Poppies for Bert
Villers-Bretonneux memorial is where Bert Smythe's name is officially recorded as one of the many who have no known grave. It is where the Aussie's hold their big ANZAC Day dawn service which is televised back home. We arrived during the rehearsal so we got to see the ceremony whilst everyone was relaxed and not under duress. We met some Air Force personnel who had been sent to France to re-inter a soldier the week before and had then been appointed as the welcome committee for the service.
We dropped in at the school in the village which was rebuilt using donations from school children in Victoria - many of whom had lost relatives in the war. They have a well laid out museum on the second storey of the school and it should be on every visitor's hit list.
Every classroom has "N'oublions jamais l'Australie" (Let us never forget Australia) above every blackboard.
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