From bereaved families to curious tourists: How and why so many Brits visited the Western Front battlefields after the First World War

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Tom Powell6 November 2018

These are the bereaved families, veterans and curious tourists who began venturing to the blood-spattered battlefields of the Western Front almost as soon as the First World War ended.

A new project by historians at the University of Kent has shed light on these intriguing visits, made by Britons from all walks of life between the wars.

By scouring articles, letters and photographs published in local newspapers during the 1920s and 1930s, Professor Mark Connelly was able to discover why thousands of people made the journey – and what they found when they arrived.

“In 1919, the first tourist buses began to arrive in Ypres, and from then on it took off with an incredible speed,” says Professor Connelly.

“The main reason Brits went out was of course to see where their loved ones were buried. In the Victorian era the rituals of death had been very important, and suddenly that was all gone.

“It was very important for families to get out there and see the graves for themselves.”

A group of veterans stand in front of Menin Gate in Ypres, in 1929

Many trips were organised through community groups such as football clubs or churches, while veterans often went accompanied by friends and family under the umbrella of the British Legion.

The reopening of ports such as Zeebrugge in 1920 and the repair of railways made travelling much easier for those who could not afford private tours.

Upon arriving, Brits found themselves in the “fascinating” landscape left behind by the ruthless battles of the First World War, in which around 40 million people died.

Tourists would visit the cemeteries and memorials, including Menin gate in Ypres, but of equal interest were the battlefields, trenches and abandoned tanks.

“It’s a really fascinating landscape. The remains of huge German gun stations on the coast became big attractions,” says Professor Connelly.

“People weren’t just visiting cemeteries, they were walking through trenches, chalking their names on tanks and getting photos next to them.”

The local residents became “inventive”, adds the historian, after realising they could profit from the rapid rise in battlefield tourism.

“There was a massive souvenir trade, with locals selling decorated shell cases and art made from debris that was left on the battlefield,” he says.

“There were tons of so-called museums open by the 1930s, where local farmers had sheds full of stuff and charged small amounts to show people around it. They would probably let you walk off with an object if you offered enough.

“Some Brits complained that they were profiteering but who can blame them? A lot of the time the local residents had a genuine interest and concern.”

Bereaved families weren’t the only ones making the trip across the channel between the wars, with some travelling purely for tourism purposes.

Hill 60, where the Battle of Hill 60 took place in 1915
Philip Woets

These people were not allowed to stay in the huts near the front line belonging to the Salvation Army and other charities, which were kept for genuine bereaved family members – known as ‘pilgrims’.

While souvenirs were accepted as part of the experience for ‘pilgrims’, Professor Connelly found that tourists who travelled simply out of a curious desire for keepsakes were seen as “ghoulish and immoral”.

Some were also criticised as “thoughtless” by the press back in the UK, after pitching tents and picnicking on ground containing graves in their rush to see the sights of the frontline.

But in general, tourism to the Western Front in the years between the wars was seen as a wholly positive thing, with groups documenting trips though pictures, postcards and newspaper articles.

The concept of cemeteries as a corner of a foreign field which is forever England became firmly embedded in the national psyche, drawing visitors from across the entire Commonwealth.

And despite growing tensions in Europe, tourism to the Western Front was extremely busy in the year before the Second World War began.

“What is really powerful,” adds Professor Connelly, “is the sense in which people find comfort in the beauty of the cemeteries – both then and now.”

His project has been published in the form of two booklets. They can be read online here or hard copies can be ordered.

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