First World War - Vimy Ridge

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First World War - Vimy Ridge

Рет қаралды 123,988

Steven Upton

Күн бұрын

Vimy ridge filmed with a phantom 3 drone. Scene of the Canadian attack of April 1917.

Пікірлер: 706

@Mikkelltheimmortal 4 жыл бұрын

As a Canadian I am extremely grateful for this very well detailed video and all of the kind words you used to describe the Canadian troops. We are taught about the importance of Vimy Ridge in school but they don't teach the fine details like you have given

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@bgumbleton 5 жыл бұрын

Another fabulous video Steve. As a Canadian my heart swells with pride every time I see the Vimy Memorial! We came together as a nation then and god bless those valiant lads who sacrificed themselves!

@StevenUpton14-18 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. Next Monday I am filming Hill 70 near Loos captured by the Canadians in 1917.

@jesusislukeskywalker4294 4 жыл бұрын

british empire has been taken by stealth. ww3 started in 1946 and its still going.

@WhitewaterProfessor 5 жыл бұрын

thank you Steven. I visited the VIMY Memorial for the first time this past June following in the foot steps of my two great Uncles who fought there in April 1917. My Great Uncle Lt Percival Trendell fought with the Canadian 45 Battalion - 4 Canadian and my other Great Uncle Lt. Edwin Trendell fought with the 19 Battalion - 2 Canadian. Great Uncle Edwin Trendell is mentioned in dispatches several times during the morning hours of the 1st day of the attack and received a Military Cross for his actions on that date. To walk in the foot steps of the great Canadians who fought there and see what they accomplished made me very proud to be a Canadian. Unfortunately, Great Uncle Lt. Edwin Trendell did not survive the war and was killed at the Battle of Passchendaele on November 4th, 1917 while returning to Canadian lines from a night raid into the German lines. He is buried at the Ypres Reservoir Cemetery in Ypres. We must never forget the sacrifices of these men.

@StevenUpton14-18 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and sharing your families memories. I will be filming Hill 70, near Loos in December, weather permitting. There is a Canadian memorial there.

@Scepticalasfuk 3 жыл бұрын

Sacrifice is when you give something precious for a greater good or gain. What did Canada gain from WW1?

@the_sheet 3 жыл бұрын

@@Scepticalasfuk respect

@myohmy839 3 жыл бұрын

@@Scepticalasfuk Stopping world domination by Germany seems like a good idea....................

@shaunmcmillan6791 3 жыл бұрын

@@Scepticalasfuk you obviously missed the “Birth of a Nation” ...

@johnt8636 6 жыл бұрын

On the Vimy Memorial: The weeping woman is called Mother Canada.

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and your information.

@scottessery100 4 жыл бұрын

@@StevenUpton14-18 excellent video again steve

@derekmcfadden1905 3 жыл бұрын

The weeping woman is also known as Canada bereft

@johnt8636 3 жыл бұрын

@@derekmcfadden1905 And, Mother Canada.

@nick7602 5 жыл бұрын

Such a beautiful memorial, and I read an account of Vimy Ridge when I was 16 and how brave the Canadians are and were the account of the Battle lived with me forever, my own grandad fought and died on the messines ridge and has no known grave, his name is on the wall at Tyne Cot cemetery fabulous Film Steven, I am myself ex army.... we owe these soldiers such a debt of gratitude.....may they all rest in peace.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. I have just got back home from Canada an hour ago. I have visited Tyne Cot many times, its a very moving place.

@davebeningfield 4 жыл бұрын

As a Canadian this makes me both proud and terribly sad. Even now the condition of the ground is shocking. I'm glad sheep are grazing peacefully there now. Thanks for your effort and video.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. Canada became a nation in these fields.

@BillyBob-fd5ht 3 жыл бұрын

when you hear a shell go off you know your having lamb tonight whats left of it

@philorkill 4 жыл бұрын

Oh boy, this gives me the shivers when I see the scarred land, the memorial and the history combined in your impressive video. Thank you so much!

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@h.stephenpaul7810 Жыл бұрын

Thank you, Steven, not only for the comprehensive information and analysis, but for the recognition of the Canadian soldiers and General Currie and his staff. In 2015, I and my motorcycle flew over to Europe and spent 70 days travelling through western Europe. That was the 70th anniversary of the end of WW II. (Also my 70th birthday.) I visited many of the cemeteries of both world wars maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission who does a wonderful job of maintaining those sites. An additional piece of information - France ceded the land that the Vimy Ridge Memorial and associated buildings and the park land to Canada in perpetuity as thanks for their efforts to free France. The statue of the woman you mentioned is called "Canada Bereft".

@StevenUpton14-18 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. 70 days in the saddle is a long trip. I hope you had a comfortable bike.

@PandamoniumShorts 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for producing this. Cheers from Canada.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@wallyhaskett6737 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for bringing these amazing videos Steven. History of the finest that people can see. I enjoy your work so much. Please keep these remarkable videos coming. Thanks once again.

@StevenUpton14-18 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. I am doing some more filming, weather permitting, next month, December at Hill 70 near Loos and a cemetery in Belgium for someone who’s grand father is buried there.

@JackFlemingFan1 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you Steven for bringing history to youtube and thanks again for posting all of your video(s) too!

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@jq12345678 3 жыл бұрын

I visited the Vimy Memorial on April 26, 2017 with my choir. (We are from Vancouver, Canada). It was such a moving experience: as we approached the memorial on foot, its sheer scale and magnificence grew with each step. We passed the pockmarked landscape, stood on the steps of the memorial, and sang together. One of our members recounted his family story: about his father and his father's twin brothers, who had fought at this site 100 years ago. We visited many awe inspiring sites on that tour, including memorials to John McCrae (poem, "In Flanders Fields"). Thank you for your video - it brings back such great and important memories!

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. I have made a film about the place where John McCrae was at Ypres.

@slackocaster 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for creating these videos, I mean all of them! You have a way of explaining things, that make it really easy to understand. Your factual approach, complimented by maps and diagrams are as good as something you would see on the history channel. I am Canadian by birth, and need to see Vimy with my own eyes. Thank you so much.

@StevenUpton14-18 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. I will be filming the new Canadian Hill 70 memorial in April.

@carolsaxton839 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your film,my grandfather was in the fifth Canadien mounted rifles and fought at vimy ridge,he survived the war thankyou I hope to visit next year.

@carolsaxton839 5 жыл бұрын

To add note,he also was at the 2nd battle of the Somme,amien,Ypres,and pashendael.

@StevenUpton14-18 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. I hope you get the chance to visit. They built a new visitor centre there last year.

@Zarcondeegrissom 3 жыл бұрын

the fact the clouds were out at dawn was probably a blessing in disguise for getting drone footage from all angles, as the clouds prevented a wash of bloom and lens flares obstructing the view. That and the gloomy sky does add appropriately to the somberness of the memorial. Thanks much for the incredible videography of such spectacular places. B)

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@joepalooka2145 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Steven------ this is a wonderful video for those of us who have never been there, like myself. The drone footage gives a whole new perspective that really allows you to understand what happened there. The number of shell holes is astounding. Canadians will really appreciate this.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@Cedillallidec 5 жыл бұрын

I am a Canadian and visited the Vimy Memorial in 2011 with my children to visit the battlefields of Ypres and Vimy where my grandparents saw action. This video gave me a much greater appreciation of the scale of the blasted landscape in the surrounding countryside. Something you cannot see from the ground given such zones are too dangerous to enter. Thank you for such an interesting perspective.

@StevenUpton14-18 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@antonleimbach648 Жыл бұрын

Your videos are exceptional. There is something personal in how you present these videos. It’s like a friend is showing you something important and we need to listen. The absence of noise from cars and people is very appreciated.

@StevenUpton14-18 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and your encouraging comments.

@markcoome6744 3 жыл бұрын

We have visited twice and it is amazing, especially in the tunnels. My great grandfather left the UK in 1906 for Manitoba and joined the Canadian Army. He fought at Vimy in the 27th Btn and lost his life the following month between Acheville and Fresnoy. As an Englishman I am so proud S R Thorington was part of the birth of a nation. Thank you for the video.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@blkdog229 5 жыл бұрын

As always, well filmed, edited, and narrated. Thank you for sharing!

@StevenUpton14-18 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching, and your encouraging feedback.

@JS-zy6pw 7 жыл бұрын

great job, wonderful commentary.

@StevenUpton14-18 7 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching, sorry I did not reply earlier.

@dlk449 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this video. I was there a couple of weeks ago and this really helped out the big picture on what the lay of the land is there. Very well done.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@SomeGuy-hd4cn 3 жыл бұрын

I have never seen the actual battlefield in such a full view. Thank you so much. Words can not express how thankful I am to you for this video.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@elmartillo7931 4 жыл бұрын

I have family on the wall at Vimy, and served in the Canadian Army myself. Thank you for this video

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@stadiumportraitstvbypaulto1997 4 жыл бұрын

Superb work Steven. We did the western front tour last year and whilst informative it’s difficult to get your head around the whole scale of the Great War. These videos are a superb educational tool alongside reflective for anyone who’s about to go see the battlefields or have been to confirm the learning. Superb

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@Paleoman 5 жыл бұрын

Another great video honoring the memories of the fallen and those who made it home. Thank you for sharing.

@StevenUpton14-18 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@mike.47 4 жыл бұрын

I’ve been there twice, second time it was covered due to restoration. My grandfather was attached to the 137th Field Ambulance, RAMC. I cannot imagine what horrors he witnessed. His sons, my father and uncle, both became doctors, I don’t know if his experiences influenced their decision to become doctors. Sadly my grandfather died in 1955 due to an accidental gassing at his home, I never knew him as I was only 3 when he died.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@mathieudeshaies3670 Жыл бұрын

I will be showing this video to my class in preparation for our trip to Vimy in March. Thanks very much!

@StevenUpton14-18 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and I hope you enjoy your trip. If you look south from Vimy ridge you will see a church on a hill, that is Notre Dam de Lorette (see kzfaq.info/get/bejne/l7yTbKp8nLGVpY0.html). It is also worth a visit whilst in the area. I have made several short films about WW1 you may want check out my channel.

@mathieudeshaies3670 Жыл бұрын

@@StevenUpton14-18 Yes I've been there and also watched the video. Thanks again.

@henryporter6659 3 жыл бұрын

Just stumbled across your channel. Great job! Your drone views give the best perspective of elevation changes of the battlefields I have ever seen. Thank you for your service.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@R3dn3ck747 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for teaching us about the great war. I enjoy the way you comment as you fly past the battlefileds with your drone, its very educating to see the scars of the great war from another perspective and learn about it at the same time. Many many thanks for this great work you are doing. Best regards from Norway.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@srb2897 4 жыл бұрын

I have watched many of Steven’s Drone videos. They are so informative and i cant think of a better way to ‘see’ and learn about this time in history.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@shovington67 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your kind words about the Canadians, if you called for us again the great grandsons and great grandaughters of those original soldiers would March once more.

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and your comments. I am ex-RAF and have the greatest respect for all those Canadians who answered the call in 1914.

@andersonsroad5161 4 жыл бұрын

Then you're a nation of idiots. The UK left the commonwealth for dead when they joined the EU.

@pittieparty4804 4 жыл бұрын

@@andersonsroad5161 This is a very sad but very true statement. As a Canadian I have to say that most (98%) of our population now is a very sad group of people who if asked would not even know what Vimy Ridge even was, but could surely tell you about the latest developements of political correctness or Transgender issues. Totally sad indeed.

@Joe-gu6oe 4 жыл бұрын

I am a USN vet of the Vietnam war who has no time for political bantering. Often, I have read the awful words some obviously uneducated Americans and, Canadians have for one another. I love my country, respect to Canada! War is very complicated.

@andersonsroad5161 4 жыл бұрын

@@Joe-gu6oe Nothing complicated about the first world war and the carnage it inflicted on the commonwealth countries like Canada, Australia, New Zeeland etc.as they resisted german agression in Europe. You Americans sat back and did nothing because you wanted to see the British bled dry and also because you had so many hun immigrants. You only got involved because the hun torpedoed some of your ships. You then did the same thing in the second world war , you only got involved because the nazis declared war on you first. You're leaches. The soviet union defeated Nazi Germany not the United States.

@slowphil47 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Steven Upton, this was a great video (description) of the battle. I had 4 uncles in WW1 and I think 3 of them were at Vimy Ridge. It was really hard to know for sure, they didn't say very much at all of what they did.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@siskothekid4620 4 жыл бұрын

I keep coming back to see this video because I have been obsessed with this memorial ever since I learned of it, and later found this beautifully done video... now I have planned a trip to visit it in spring 2021! I am so excited. I will be travelling from Vancouver, Canada. Any recommendations from anyone related to a visit? I've already considered all the different times of day, and I would most enjoy to be there with the least amount of people. Thank you again Steven for your amazing work.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. If you can get there for dawn, it is very atmospheric and no one there. You will need to hang around and take in the visitor centre and book a guided trip down the tunnels.

@funstuff2006 3 жыл бұрын

Where are you staying? Will you have a rental car? In 2017 I stayed in Lens, and if you have a rental car pretty much any battlefield where the CEF was in action is a reasonable day-trip from there - if you can keep yourself from visiting every CWGC cemetery or monument you pass.

@funstuff2006 3 жыл бұрын

@@FirstLast-nk3lm When I was at university, one day in the administration office I saw a poster on the ads board about opportunities to go volunteer at places like Vimy and Beaumont Hamel, that's where all the young guides come from. When I was at Vimy in 2017 there were university aged-kids doing the tunnel tours, but they knew their script, and they took it seriously, which is enough.

@leslawrence3950 6 жыл бұрын

Steven, fantastic video thanks. We have just returned from our second visit, and you have shed lots more light on Vimy and given us amazing aerial views for better understanding .

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. I drove past there only this morning on my way back home.

@tmoln2131 Жыл бұрын

Steve, got to visit this in summer 2022. My great uncles served in the artillery. Both hard of hearing. I figured it out later. Good stuff, thanks again Steve.

@StevenUpton14-18 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. My father was Royal Artillery in WW2.

@jackthebassman1 7 жыл бұрын

Fantastic Steve, many thanks yet again. I personally think the Vimy Ridge Memorial is the most beautiful and thought provoking of all, especially the female figure on the rear, overlooking the plain - representing Canada weeping for her lost sons. I only found out a couple of years ago that the larger craters were in fact from underground mines - the Durand Group went to the site to make safe a very dangerous unexploded mine that was dead beneath the car park !!

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@sellyshootsandscores9300 3 жыл бұрын

awesome I love your videos when you show a map at the bigenning and then situate us with your commentary. For somebody who’s never set foot in France it is very helpful then just raw footage

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@rickmoore3730 6 жыл бұрын

I love these videos . This one as well as the Lorette Spur and the Somme series . The clarity of the filming is fantastic and your narration is first class . All of the above take me back to my trip to France . It's almost as if I am back there again . Keep up the great work and look forward to future postings. Cheers

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. Your comments are very encouraging.

@walhalladome5227 4 жыл бұрын

Vimy Ridge is such an historical place, so much worth the visit. Thank you Steve for your very interesting drone flights 👍.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@keepcalm5026 3 жыл бұрын

Brings back memories of my visits to these sites. Your videos help me picture the flow of the battles. Great work.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@chrisnewby5713 6 жыл бұрын

Couldn’t be prouder to be Canadian

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. You have every right to be proud. The Canadians did a great job.

@darcymcnabb9259 4 жыл бұрын

You have a military history that no others can come close too.

@jesusislukeskywalker4294 4 жыл бұрын

regrettably in hindsight 2020 vision the monument symbolises a galli cutter. used for castration. pharonic egyptian head pieces are of a similar design. piece from upsidedowndy australia aka new holland

@BillyBob-fd5ht 3 жыл бұрын

it is an eye opener, went there 30 years ago, free tours, a bus of British tourists was there in the tunnels, they mentioned my wife and I are Canadian the people applauded, felt weird very proud moment.

@420darthbong 3 жыл бұрын

They are all rolling in their graves at the fact we let Crime Minister Castro and Brown Shirt Billie Boi get away with tyranny.

@tooyoungtobeold8756 5 жыл бұрын

I did a tour of the tunnels around Vimy, many years ago. The tunnels strech for miles, even back as far as Arras and it allowed troops to reach the front line, under complete cover. I wrote this comment, just before you mentioned it!

@StevenUpton14-18 5 жыл бұрын

I went down the tunnels again only last month. I asked the guide how far back behind the front lines they went and was told 1.2 kms. Not as far as Arras, but still a long way.

@nosbig111 6 жыл бұрын

Wow, a whole new perspective for me. A great angle, and good overview. Thank you for sharing.

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@carbidegrd1 4 жыл бұрын

Really appreciate the kind words to Canadians. I get so tired of the cheap shots from Americans in that regard. We were there in both wars from the start, not when it was half over.

@publiusmaximus4041 4 жыл бұрын

I love being American but I will admit we are very arrogant sometimes but I respect canadians I have met alot of very friendly canadians very educated people

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. Canada came to our aid in both world wars providing some of the finest soldiers ever to take to the field.

@Joe-gu6oe 4 жыл бұрын

You may have grazed in the wrong pasture. Many of my fellow Americans know very little true history but, some of us do. I appreciate your comment. My respect for you sir.

@drevildog1 4 жыл бұрын

Great Video. I visited the memorial, and it was humbling. This is something every Canadian should visit. Basically it's a Canadian pilgrimage.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@ChrisBoar Жыл бұрын

Thanks for this video Stephen. My Great Granduncles name is on the Vimy memorial. He went missing, presumed killed, 11th August, 1918 in the village of Hallu. I hope to visit one day.

@StevenUpton14-18 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. Sorry for your family's loss.

@robbrike4619 Жыл бұрын

Brilliant images of the Vimy Memorial. Really fantastic work, Steven!

@StevenUpton14-18 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@clive.r1414 5 жыл бұрын

Again Steven an easy to understand film of the events at Vimy and excellent drone footage. This is the first place on the Western Front I visited back in 1992 when our daughter was on a gap year as an assistant teacher in Bethune. I have been back many times and I'm always moved by the monument especially the statue of the woman that appears to be cradling a baby that is no longer there. Thank you, I know that I will watch this film many times.

@StevenUpton14-18 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. Weather permitting, I intend filming Hill 70 near Loos this coming Monday. The Canadians attacked it in 1917.

@clive.r1414 5 жыл бұрын

@@StevenUpton14-18 Look forward to seeing it Steven.

@iiifardocheiiil.500 3 жыл бұрын

Quite a voice u got mate. 👍😉 Its crazy to see just how close to eachother the germans and the canadian trench were. Great video

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@NiSiochainGanSaoirse 3 ай бұрын

Having some family in Canada, what I've learned as a Brit is that at the outbreak of WW1, most Canadians had direct links back to Britain, often being British immigrants to Canada and who fought under a sense Canadian British paternal duty. What happened at vimy ridge, when all four Canadian divisions fought together and won their battle was that they forged a new Canadian identity, and found they could stand on their own two feet, alone, as Canadians.. The significance of vimy ridge to Canadians is more than just a heroic battle. The battle became the genesis of a new nations identity, where Canada came of age and fledged the British nest to independence. A symbolic battle in many ways.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@aimdrummer 3 жыл бұрын

I didn't get a chance to see the Vimy memorial up close as I visited in 2006 when it was being restored. Thanks for this video, it was nice to see the detail up close and to be fair, your video probably yields better detail than can be seen by the naked eye from the ground anyway. It is a beautiful memorial.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. It is, in my opinion, the most beautiful WW1 memorial.

@aimdrummer 3 жыл бұрын

@@StevenUpton14-18 I've only recently discovered your videos but I'm really enjoying them. Planning to watch the Douaumont one at lunch time if I dont get disturbed!

@jimhoover9819 6 жыл бұрын

Steve - I do a talk on Vimy and have used some of this video clip in my talk. Thanks for it. Both my grandfathers fought at Vimy, and I have a letter written by one of them on April 10, 1917. If you'd like to see a copy of it, give me your email address and I will send. Was at Vimy in May last year, just after the centennial. Stayed in Vimy with a family that took me in. Amazing all the Canadian flags flying in the town.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. Sorry its taken so long to reply, I missed your post.

@paavobergmann4920 5 жыл бұрын

Great Video, Thank you. From the drone view, it´s chilling to see the scale of destruction still visible 100 years later.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. This is one of the few places that gives you the idea of what the 'crater field' of shell holes must have looked like.

@lilyaroundtheworld 4 жыл бұрын

Well explained, thank you. I visited Vimy not long ago. The memorial is beautiful, and the battlefield impressive and worth visiting. May they all rest in peace.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@toddd6563 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you, as a Canadian, for your work. All of your videos are excellent.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@terrycline8689 3 жыл бұрын

My great grandfather was with the Princess Pats Brigade at Vimy, in the tunnels...Was fortunate to be able to visit, and even found his actual tunnel. Really emotional visit.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@peterpiper_203 7 жыл бұрын

Nice Yet another Great Aerial video Didn't know about the unexploded mines Thanks for bringing us along

@StevenUpton14-18 7 жыл бұрын

PETER PIPER there was a documentary on TV about the mines. A British RE Colonel was given permission to excavate and they found the explosives with the detonators still in place. From studying the war diaries of the tunnelling companies and comparing them with the craters he discovered the missing mines. At least two are under the motorway.

@francoisluneau Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this guided visit, from a Canadian who appreciates seeing all of this.

@StevenUpton14-18 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@ThisKootenaylife 3 жыл бұрын

I visited Vimy in 2001 with my combat engineer regiment we took a great photo on the stairs there. We also talked about the combat engineers found our stride there as a part of our trade is land mines and explosives. The reason why there’s sheep is because that’s how they mow the grass with all the buried remaining mines and explosives it’s too risky to use a lawnmower. I have a pic of one of the earliest uses of a maple leaf carved into the soapstone walls in the tunnels. That memorial holds very deep reverence for us Canadian soldiers.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. A nation was born on Vimy Ridge.

@Raggadish. 2 жыл бұрын

Very good film with the drone giving great perspective on the battlefield. Just visited Vimy a couple of weeks ago. This gave even more insights. Will you make more videos in 2022?

@StevenUpton14-18 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. I am not sure when I will be able to visit the Western Front again to film.

@yuehan51 4 жыл бұрын

I have been to Vimy twice and did not get an idea of where the 2 sides were , this video has made things clear I need to go back now and see it with this knowledge. Thanks for a Brilliant video

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@coops1964golf 5 жыл бұрын

i was lucky enough to visit vimy ridge while on holiday......a truly amazing place....and as you say the view from the top shows why it was such an important site....

@StevenUpton14-18 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@uchihadabba699 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you Mr Steven Upton. I am very fascinated by the Great War. I am captivated even more now that I have found your channel. Always touching and awe inspiring sir. From Los Angeles CA.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. I hope that one day you can visit the battlefields. There is nothing as special as walking these fields.

@michaeldenesyk3195 4 жыл бұрын

Beautifully filmed Steven. The Canadians at Vimy were under the command of Julian Byng, Currie was just a division commander at that time. After Vimy, Byng was given command of a British Army, and Currie then became the Canadian Corps Commander

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and the correction.

@mikefladgate3714 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much, from a proud but humble Canadian! Really well presented!

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@mac69041 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you Steven. When I visited the sun was shining and made it hard to appreciate the monument due to the snow blinding effect of the white stone, but still a memorable experience.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@darickhibbert1624 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for making this video. Both my Great Grandfather's were involved in this campaign. I've wanted to visit for a long time. I think now I might just do that.

@StevenUpton14-18 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. I see you have found it.

@bradcobb3418 Жыл бұрын

never seen the Vimy memorial by drone,i it is even more beautiful.we went on a motorcycle tour of Western Front about 40 yrs ago.. so glad they're looking after it. thank you.

@StevenUpton14-18 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. I have just added to my channel a film about Hill 70 and the Canadian attack of 1917.

@danielmccabe9444 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent drone footage it brings the area to life I never realized the scarring of the earth from the Shell fire during World War I it was so intense.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. There was a reason why they called it a crater field; miles of overlapping shell holes.

@ykdickybill 3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely superb Steven. Your soft brummy twang evoking memories of the Shropshire lads.......

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Me! an accent? Thank you for watching.

@solentbum 3 жыл бұрын

Not sure if they are still open , but some years ago we visited the area and managed a tour under the ridge in one of the many tunnels used to aid the assault. My Grandfather had been in the area during the battles at Aid stations and Hospitals, we were visiting as many sites as we could trace from a Celebratory menu from Christmas Dinner 1918 which bore a list of some 50 place names on the Western Front at which his unit had been camped. We also visited the grave of a 'great uncle' that had died in 1917 near Arras. On the Vimy Ridge monument are named six brothers from Canada who died . Canada paid a horrific price for that hillside.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. As recently as 2019 I went down the tunnels at Vimy. I am sure that post-Covid they will reopen.

@siskothekid4620 5 жыл бұрын

At 11:17ish it's mentioned that the statue of the woman weeping is meant to represent relatives of the dead? It's my understanding that the statue is symbolic of Lady Canada herself bereft mourning her dead sons and fathers. Not sure which is accurate, but I like the idea that it is Lady Canada herself better. Great video, lovely to see a new view of the memorial.

@StevenUpton14-18 5 жыл бұрын

On reflection, I think you are correct.

@bsc4344 4 жыл бұрын

Steve Sisko As someone else pointed out, the craftsmanship and talent displayed here is mind blowing. This is from a time before my father was born, and all over the site the mason work leaves those of us who can appreciate such things,min awe and reverence. The Lady is ll stone like everything else, but her flowing body length scarf thingy flows past her feet and along the ledge the statue is mounted to. ONE PIECE, and incorporated like it was a real woman suddenly frozen on the ledge of the memorial for eternity. Words dont describe well.

@siskothekid4620 4 жыл бұрын

@@bsc4344 I'm going to visit the memorial spring 2021!

@mdeell 3 жыл бұрын

I walked through those trench lines in November 2017, from the Canadian lines straight through to the memorial, standing in those craters from those mines under the German trenches is quite the experience. I was with the Canadian Contingent for the 100th anniversary of the end of the battle of Passchendaele (3rd Battle of Ypres), we toured Vimy the day after Remembrance Day. It's something every Canadian should try and experience.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. I have a friend from Ontario, ex-Canadian army regular, who I took on a tour of many of the Canadian memorials. A very moving experience.

@tomwaltermayer2702 2 жыл бұрын

Good video. Wish you'd done a bit more with the "subways". Knew one Vimy vet whose most unpleasant memories were of waiting underground.

@StevenUpton14-18 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. I have been down the tunnels several times. If I go again I must film them.

@sdj9776 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video. My great-grandfather was among those with the Canadians in this area. Originally from Devonshire, he had emigrated to the US in the 1890s and the to Canada. He lied about his age, he was too old to volunteer, in order to join the Canadian Cavalry. He was nearly 50 when he entered service. He survived through the Second Battle of Arras suffering a ruptured appendix in the last few days of the battle and was taken back to England where he survived. It took nearly a year for him to recover before making it back to his home in Alberta.

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching, and sharing about your GGF. My GF served throughout the war and joined up again for the second one.

@sdj9776 6 жыл бұрын

Steven Upton you're quite welcome. What an incredible sense of duty your grandfather had to have gone twice. It's only been in the last few years that I've been able to find out much about my GGF's service. We've his military records from the Canadian National Archives and have been able to trace his unit's steps via their daily logs and reports. It has sparked an interest in me to see the places where he served. The irony of it all is that during my early 20s, I lived in northern France for over a year and had no idea that he too had been there in the area. Your videos are a welcome surrogate and I hope you'll keep posting.

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

I am in Canada every September for a couple of weeks work and the person I stay with is ex-Candaian army. He came over here a couple of years back and I took him to Vimy and to Beaumont Hamel, plus various other first world war Canadian battlefields. If you can, you should come over.

@sdj9776 6 жыл бұрын

Was back in Lille just over a year ago but only for the day. Went back to see Bergues just a few miles from where I had lived in Dunkerque. Spent a few days last May in France and Belgium. I was able to visit Normandy and spent some time with family in Alsace and Friends in the Ardennes. My next trip will be spent touring the western front. I've a good friend in Arras who's quite familiar with the Western Front. Send me an email and I'll give you my contact information

@Neal_Schier Жыл бұрын

This is beautiful footage. Absolutely first class. One view is worth a thousand words. It makes one wonder why they didn't try to outflank each other. Miles and miles of room to maneuver. It is hard to imagine the claustrophobia some soldiers must have had being in the tunnels. Yes, below ground provided safety, but a lot of people do not do well in spaces like that. Again, thank you for this wonderful homage!

@StevenUpton14-18 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. When the front line stretched from the North Sea to the Swiss border there was no flank.

@Kariakas 3 жыл бұрын

I'm really enjoying these videos. You give a lot of great information coupled with great visuals.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@faeembrugh 4 жыл бұрын

The Canadian Corps commander during the Battle of Vimy Ridge was actually Lieutenant General Julian Byng. Currie was, at that time, the 1st Canadian Divisional commander and the actual capture of the highest point of the ridge was by General David Watson's 4th Canadian Division.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and the historical correction.

@knightsaberami01 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the educational series. I am trying to identify who in the family served in WW1 but I believe it to be my Mum's Father (Eire/ US)and the great Uncles and Cousins of my Father's Mother (ANZAC) I actually thought those slag heaps were further removed from the battlefront but are actually only a couple of miles due north of the Monument, easily identifiable on Google's Terrain maps, and are classified as a UNESCO WHS. I never would've thought to investigate further into their significance had you not mentioned them however briefly. Thank you, again for your time and experience as I may never be able to visit these sites, in the future. Your narration is just the right pitch of reverence and introspective tone for touring these sites. Kindest regards from across the Pond.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. I will be 'across the pond' next week, working in New Jersey.

@paulellam6926 4 жыл бұрын

Hoping to visit Vimy next year, will reference this whilst there, many thanks

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. Vimy is a special place to visit.

@BillyBob-fd5ht 3 жыл бұрын

it stunning to see, worth the trip. it run by parks canada , if you are CDN you get a pile of stuff to read.

@arniewilliamson1767 3 ай бұрын

A wonderful video. Two of my great grandfathers fought at Vimy. Another interesting fact is that as the Nazis advanced they were desecrating any war memorial the came to. After visiting Vimy and being so moved about the fact it deals with the suffering of war rather than celebrating a victory, Hitler ordered that the memorial be protected. He further stationed a permanent SS guard force to ensure no German troops desecrated it. The guards were maintained even after Normandy to ensure retreating troops did not harm it,

@StevenUpton14-18 3 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@Fenixx117 3 жыл бұрын

I'm enjoying your vids a lot. Very informative and well documented. I just learned I have a relative memorialized on the Vimy Monument (Hazel L. Lambert, 50th Bn. CEF) who was KIA a month after surviving this battle, a few miles beyond the ridge near Lens I believe. I also have another direct relative buried at Tyne Cot.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. Sorry for you family's loss. I have visited Tyne Cott many times.

@syntaxmsi 3 жыл бұрын

Greetings from Canada Steven. Thank you for your videos. I like your understated tone, it allows the facts to speak for themselves. It is horrifying to consider what these young men went through, and the suffering visited upon them and their families, but this is the only way we can avoid repeating these mistakes in the future.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@billyslittlebigadventurech9050 7 жыл бұрын

superb video and description Steven. ill have to call back to visit the new visitors centre. the messine craters near ypres. The only explosives that are left, that haven't gone off, i believe is under a farm ..eek !

@StevenUpton14-18 7 жыл бұрын

I saw something only a few days ago that they now believe there are may be as many as 5 mines in the Messines area, and that two are under farms. I do want to film the Messines craters when I get time.

@billyslittlebigadventurech9050 7 жыл бұрын

that would be great, if you get chance to video them 😊

@TheScots45 3 жыл бұрын

My wife’s 2 great uncles,John and George Craigie of the 75th Battalion both were killed together by shellfire whilst on sentry duty a day or two before the big attack.Thet were originally from the small village of Stanley,Perthshire in Scotland but like many others had emigrated to Canada where they then joined up when war was declared.No remains were found and they are commentated on this beautiful memorial.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. Sorry for you families loss.

@keepcalm5026 Жыл бұрын

One of a great series of well researched pieces from Mr Upton. I guess he has retired. It gives me ideas when I visit the battlefields. The cemeteries are always moving, especially those isolated ones. I would recommend the Chemin des Dames route south of Laon. Very atmospheric.

@StevenUpton14-18 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@IntrepidMilo 3 жыл бұрын

I am not someone who easily cries. But standing in the Canadian cemetery I broke down into tears. I am grateful to those brave young men who fought and those who died at Vimy. I am proud to be Canadian.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@zacbru Жыл бұрын

I was born near Arras. The amount of military cimetaries in my home region is staggering. From all nationalities. Canadians, Portuguese, Indians, Irish, Australian. It's insane. People not born on a frontline cannot grasp the amount of graves and destruction there is in Belgium and France.

@Gord19 3 жыл бұрын

Many thanks I was lucky enough to see Vimy in 2018. Greetings from Vancouver Canada

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@johnmassey2632 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your videos. I’ve always dreamt of going to France and visiting these historic battlefields.

@StevenUpton14-18 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. I hope you get the chance to go.

@gregfougere7447 3 жыл бұрын

As an Canadian, thanks for Vimys inclusion in your series. All Canadians should see the monument at least once in their lives. I unfortunately do not know the name of the cemetery where Vimys dead are but could you do a fly by of it? Thanks if you already have.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. There are several cemeteries in the area of the memorial which have Canadian graves.

@peterwright4647 3 жыл бұрын

The Commonwealth war graves commission has lots of info.

@Aeoline 5 жыл бұрын

What an extraordinarily fine monument. The figure carving is excellent, so much fluidity, even in the steps at the sides.

@StevenUpton14-18 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@bradleynorton3365 Жыл бұрын

Very good video. Thanks for making it and posting it.

@StevenUpton14-18 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@timarcher7933 3 жыл бұрын

Travelled the motorway you mention a number of times.The Canadian Vimy Ridge Memorial is just visible from the motorway and very impressive from a distance.There is i believe a small French cematery close by just off the motorway but banked by a railway.Motorway was very busy last time i travelled it.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. I am very familiar with the area and the view from the motorway. In a normal year I will drive that way about eight times. I am not sure about the railway line you mention. There are a number of British cemeteries you can see and a very large French one on the opposite side of the motorway from the Vimy memorial. That is the Notre Dame de Lorette. I believe that it is the largest French WW1 cemetery. See my video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/l7yTbKp8nLGVpY0.html

@timarcher7933 3 жыл бұрын

@@StevenUpton14-18 Thanks for the reply will check it out further by French people i know.What ive found in going to France the people are greatful for the assitance provided in both World Wars by many nations, particulary those from those nations that never returned home.My grandfather and his brother where R.E. Carpenters.My grandfathers brother never worked again after being diagnosed as being shell shocked.Both made it back .

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

@@timarcher7933 - It is true that even those that came back paid a price for being there.

@MWL4466 3 жыл бұрын

Amazing footage ! Thank you so much.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@FancyMcDancy 6 жыл бұрын

Hey Steven. Me again. Just wondering - is there a way of superimposing a virtual compass onto your videos so that at every point we could see the direction of view? That would be soooo useful!

@StevenUpton14-18 6 жыл бұрын

I suspect that there is. But no idea how, other than downloading the flight plan in map view and then cutting parts out of it. There, you got me thinking!

@xqqqme 4 жыл бұрын

Steven, very "late to the party" here but just discovered your excellent videos and have been more or less binge watching during the last two days and absorbing all that you've shared in them. One thing I can't quite fathom (and I'm using this Vimy Ridge site as Exhibit A) is -- through all of your videos it seems that many parts of the "lunar landscape" battlefields have grown back into dense woods while some (notably these at Vimy) are still quick exposed and apparently available for livestock to graze. The lines between wooded and barren are quite distinct and quite sudden, with no "blending." So, was there some sort of "re-forestation" done after WWI following a plan or voluntary participation? If not, what is the explanation for such random and patchwork recovery (if that's the word) of vegetation during the last 100 years?

@bsc4344 4 жыл бұрын

David Pool When I visited, I was told the sheep (only sheep) grazed the grass to keep it tamed and easily viewable. No machinery goes there for the mines. And, they admitted without promoting, the sheep are a biological form of land-mine clearing, sadly. Yes, they still lose them occasionally, supposedly .The very distinct grounds have wired boundaries (almost looked like electric pulse fencing to me, either for keeping sheep in or ppl out,mbut its broken in areas so its just for appearances), and many "unexploded ordinance" signs. When I chose to make a self project of the area I overlapped and aligned WWII recon plane cartography with Google Sat photos... The growth patterns and crater mellowing is engrossing to notice, as is the trees returning in certain areas. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jrF6hbie0bOYgWg.html I imagine they dont just keep the treeline trimmed/cut down in the safe area/ edges, they probably do it to keep line of sight open for potential identifying and rescuing morons who defy the minefield signs and run off into the danger zones. Like One of those "incidents" akin to the zoo ones on the news ... "I put my baby down right here, and hes gone" (beside the wide moated gorilla enclosure...that the puke crawled across) "Ah there he is, m'am...clear across over there. Huh. Good that we can see, eh?"

@xqqqme 4 жыл бұрын

@@bsc4344 Thanks for your reply (and a prompt one, at that!)...so, what I understand you to be saying is that throughout this region, where the woods have grown back from the total obliteration that was there, it has done so naturally (from wind-blown seeds?) rather than any organized effort to re-plant or re-seed...and where the woods haven't it's been because of livestock grazing and/or active cultivation. Would that be correct?

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@StevenUpton14-18 4 жыл бұрын

Areas that were too dangerous to recover were usually converted to forrest after the war.

@xqqqme 4 жыл бұрын

But that's what -- from the depths of my ignorance -- I'm unclear about: those now-thickly-wooded areas were actually re-seeded or re-planted in some fashion? It must've been done quite randomly because I don't see any sign of order to them.

@foldsofblubber 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Steven. It means a lot to Canucks to hear the gratitude coming from our Motherland, the UK. It's rare that we hear it from France, our other founding nation, or from the US.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. The Canadian Corps was the best assault troops by far!

@foldsofblubber 3 жыл бұрын

@@StevenUpton14-18 Thanks again.

@gwine9087 3 жыл бұрын

My uncle was there. He survive Vimy and Passchendaele, among others, but not the war. I visited in 1994 and was very moved. Any Canadian, in the area, should go there.

@StevenUpton14-18 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. On one visit I took a Canadian army veteran. He was very moved by it.

@gwine9087 3 жыл бұрын

@@StevenUpton14-18 A quick story. While there, I mentioned, to one of the park rangers, that my uncle was buried down the road at Sancourt. He said that his great uncle was also buried there. He asked when my uncle was killed, and I told him Oct. 1, 1918. His died the same day.