While I was up round Arras this week, we noticed major road construction going on between the A26 (Calais-Reims motorway) and the suburbs of Lens.

This is (as shown in the link below) a major new bypass that will slice through the Canadian Corps battlefield near Thelus, right through the trees on Vimy Ridge and down onto the Douai plain, completely changing this part of the battlefield. Work will seemingly continue into May, so this may also affect access for ceremonies on 9th April.

See:

http://www.pas-de-calais.equipement.gouv.f...N17_lettre1.pdf

also:

http://www.pas-de-calais.pref.gouv.fr/upload/RN17-DES-V8.pdf

Paul

I have looked at the links and transfered the New road across, to compare with the trenches.
I will post them one at a time.
Guy
The Motorway route, plus the front line:

Now the trench map plus the route
Guy

Plus the thing in 3D, clearly showing the location of the Vimy Memorial
Guy

This would seem to be the most affected area
Guy

My understanding is that the route was selected to minimise the impact on the battlefield. La Folie Wood, for example, will be traversed by means of a tunnel/tunnels and cuttings, so that it should not be obvious when complete. There have already been access/approach restrictions to the grounds of the Memorial in place since last year, but I know of no plans to add further to them. It is already awkward enough!

Jack

Guy, Thanks for the maps and 3d view - great stuff

--
Allan

Guy - many thanks, that helps explain the impact on the landscape very well indeed.

But cut and covered or bored?

Don't quote me, but I think that it is cut and cover, being a cheaper option. I shall try to check.

Jack

Thanks very much for posting those maps and photos. I have an interest since one of my relatives went missing in that very area in April of 1917.

Looks to me like it will cut through what was La Folie Farm, where I think my man may have fallen.
Although I'm not a great trench map reader - the diaries are indicating the advance route for the 2nd CMR route passed through Prinz Arnulf Graben.

Not going to do much for the tourist trade in Vimy if they desecrate it so.

npm,

It seems your man and mine were both with the 2nd CMR. I have taken the liberty of scratching on Guy Smith's first map the area over which I believe the 2nd CMR advanced on April 9. This is the area in green with the first and second objectives noted. I used the operation order and report of the 8th Brigade as my principal reference.

Any further information would be welcome!

Hi James,

What was your man's regimental number ? Should be able to find his attestation papers on-line. I've got to rush out now but will be able to provide some info. Am in the process of completing transcription of the war diary of the 2nd CMR for 1917. Trying to get up to end of April finished before I go over there for the ceremony next month. My website (in progress) with the transcription is 2nd CMR will upload March at the weekend I hope.

Thanks for the map outline, I think LA Folie farm was the first objective and the "Red Line" the final objective, but I could be wrong....

Regards,

Norrette

Doh! I see that you are an old sweat and that Edmonton could easily be Alberta and not North London. Sorry if the thought of grandmother and sucking eggs comes to mind Presume you've checked the Johnston book "The 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles in France and Flanders.

I was at Vimy last week and noticed the road works.

In the section they have cut away were a few dark cuts
that I think may have been sections through a trench
line or possibly a deep crater. I couldn't get near as
the area is being worked on by heavy plant, however I did
take a few photos of the section in question.

I am not sure how to reduce the image size, but if somebody
could tell me I will post the image on the forum to see what members
think.

I am not 100% sure what the features are, but they are certainly
not the same at the natural they are cut into.

Jonathan

Jonathan,

Open a free account on www.photobucket.com and add them to your library. Paste the link into your post and the photos will be displayed.

Looking forward to seeing them


Jon

Jonathan

An alternative is to use the controls on 'Microsoft Office Picture Manager'. To get it working (at least in XP), right click on start, click on explore which will bring up your directory. Select the photo and double left click on its name. This will set off the Picture Manager. At the top, go to pictures and use resize and Compress Pictures to get the photo down to less than 100k.

BernardP

Thank you very much Smithmaps for posting and taking the time to amend the various maps that you have or images of same.
John
Toronto

I've just emailed a couple of photos to Kevinaka1888 as he said he would reduce them so they
should be up here soon.

Any comments would be great.

Jonathan

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

see the forum expert is on top of things then

That's a bit harsh Tafski. Kev should be applauded for offering his help to fellow forum users rather than having his efforts mocked.

have my veiws my opinions and he knows why
tafski

Jonathan

Can you estimate the approximate depth of the cutting sides?

Looking at the pictures in detail there are around seven cuts in the chalk which have later been filled with soil. All are rather deep for trenches. Some could perhaps be collapsed tumnnels but the bigger ones don't appear to have the profile of shell/mine craters. However, not an expert, just very interested in others views. Thanks for getting the pictures posted.

BernardP

The depth from the top of the cutting to the new road surface must be about 20' at the higest point. I
couldn't get any closer due to work taking place, and the photos were taken from the road bridge that
crosses the work/new road.

I would have liked to have a closer look at the sections to see if there was any sign of timber frames or
other debris which might have provided more information about the features, but couldn't get near.

Jonathan

I would be very surprised if the people who look after Vimy Memorial Park are not taking a very close interest in this work. Has anyone approached them to ask what the situation is and whether they are taking the opportunity to examine those cuttings and works?

When visited Vimy Ridge (I went on one of the underground tours) I asked the girls on reception what
was happening as I didn't know about the by pass. They just told me they thought it
was road works or something.

I did mention that I thought there was some sort of feature in the section of the cutting, but I am not sure
if they reported it to anybody else.

Jonathan

A good friend knows one of the chaps that had to do the detecting to form a plan & mark where it was most likely that ammo hoards & maybe bodies would be located.Not a bloke with a detector as such,a pro who's devices better Time teams,is not a 'digger' or seller of artefacts etc.this is his profession & he gets work all over the world.
He mentioned funk holes & a hospital bunker that was found,still had a mass of clothing ,namely many,many soft caps,rotted to hell but the badges to many diferent units were intact.Many complete Brodies too (dumped by the road for anyone who wanted them ,he is no seller )
This was about 2 or more years ago.

Hi Folks,

As you can see from the above images, it is a cut and cover job with the "tunnel top" now clearly visible to the right of the road as you drive from the Arras-Vimy Road after turning left onto the road going towards the Memorial. The depth of cutting at the cross-over road, I would guess to be about 7 to 8 meters.

My enquiries have revealled that the Canadian authorities were not happy about it, and said so, but it is not their land and as such it went ahead. Also, I note Security Vehicles and the Gendarmes are regularly "cruising" around and near the works. Not over-much but enough to become aware of, if you know what I mean.

Must admit that I was horrified when I first saw the "big Slice" going up the Ridge but am contented to see that they are going to cover it up again. Still not really what I would personaly prefer but at least someone is being sympathetic to the ambience and meaning of the Ridge.

Peter