Last week I went for a drive through the New Forest, looking out for some new spots to investigate with Kitty and Ozzy this half term week. Just past Bolderwood en route to Fritham Wood I spotted a memorial at the side of the road, Canadian flags, crosses. Intrigued, I pulled over in the gravel car park and got out to take a look.
This Canadian Memorial commemorates the Canadian World War 2 soldiers stationed in the New Forest before the D-Day invasion in 1944. Soldiers would meet here for church services in the run up to D-Day, hence the location.
The following notice is pinned up at the memorial, heart-warming to know that the Forestry Commission is concerned and being pro-active with the maintenance and future planning if the site.
New Forest WW2 Canada Cross Memorial near Bolderwood
Can you help?
We would like to make contact with those who have looked after this memorial over the years. The Forestry Commission has only replaced flagpoles, the cross and fencing, but it is obvious there is more personal interest here than just that.
There may be opportunities to improve the interpresentation of this site and ensure it's maintenance for the foreseeable future.
If you have a personal interest in this site we would like to hear from you. Please contact the Rangers by leaving a message at enquiries.southern@foreatry.gsl.gov.uk or phoning the number: 0300 0645 001
We look forward to hearing from you.
The following poem is displayed at the memorial:
D Day Sixty Years On
“I would like to make a scrapbook of sixty years ago, so that one day
our children would look through it, and then they would really know
of sacrifices made for the freedom we have today, and of those who
gave their lives for us, and who in foreign fields now lay.
The grieving ones they left behind, just their memories to hold dear,
husbands, sons and brothers, and as they left, we never knew their fear.
I wiped away a silent tear remembering sixty years ago,
of how they sailed away then to face a mighty foe.
Lads in the convoys all around us, in every road and street,
they were the grandest bunch of men you could ever wish to meet.
We opened up our homes and hearts, we made them cups of tea,
and then a quietness descended whey they put out to sea,
What were their thoughts as they sailed away, some never to return
They had to end the tyranny for children yet unborn.
We owe a debt to all of them which can never be repaid,
unless we put this world to rights, and then the sacrifices made,
will not have been in vain.
Let us remember those past dark years, we pulled together then,
we fought for what we knew was right, we can do it yet again.
I watched the veterans march today along the beaches they fought to take,
with heads held high and medals gleaming, what a picture they did make.
And then I watched them on their pilgrimage to the rows of white crosses there,
I saw them stand, remembering, the grief they had to share.
So many of the fallen were only just young boys,
they would never know the peace we have, would never know the joys.
We have so many thanks to give, we will remember them with pride,
until our memories fade away and we stand with them, side by side.”
Thanks to everyone who joined in last week, some fave include: Family walks here and here and creative tree faces.
If you would like to join in this week, the We Love Forests linky runs every Monday for a week. Simply join in as an when with anything forest-based, a day out, a walk, photographs, craft, activity and so on.
