During June and July 2010 we visited Burgundy, France but broke our journey at Arras in order to spend a few days visiting the memorials dedicated to the missing of the Somme. So after many years of wishing to, I finally made time to visit the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

On a summers day with perfect weather it was hard to imagine the horrors that took place across this beautiful landscape and distressing to surmise how William Henry ASHFORTH 1896-1916, my great uncle, met his death.

This beautifully maintained memorial rises defiantly above the French landscape only needing the inscription of 73,367 names to instantly bring home the horrors man politicians can inflict on man.