It eventually stopped raining around mid-morning and turned out to be a nice day. Bit cool in the wind sometimes but generally a nice sunny day. We drove around 15 miles to the National Memorial Arboretum. The Arboretum is over 150 acres this converts roughly into 60 hectares. More land will be gifted to the Arboretum by Lafarge as their nearby quarrying operations are reduced.
There are over 300 memorials with more being added all the time. Around 60% of the Arboretum’s memorials have a military connection, there are also many recognising other non-military organisations for example; the Police, the Fire and Rescue Services and The Rotary Club. Particularly touching was the “Shot at Dawn Memorial” to commemorate over 300 men shot as deserters, 4 of whom were only 17 years of age. Each post signifies one of the soldiers that were shot. On 7th November 2006, the British Government agreed to give them all a posthumous pardon.
On the way back we went in search of deer at the Glacial Boulder, as recommended by the English Heritage cashier at Boscobel House. No deer to be found and the boulder was decidedly underwhelming.
On the way back we stopped at Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery, near Brocton. Last resting place of nearly 5000 German Soldiers who died on English soil during the 2 World Wars, including the crews of 4 Zeppelins shot down in 1916
Before heading back to the van we stopped for tea at “The Plaza”. A Weatherspoon’s pub set in an old cinema which originally opened in 1934, the last film shown being Independence Day in 1998.
It eventually stopped raining around mid-morning and turned out to be a nice day. Bit cool in the wind sometimes but generally a nice sunny day. We drove around 15 miles to the National Memorial Arboretum. The Arboretum is over 150 acres this converts roughly into 60 hectares. More land will be gifted to the Arboretum by Lafarge as their nearby quarrying operations are reduced.
There are over 300 memorials with more being added all the time. Around 60% of the Arboretum’s memorials have a military connection, there are also many recognising other non-military organisations for example; the Police, the Fire and Rescue Services and The Rotary Club. Particularly touching was the “Shot at Dawn Memorial” to commemorate over 300 men shot as deserters, 4 of whom were only 17 years of age. Each post signifies one of the soldiers that were shot. On 7th November 2006, the British Government agreed to give them all a posthumous pardon.
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