Waking Our War Graves: Crossing the finishing line

Our roving reporter and CWGC staffer Alec Malloy has finished the Walking Our War Graves: Normandy virtual walk! Here’s how he got on and what he learned on his many travels.

Walking Our War Graves: Normandy

95.2 kilometres ticked off

Image: The "Berkshire Bocage", some of the fabulous countryside I have experienced during this year's Walking Our War Graves: Normandy virtual challenge

Well after one month, many, many kilometres, some less-than-ideal blisters, and acres of British countryside and cities, I have completed Walking Our War Graves: Normandy!

Thankfully, the weather has stayed mostly pleasant, including one gloriously sunny day in London, so these hikes, walks, rambles, ambles, and meanders have been done in fabulous conditions.

For those not in the know, I have been walking to cover 95.2 kilometres to (virtually) match the distance covered by Allied troops in D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.

A couple of times, I immersed myself back in the Berkshire countryside, i.e. the Berkshire Bocage.

For those not in the know, the bocage is a type of countryside typically seen in parts of Northern France and southern England. Think of a patchwork of small farmers' fields and smallholdings amidst a mixture of woodland, hilly ground, and pastures.

The area around Saint-Lô and Vier in Normandy is the heart of this bocage, known as “hedgerow country” to Allied troops fighting there in the summer of 1944.

Following the byways and highways of the county of my birth reveals hidden gems like a sparking stream wending its way beneath the boughs tucked away behind some farmer’s fields near my parent’s house.

Again, what struck me was how unforgiving certain aspects of the Normandy terrain would be to fight in. 

When you’re walking down a country lane, you normally don’t think about the combat advantages and disadvantages your current position offers. But there was many a time I was walking down a sunken Berkshire country road and thinking to myself “If this was Normandy, I could be shot at any time here. I wouldn’t even see it.”

It was unlikely that I would find a Tiger tank lurking around a hedgerow, or a German machine gun team waiting for me in the fields outside of Bracknell. But for those in Normandy, that was a very real reality.

Scary stuff. 

What those boys went through on D-Day and the two hard months later is difficult to picture. 

Sure, I’ve watched Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan and spent endless hours playing the Second World War Call of Duty games, but it can never compare to the real-life experiences of the servicemen involved. 

Hopefully, I’ll never have to fight in a global conflict, but putting myself in their boots, even in this small way, really hammered home what those we commemorated went through.

From Westminster to Tower Hill

Image: The Battle of Britain Memorial alongside the River Thames in London. Not a Commonwealth War Graves site,  but in keeping with the the WW2-theme of my London walk!

One of the centrepiece routes I covered during this year’s Walking Our War Graves virtual walk was my trip down the Thames.

Starting from the Gothic splendour of Westminster Abbey, my journey took me from Westminster along three miles of the mighty River Thames.

London, as you probably know, is steeped in Second World War history and this was reflected in my walk.

One thing I should note is that, while the river itself and the sites and monuments around it are brilliant, the crowds of tourists are less so.

I tried to avoid them by opting to initially make my way on the north bank, but, alas, this was London on one of the sunniest days of the year so far. Like flies to honey, or tank enthusiasts to a vintage M4 Sherman, they were flocking to the south bank’s tourist hot spots.

Initially my tactics paid off. The northern bank of the Thames as far less crowded. While making my way along the river, I was pleasantly surprised to come across the Battle of Britain Memorial.

It's not a CWGC memorial, as it doesn't commemorate anyone by name, by the impressive bronze and stone monument to the courageous "Few" who stopped the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1940 is still moving in its own right. Can't forget their sacrifices, after all!

Unfortunately,  as I pressed on, my north bank route was blocked by roadworks, taking me away from the river, thus defeating the entire point of the walk!

So, I held my breath, girded my loins, and hopped across the river at Blackfriars to join the throbbing mass of humanity on the south bank.

You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to historic sites on both sides of the river, but once I’d hopped over I took in Sir Francis Drake’s Golden Hinde and Shakespeare’s Globe as I made my way, slowly but surely, towards Tower Bridge.

The Golden Hinde is all very well and good (it’s a replica anyway!) but the true Royal Navy enthusiast will know the South Bank’s real treasure is HMS Belfast.

Image: D-Day and Second World War veteran Warship HMS Belfast

I passed her just before I crossed the river again. The old girl had an illustrious career before being decommissioned in the 1950s and turned into a museum.

HMS Belfast spent time patrolling the Arctic on convoy duty and was involved in the hunting and sinking of the feared German warships Scharnhorst and Tirpitz.

She was at D-Day, pouring fire onto the German artillery battery at Ver-sur-Mer, linking my walk past with the Walking Our War Graves: Normandy challenge.

But what I was really here to see on this stage of my walk was over Tower Bridge.

The Tower Hill Memorial

Image: The Tower Hill Memorial commemorates by name over 36,000 merchant sailors who lost their lives in service during the World Wars

Bet you didn’t think there was a major Commonwealth War Graves naval memorial in the heart of London, did you?

Well, you’d be wrong!

You see, back in the days of Empire, London’s docks were absolutely alive with activity as goods flowed through the capital city from across the globe.

London was once the heart of the British Empire’s maritime power and it’s here, outside Trinity House, where sailors' and seafarer’s well-being is protected to this day, lies the Tower Hill Memorial.

Over 36,000 names adorn the bronze name panels of the Tower Hill Memorial. That’s humbling enough, but then you realise just exactly who Tower Hill Commemorates.

Each of those names sadly lost their lives serving in the fishing and merchant fleets that kept the Allied armies equipped and fed during both world wars.

Traversing hostile oceans on vulnerable, unarmed or lightly armed vessels, merchant seaman provided possibly the most important duty of the world wars.

Napoleon’s old axiom that an army marches on its stomach was as true in the World Wars as it has ever been. 

We’re talking about supplying, equipping, and feeding millions of servicemen and women. That’s millions of tons of goods all requiring transport to bases and ports all over the world.

It’s the merchant marine that did this. And it wasn’t just U-boats, enemy aircraft, mines, and other naval obstacles they had to overcome. 

Any sailor worth his salt will say the oceans can be as devastating as they are beautiful. From tropical typhoons to freezing Arctic expeditions, merchant ships braved the elements across the world’s oceans.

Without them, neither World War could have even been fought, let alone won.

So, visiting Tower Hill was a humbling experience for yours truly.

What was great to see was a War Graves Week tour guiding visitors around the memorial. 

Sharing the experiences and stories of those we commemorate is central to our mission, so it was heart-warming to see members of the public so enraptured by the volunteer tour guide.

A brilliant month in support of the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation

May has been a brilliant month for me. 

I’ve got out and about, seen some incredible sites, and enjoyed the British countryside in all its verdant grandeur – and all done to support the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation.

Through the incredibly generosity of my sponsors, I have raised close to £100 for the CWGF! Although I’m just a small part of the wider Walking Our War Graves: Normandy donations, it feels good to support such a worthy cause.

Support the CWGF

If you want to support the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation, consider becoming a making a donation.

Did you know:

• £10 could buy three hi-visibility vests to keep our Eyes On, Hands On volunteers safe
• £25 could provide a welcome pack for one of our Eyes On, Hands On volunteers to get them started in their role
• £40 could enable us to send one of our volunteer speakers to deliver an inspiring talk to a school or youth group  
• £100 could contribute to the training of one of our Guides so they are best able to welcome visitors, share the incredible stories of those we commemorate, and assist visitors on their journey of remembrance.