so much for your recommendations, I will research them all. I greatly admire and respect that you respond to ALL of your comments so I'll take this opportunity to apologize for inundating you with mine, but being under quarantine for almost 4 months and a newly realized chance to go to France has inspired me with some passion. I plan to Spend at least 4 weeks in France and another 3 weeks in the UK to visit relatives in Scotland and England that I've never met before. I'm planning on doing it solo because there are a lot of things I want to experience uncompromised. Not being selfish, just focused. I had a great Uncle who perished in the unfortunate Dieppe Raid serving as a tank commander, so that's on the list too. Hopefully I will be able to travel freely by spring but my research is revealing rumours of maybe not till July. p.s.- going to bring my drone too ;)

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

@@siskothekid4620 - I am going on a bike trip through France, Belgium and Germany at the end of July. There are no restrictions for us. I am often passing through France on my way to work in various countries and because I drive I have a couple of days off to do some filming. If you want to meet on Zoom to get some ideas about where to go let me know - email steven@s-upton.com - I have done all of the Western Front from the North Sea to the Swiss border.

@addisth 6 жыл бұрын

Merci pour cette vidéo, Le sacrifice de tous ces jeunes et vraiment terrible.

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@dervolkstribun6240 3 жыл бұрын

Your work cant be rated too high. You are completing my knowledge about the great war by far. Awesome work, wich results out of your dedication and passion. Thx Steven, hope to see you soon.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. Again.

@VIJER47 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you.

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@karen1000thompson 2 жыл бұрын

I’ve noticed that some people are asking why this cemetery is called Pigeon Ravine. This video is dedicated to my great great uncle Dick Thompson, all his comrades and all the other men that lay there in peace. Dick Thompson was in the 2nd battalion of the Worcestershire regiment. On the 29th September 1918 his battalion was part of a diversionary attack, the main attack was on the Hindenburg line at St Quentin canal . At 5.30am, on 29/9/18 the battalion, split in to A B C and D companies D and C in the front line Limerick trench . The objective was that the companies in the front line were to move behind a creeping barrage of smoke to take the “sunken road” ..Gloster road (which is still there) . The companies in the reserve trenches were then to move past the sunken road and take pigeon trench , which was in the direction of Honnecourt. All the men from the front line were shot down and most of the reserve had fallen too. The survivors had stopped half way towards the sunken road and took cover the best they could and regained back to limerick trench. They had not reached the first objective. The attack was unsuccessful. Pigeon ravine cemetery is approximately were limerick trench was. I don’t know why the cemetery wasn’t simply called Limerick cemetery. Maybe it was called pigeon ravine because of the objective?

@StevenUpton14-18 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing this information.

@jamesbrook16 2 жыл бұрын

@@StevenUpton14-18, when are you able to start doing your excellent videos again? Allegedly pandemic restrictions are now lifting…

@tooyoungtobeold8756 5 жыл бұрын

My great uncle was originally in the Worcesters. He was then transferred to the MGC. He DOW four years to the day that he joined up. October 11th 1918. A month before it all came to an end.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@timareskog2418 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you Steven. 🇦🇺

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@normplatt7549 6 жыл бұрын

We will remember them!

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. Never forget!

@dervolkstribun6240 3 жыл бұрын

Now the knot has blewn off. I saw your stream about Trance. And there was the explanation for all the things connecting us. Our grandfathers must have been on the same spot in the great war. They told us to remember and to trade that sprit to our people nowadays. Now the circle has closed, the missing link is found and it fits perfectly. !

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Not sure how to answer this. I try to keep the professional part of what I do separate from my amateur interest in WW1 and making these films. Have a look at these KZfaq channels: SNU Film and SNUi Film.

@davepay8917 6 жыл бұрын

Lovely thing you did for them

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@iksexplorationsfollower2588 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this video.

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@davidsweeney4021 Жыл бұрын

As your camera went along the headstones, I could not believe all those "Worcesters". Were they all "Worcesters" buried there? So sad.

@StevenUpton14-18 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@markgoddard2560 5 жыл бұрын

How good of you to make this video for the relative of Dick Thompson. The Great War...the day the world went mad. Changed forever. I have several hundred diaries of the people who fought in this slaughter, both German and British. Their words tell a far, far different story than the sanitisation put upon it by successive governments. Unfortunately, they are, all of them, forgotten, as the world goes on slaughtering for their government and clergy. Only the families of these men stop to recount what they did. The pontificating politicians and clergy at the cenotaph couldn’t tell you one name of those fallen, or recount on death. Did you ever see the film of the man running beside the kings carriage at ascot, cap in hand, begging for money to feed his family after the war. 1920 I think the year was. If you should find it, then put it on you page so that those who fought for king and country can see for themselves.

@StevenUpton14-18 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and your comments. I am not aware of that film. The 1920's was a hard time for many veterans.

@jameswburke 2 жыл бұрын

Must visit there, next trip. My Grandad, James Francis Burke was with the 2nd Bttn Worcesters BEF. Was wounded and in the UK then might have come back to 4th Bttn. Reported wounded in the Worcester Herald (7.10.1914) 9331 Pte. J. Burke. He survived the war. Might be some of his mates buried there.

@StevenUpton14-18 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@ImDave1962 4 жыл бұрын

Love your videos. Thank you for your compassionate narration and story telling. I have always wondered something though. When there's a space in a row of headstones, why is that? Are those spaces where soldiers were once buried and then possibly moved somewhere else later on?

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. In some cases the cemeteries were created during the war and graves are more haphazard. In the cemeteries that were either created or 'standardised' after the war they are more precise. When you see groups of headstones, then a gap, there is a reason. One of which is the crew of an aircraft who died together are grouped together. There are other reasons, but just can't remember them this moment.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

I contacted the CWGC to find out the real reason why graves are grouped and why there are gaps. This is their reply: With regard to your query, there are many variations in the layout of Commission headstones in our cemeteries. Some headstones commemorate more than one individual for example. These are either joint graves, where two individuals share a single grave, or a collective grave, where three or more share a single grave. The bodies in these graves are either buried too close together for individual headstones to mark their graves, or because they are buried one above the other, or because the remains were impossible to be identified individually. In many of our sites, you will see incongruous gaps in rows of headstones. It is often the case that graves were there originally, but were later removed - because they were perhaps French, Belgian or American servicemen, or civilians. For example in Tyne Cot Cemetery in Plot III Row A there is a gap in the row where grave 16 should be. This is because a Belgian soldier who was buried there was removed in 1938. The most common origin of joint and collective graves however were trench graves. This is where a single long grave, resembling a trench, was dug, and bodies were laid side by side, sometimes even on their side, to maximise availlable space. In these cases, headstones will usually be touching or very close together. In some sites, people were buried individually but very close together due to space restrictions. When permanent headstones were erected there wasn't sufficient space to accommodate individual headstones. In these cases, headstones may touch or joint headstones be use, i.e. two names on one stone. In closing, I hope this offers some explanation, and thank you again for contacting the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Kind Regards

@ImDave1962 4 жыл бұрын

@@StevenUpton14-18 thank you. Very interesting information.

@Jeffybonbon 6 жыл бұрын

do you know why the headstones are so close together Steve and why was there a Gap I know there have been times when men have died together and the remains could not be separated and that's why they are close together But it looks like this cemetery is all the same very close together and thoughts

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. In some cases it is because they are not individually dug graves. They dug a trench, or used an existing trench, and laid the bodies very close together. But there are other reasons.

@Jeffybonbon 6 жыл бұрын

I don't suppose we will ever know really what happened But that is war Thanks Steve your vids are good and I expect you will get more requests from family's to do more in the future

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

dislexic landlord When I decided to do this it did enter my mind that I may get more requests. If they are in areas i travel by I will be happy to do it.

@andersonsroad5161 4 жыл бұрын

Steven , what please is inside the small structure at the end of the cemetery opposite the entrance? Also why as the area named Pigeon Ravine? Thankyou, Brendan.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. At every British cemetery there is a little bronze door set in the wall. Inside are two ring binders. One shows a map of the cemetery and lists all the known graves to make it easier to find one and gives you the history of why the cemetery was located there. The other is a visitors book. Many of these cemeteries are at locations that were named by soldiers during the war. I do not know, but it could be something as simple as a soldier saw a pigeon fly passed and called it Pigeon Ravine, and the name stuck. The CWGC website does not tell you how it got the name.

@andersonsroad5161 4 жыл бұрын

@@StevenUpton14-18 Thankyou Steven. I had wanted to go and visit the Somme battlefield and see where my grandfather served. Unfortunately relapsed over Christmas with lymphoma and have around 12 months to live so your videos are a way of helping me understand what Pops saw for the nearly 2 years he was in France. I appreciate the work you do in making them. Seeing those thousands of graves of young men who died helps me come to grips with my own death. I'm 54 and have had a wonderful life. ~Brendan. Victoria, Australia.

@siskothekid4620 4 жыл бұрын

I know messenger pigeons were used extensively throughout the war, maybe it was a spot that was peaceful and safe where pigeon cages were kept?

@jamesbrook16 2 жыл бұрын

@@StevenUpton14-18, sausage valley and mash valley near Albert and Lochnagar crater spring to mind. Names of valleys and especially trenches were named after things familiar to the soldiers.