DAY 32 BAPAUME TO PERONNE

Our billet for the night, Le Gourmet, wasn’t quite that, but it was comfortable and we didn’t have to leave the hotel to find a meal, which was a blessing after the long walk from Arras.

The forecast of rain the following morning wasn’t wrong, so we set off in full wet weather gear with a blustery southwest wind on our right shoulders. We’d chosen to economise on the day’s distance by taking the more direct line of the D917 to start with. Before long the rain became torrential with the wind gusting 70 to 80 km/hr. The road became a river and just about every lorry which passed us managed to give us a good shower. Eventually we worked out that it was better to walk on the windward side of the road, even if it meant we weren’t facing the traffic. We were soaked through by now anyway. Sadly, we didn’t take the opportunity to visit the South African cemetery on the way out of Bapaume.

After a couple hours the rain eased off, but the wind continued strong and gusty all day. We crossed the watershed and passed into a new departement, the Somme, mid morning.

The road took us through a couple of villages through which the traffic hammered on regardless of the speed limits. We were relieved to be able to turn off to rejoin the footpath between Sailly-Saillicel and Rancourt. Just before the turning off point we passed the Scilly-Saillicel British cemetery containing the graves of 752 British, 7 Canadian and 12 Australian soldiers. All were post war reburials from the Somme battlefields, attached to a wide range of regiments, and many are unidentified though “known unto God”.

Once off the road we enjoyed a pleasant walk through extensive woodland sheltered from the wind, which was a great relief! There were bluebells and wood anemones in profusion, reminding us of the gentler face of spring.

And just along the track out of the woods we came across tonight’s entree….not for the faint hearted! Not seriously. Too slimy. But a fine looking specimen.

Once out if the woods we were back onto farmland tracks, though with more ups and downs and areas of woodland than we’d had in Nord Pas de Calais. Apart from the tedium of fighting against the wind to stay upright and walk in a roughly straight line, it was a lovely walk with extensive views. Adjacent to a recently ploughed field Julie noticed a small pile of shell cases, which we understand are still regularly brought to the surface by the deep ploughing carried out here.

At the bottom of the hill we walked briefly alongside and then crossed the Canal du Nord which we had last seen in Calais. The wind was blasting down the canal causing waves on the surface, it was that windy.

Crossing the bridge, we walked through the village of Bouchavesnes-Bergen and uphill towards Mont St Quentin, scene of one of the most difficult battles involving a small, under-strength company of Australians who managed to take a machine gun post on the ridge from a far larger number of defending German troops. The commanding officer was awarded the Victoria Cross.

A few more yards brought us to the edge of Peronne, and a trudge along busy streets down into the centre and our billet for the night. It has been very noticeable that French drivers will now stop for pedestrians even if they choose to cross the road somewhere other than a designated pedestrian crossing – which we often do at the end of a long and tiring day when every extra step is an effort!

Highlights of the day? When the rain stopped!

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