The Solo Scale:

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In the north of France, one of the cottage tourism industries has remained visiting sights from the two World Wars. For Canadians, there are a few locations that are visited and actually sit on Canadian land. Two of those locations are Passchendaele and Vimy Ridge. Close behind is Beaumont-Hamel.

Beaumont-Hamel is not only Canadian-land, but they’ve imported Canadian trees and planted them in the French landscape. More than being important to just Canadians, this location is even more important for Newfoundlanders — something you quickly realize when you come upon the memorial plaque.

At Beaumont-Hamel, in addition to the memorial, they still have the “Danger Tree”. Today, it’s a replica that signifies the place where the Royal Newfoundland Regiment lost 90% of their force within an hour. It will take a little bit of a hike, so if you joined with a day tour that has limited time, you may not be able to make the stop out there. Beaumont-Hamel is a somber place to reflect given the loss of life that happened on July 1, 1916. It’s a harrowing reminder of how brutal the Great War could be, no matter your nationality.

For more details on the battle of the Somme near Beaumont-Hamel, you can read on here.

As with Vimy Ridge, you can receive a guided tour from the Canadian staff, who are there on four-month rotations to give tours. This is an excellent way to learn more about the battle and the regiments stationed here if you have interest.

If you’re in the area, this might be one of many stops that you’ll make. However, between the Canadian trees, the sloping overlook toward the former No Man’s Land, and the bloody history, it’s worth adding to your stops if you’re doing a WWI tour in the North of France, especially to pay your respects.

For more details about the memorial and its history, check out the website maintained by Canada’s Veteran Affairs.

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