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Found myself in Bastogne a couple of weeks ago. Was very short on time but managed to rush round the War Museum before it closed, and I'd decided not to take my camera on the trip, so only phone pics available. I think the museum needed more time to appreciate that we had available, and I wish we could have spent more time there. It isn't a massive collection of artifacts like the Koninklijk Legermuseum in Brussels, but the collection is interesting, and brought alive by the commentary which is based around four characters - a German soldier, American soldier, school child and a teacher & resistance member. There are lots more Bulge-related places to visit in the area. The town itself is, not surprisingly, decidedly modern by Belgian standards, but offers passable 'Crêpes mikado'.
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DW58 wrote:

Jenks wrote:

DW58 wrote:Luxembourg: - National Military Museum in Diekirch, absolutely superb.

Veckring, Lorraine NE France: - Ouvrages de Hackenbourg, part of the Maginot Line, excellent museum and guided tours.

DW58..

Thanks for the recommendation. It would be nice if you could include a few links, tips on where to stay etc. Perhaps some personal photo's. I'm contemplating visiting the Battle field of 'Verdun.' I'm thinking it might be worth flying to Luxembourg and renting a car. What would you recommend? most of my battlefield visits thus far have been easily accessible via the Channel Tunnel. For instance my recent visit to Etaples could easily have been done in a day..... A long day I grant you, but perfectly feasible.

Jenks

Can do, Luxembourg is a fantastic little country, so much compressed into less country than most English counties. We based ourselves there for two weeks and covered France (incl. cemetery visit), Germany and Belgium.

I'll put something together for you.

DW58..

I'll put something together for you.

Thank you, that would be much appreciated.

Jenks

Give me a few days.

Luxembourg is also a shooter's paradise, but you need to know someone.

Full-auto weapons are permitted for collectors and you'll find the latest and historic selective-fire assault weapons in dealer's stocks. My Pal has an H&K HK416 for example, and his collection of around a hundred or so weapons ranges from Scorpion machine-pistol at one end of the scale to a .50cal BMG at the other with just about everything imaginable in between.

Jenks wrote:

DW58 wrote:Luxembourg: - National Military Museum in Diekirch, absolutely superb.

Veckring, Lorraine NE France: - Ouvrages de Hackenbourg, part of the Maginot Line, excellent museum and guided tours.

DW58..

Thanks for the recommendation. It would be nice if you could include a few links, tips on where to stay etc. Perhaps some personal photo's. I'm contemplating visiting the Battle field of 'Verdun.' I'm thinking it might be worth flying to Luxembourg and renting a car. What would you recommend? most of my battlefield visits thus far have been easily accessible via the Channel Tunnel. For instance my recent visit to Etaples could easily have been done in a day..... A long day I grant you, but perfectly feasible.

Jenks

jenks, Luxembourg is about 4 easy hours from the tunnel (or about 21/2 hr in the good old days ) the city itself can be very pretty although small, it is the final resting place of Gen G Patton. if you are driving then I can recommend this hotel it is well outside of the city on the Belgium border, however it is very close to Bastogne, where besides the War memorial/museum there are numerous pieces of WW2 armour and the Peace woods above Foy are particularly poignant. Vianden is well worth a visit
if you are Luxy itself, then the George and Dragon is good for a pint of the local Bofferding beer,
and although its been a few years since I have been allowed to go there, there used to be a framed letter from NASA explaining the effect of firing a handgun in space! this was in reply to one of the regulars writing to NASA in the mid 80's to ask would a gun fire in a vacuum!

a beautiful place for a holiday winter or summer, and one of my favourites (scroll down to the bottom of the page, there is a programme video)
BTW don't worry if your German isn't up to it, its Swiss German and noone really understands the accent tongueout

http://www.srf.ch/sendungen/srf-bi-de-l ... nnental-be

Map showing appoximate locations of the attractions mentioned below.

A while back I promised some links for the Luxembourg area: The are primarily of military interest, and although covering France, Germany and Belgium as well as Luxembourg, all are within an hour or so of Luxembourg itself. I have visited all and can highly recommend each one.

National Museum of military history - Diekirch, Luxembourg.

One of the best military museums I've ever visited.

Clervaux Castle A marvellous castle which also houses a museum of the Battle of the Bulge from a Lexembourg perspective.

Gross Ouvrages Hackenberg - Veckring, Lorraine, France

This is a fortification system within the French Maginot Line, a fantastic working military museum, allow half a day.

Flugaustellung Hermeskeil - Hermeskeil, Germany.

A large outdoor collection of aircraft combined with an indoor museum. An amazing collection of aircraft from the earliest days through WW2, to both sides of the Iron Curtain, to the modern day. Allow at least half a day.

Bastogne War Museum This is THE museum of the battle of the Bulge.

I will post more.

mag41uk wrote:A good trip to be had is Washington DC.
You could spend a month and not see it all.
Arlington Cemetery.
NRA Museum.
Fredericksburg. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fredericksburg. Guided tour, very moving.
Gettysburg. I think you can get a coach trip from DC to here. Again a very moving place.
The Vietnam and Korea memorials and all the museums in the Capitol Hill area.
US Marines museum at Norfolk (not managed this one yet)
If you can get over to Camden in Southern NJ visit the USS New Jersey.
If you rent a car a trip up the Hudson Valley will give you an excuse to visit West Point Military Academy. Guided tour and museum first class. The Hudson Valley/Catskill Mountains are beautiful.
The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Centre near Dulles airport. There is a shuttle bus from here to The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum which is downtown.
Tony

+1 for Arlington - awesome place. Also the NRA museum; went there one evening after closing time with the Colt Collectors Association. Tatty gift shop as I remember but the displays are out of this world. Regrettably did not make Gettysburg but went to Bull Run - makes the hair on your neck stand up.

Redcat

Just Back from a Lightning visit to France and Belgium My wife and I
were accompanied by two friends. The primary purpose was to visit the
site of the Hoenzollen Redoubt at Auchy Les Mines in France I I had decided a
long time ago that I would visit the redoubt on the 100th anniversary
of my great uncles death on 13th October 1915 He was killed between
1400hrs and 1430hrs. I wanted to be there for that period..

For some time I have been reading about the battle of Waterloo So we
decided to visit the battlefield and do a bit of a a recce with a view
to returning and spending more time there if we decided it was worth
it, It was and we will certainly be going back. Unfortunately because
of an incident involving would be immigrants at Coquilles our
departure was delayed by two hours, so we had even less time than
planned. We did get to climb the Lions mound. Wellington was not
impressed with it, I certainly was! The view over the battlefield is
amazing. Most of the significant features of the are visible from the
top…. Chateau Hougomont. Le Haye Sainte. La Belle Alliance.
Plancenoit etc the reverse slope though greatly reduced is still
visible.

Lions mound:

La Haye Sainte:

La Belle Alliance :


So after just a couple of hours it was off to Mons and to the
Hotel Dream a converted church.The Hotel is fairly new and is a great place to stay, being just a short walk to the ‘Grand Place’ where we had an evening
meal in the restaurant ‘Ces Belge & Voux. The food was good. I had
what can best be described as a slab of Entrecote du Cheval cooked a
perfect medium rare ( I asked for medium because I knew it would come
medium rare, it always does) It was the first time I have eaten horse
meat, I enjoyed the experience. The others had Moule they were all
defeated by the quantity, upon asking they were told each potion was
1.3 Kgs. Next morning a wander around central Mons. An interesting and
beautiful, if somewhat quirky place.

Hotel Dream:

http://www.dream-mons.be/en/top-menu/photo-gallery/



Funky Mons:







Then off to the CWGC cemetery at
St Symphorien a truly unique Cemetery. The French farmer who donated
the land did so on the understanding that both British and German dead
should be accorded the same degree of dignity, and so they are . The
cemetery contains the grave of the first British casualty of the great
war and two of the unluckiest chaps ever, who were both killed, on the 11 November 918. Also buried there is the first winner of the
VC of the great war. Lt Maurice Dease Pte Sidney Godly was also awarded the VC. The Honour was bestowed for their heroic action in defence of the Nimy railway bridge. Pte John Parr believed to be the first British casualty of the great war (17 years old). I have visited probably over a hundred CWGC cemeteries If I had to pick just one then St Symphorien would be a good contender. Well worth a visit.





Then off to Auchy Les Mines. I had no Idea if anyone else would be
there, but of course there was. Not many, probably fifty.There was a
short ceremony and a two minutes silence. I got to chat with a few
people afterwards. I was speaking to a father and son, originally from Leicester. The father’s
Grand father fought in the action that cost my G/uncle his life. We
were stood just in front of the redoubt where the Leicester’s
attacked. The son was lightly kicking at the dusty soil as we spoke
and managed to turn up a live 303 round .



46 North Midland Div Memorial:



Less formal memorial at the position at the Redoubt the Leicester’s attacked :

Part of this years ‘Iron Harvest.’



‘ And then to Calais; and to England then:
Where ne'er from France arrived more happy men. (Henry V)’






Whilst on the shuttle as crew member was scanning our screen ticket
and over her radio we heard

‘’They are at it again, attacking both tunnels’’ there must have been
a delay because tricks were stacked up on the M20. On the journey
home we sat stationary on the M25 for two hour whilst the result of a
multi vehicle accident was cleared up four ambulances and two fire
engines attending. We finally arrived back at Brighton at 2100hrs very tired.





All in all a tiring but enjoyable trip. I can heartily recommend a
visit to both Mons and Waterloo. We shall be be going back to both.

Jenks

Excellent.
I booked a hotel at waterloo for the 200th but had to go back to work at short notice .
Will be going though.

Gazoo..

You might want to consider staying in Mons Only forty miles away. Check out The Hotel Dream... Highly recommended. As is Mons.

Jenks