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Grandcourt
Poppy Mercier Photography

WW1 & WW2 Battlefields Photographer • Battlefield Tour Guide based on the Somme • WW1 Researcher

18/06/2026

Blue skies and beautiful herringbone skies over Messines Ridge - this was an unscheduled visit to this little cemetery on the edge of the famous village of Messines, most notable for the Battle of Messines in 1917.

24/05/2026

It was nice to get a chance to visit Squadron Leader George Fidler yesterday, in London Cemetery (Longueval).

For a long time, it had been believed that Fidler had been buried in Bachy Communal Cemetery, but an investigation in 2005 proved the pilot buried in the grave could be one of several candidates. His name was added to the memorial of the missing in Brookwood.

In 2022, as part of the works to the new Canal du Nord project, a Hurricane was discovered in Oisy-le-Verger, with the remains of the pilot still inside. After extensive research and DNA testing, the remains found in 2022 proved to be that of Fidler. He was buried in London Cemetery on the 19 May 2026, 86 years to the day of his death.

He now lies beside the many other casualties, RAF and army alike, from the Second World War, who died in this sector of northern France.

Per Ardua Ad Astra

22/04/2026

Remembering those who experienced, suffered and died during the first gas attack on this day, 111 years ago, 22nd April 1915.

Martin Greene, a British Officer on the front line that day, was witness to the brutal attack:
“Just at dawn they opened a very heavy fire, especially machine-gun fire, and the idea of that was apparently to make you get down. And then the next thing we heard was this sizzling – you know, I mean you could hear this damn stuff coming on – and then saw this awful cloud coming over. A great yellow, greenish-yellow, cloud. It wasn’t very high; about I would say it wasn’t more than 20 feet up. Nobody knew what to think. But immediately it got there we knew what to think, I mean we knew what it was. Well then of course you immediately began to choke, then word came: whatever you do don’t go down. You see if you got to the bottom of the trench you got the full blast of it because it was heavy stuff, it went down.”

21/04/2026

Remembering Joseph Boussu, “Mort Pour La France”, on this day 109 years ago.

Joseph Boussu was born in Becordel on 16 June 1893 to Jules & Marie Boussu. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Courcelette to work for the Gonse family, a prominent landowning family in the village. In October 1913 he joined the 8th Bn Chasseurs à Pied. The unit was officially mobilised on 2nd August 1914. The unit saw heavy fighting in the Argonne & Verdun in 1915 and 1916. During the action at Berry-au-Bac & Hill 108 in early April 1917, Joseph was mortally wounded. He sadly died from his wounds on 21st April 1917 at the evacuation hospital of Prouilly (Marne). After the war, the family had his body returned home to be buried in the family plot in Courcelette. His younger brother, Emile, who served with the local regiment (120th R.I.) survived the war and moved to Rouen with the rest of the family in the mid-1920s.

Since then, there has been no one to care for his grave. I started the project to restore and care for his grave in February 2024, and with the aid of good friends, we began with a basic tidy up & replacement of his wooden cross.

In August 2025, the restoration was completed. A new plaque was placed on his grave, a new rose bush has been planted and the fixtures and fittings have been repaired or replaced. It is now a grave befitting Joseph, who gave his life for his country.

Remember Joseph on this day, the day he died for France.

15/04/2026

À mes abonnés français et francophones : mon ami Jeremy organise une visite guidée sur la guerre de 1870 à Pont-Noyelles pour les printemps des cimetières ; avec notamment un aperçu des commémorations et de l'inhumation des victimes de ce conflit. Vous trouverez plus d'informations sur son affiche !

09/04/2026

“Vimy - the Birth of a Nation”

Today we remember the Battle of Arras, launched on the 9th April 1917 (Easter Monday 1917). Designed as a diversionary attack for the French attack that would be launched in the Chemin de Dames a week later; the battle was the breakthrough the allies needed to gain the vital Artois region. The Canadians launched their attack around Vimy Ridge, which was taken in 4 days.

Today, the Vimy Memorial commemorates nearly 12,000 Canadians missing in France; 1,000 of which are the missing from Vimy Ridge.

31/03/2026

During my recent visit to Arras, I made a brief visit to the Hotel Angleterre, the IWGC Headquarters from 1929 to 1944. In 1940, the building sustained damage from the bombing of Arras Train Station, with staff, including district nurse Polly, sheltering inside. I also viewed Rosine Witton's uniform from Holleschein Camp. Rosine was the wife of Bert Witton, a WW1 RAF veteran who worked for the IWGC as a Gardener. They resided on Rte de Bapaume in Arras until 1940 when Bert was interned and Rosine was later deported for her key involvement in Reseau Comete. Although Rosine survived, Bert passed away in 1945, shortly after their reunion. Rosine, a heroine of the resistance died in 1995. Bert and Rosine are buried together in Arras.

29/03/2026

What a wonderfully busy week it has been. I’ve just returned from two back to back tours: the first with a lovely school from Southampton, the second a wonderfully enthusiastic group of Dutch gentlemen from Arnhem.
With both groups we covered not only the broad aspects of fighting on the western front - covering Flanders, the Somme & the Artois, but delving close into the personal stories of the men and women involved. And beyond that, looking at life on the old battlefields in the 20s & 30s, the rise of the British community and the resistance work of the men and the families of the IWGC in WW2.

22/03/2026

Well that’s all my prep done now for my first two tours of this year!
I look forward to getting back out around Flanders and the Artois this coming week
Are you visiting the old battlefields this week?

20/03/2026

After so many years, its wonderful to finally put a face to a name.
Frank Hayward was born in Bristol in August 1898 to Henry & Minnie. He attested into the 12th Battalion Sussex Regiment in August 1916, around the time of his 18th birthday. He would have been one of the new recruits to replace the men of the Sussex Pal's Battalions, who suffered terrible casualties in June 1916.
He is likely to have participated in the Battle of Passchendaele, as well as Pilkelm Ridge & Langemark. In early 1918, the battalion was disbanded and Frank transferred to the 13th Battalion. The 13th participated in the 1918 battles of the Somme in the St Quentin sector and the fierce fighting around Wytschaete in April 1918.
In the summer of 1919, shortly after being demobilised, Frank began working for the IWGC initially in the Godewaersvelde sector initially. He married Marie Soler in 1921, and the couple welcomed their only child, Robert, in 1930. In 1935 Frank was offered a new contract to work in Courcelette British Cemetery. Sadly Frank died in December 1936, leaving behind Marie and 6 year old Robert. He was only 38 years old. It's believed he died as a consequence of a war wound. Frank was granted an IWGC staff headstone and buried in Courcelette Village Cemetery.
It has been fascinating researching Frank's life, but I must say a big thank you to the Haywards (both the English & French sides) for providing the photo of Frank and further details of his life.

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