Travelling to France and Belgium, especially during half-term week, provides a chance to relax, unwind and spend time with your family and friends. However, it also represent an opportunity for reflecting and exploring the past. There has never been a better time than now, as 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the First World War - a war from which the impact in the UK and in Europe still resonates as loudly as the guns on the Western Front.
Lasting tribute
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) commemorate the 1,700,000 men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the two world wars. Our cemeteries, burial plots and memorials are a lasting tribute to those who died in some 153 countries across the world. Many of these are in France and Belgium, a short drive away following your arrival in Calais.
World War I memorial at Thiepval
Take a visit to our sites
While in France you can visit the largest First World War memorial, Thiepval in the Somme. In Belgium you can see Tyne Cot, the largest cemetery for Commonwealth forces in the world, for any war, near Passchendaele, West Flanders. Alternatively, there are many smaller sites that express the same peaceful and reflective aura.
Tyne Cot
All of these landmarks can be reached more easily than ever before, by downloading the brand new CWGC app on your smart device!
Launch of brand new CWGC app
The CWGC app is a powerful tool that allows you to discover and search more than 23,000 cemeteries, memorials and other locations worldwide where Commonwealth casualties from the two world wars are commemorated.
As you travel through France and Belgium, use the app to find directions to cemeteries or use the 'near me' function to see what sites are in your vicinity - never before has it been easier to find these areas of profound history. Furthermore, the app provides details of amenities in the surrounding area so refreshment breaks can be easily planned into your trip.
This is an amazing app for anyone interested not just in the World Wars, but history in general.
Come and visit the CWGC stand!
CWGC will have a stand in the Victor Hugo building in Folkestone from Friday 24th October until Sunday November 2nd. Come visit us and learn more about the CWGC, the work it does and our new app.
Hope to see you there!