[SOC] Mainly for Canadian / Anzac Members

[Chris Redding]

Gentlemen,

With apologies to my very first 'Obnoxious American', here is a bit more
'ineffable twaddle' from the twaddlemeister.

Many of you will remember the outrage some months back when the monument
at Etaples Military Cemetery, Near Boulogne, was daubed with graffiti.
(Thought/hoped to be the work of an extreme pro-Saddam fringe of
France's North African immigrant / refugee community).

Although the graffiti was obviously aimed at the 'Rosbeefs' - the French
non-insulting (?) nickname for the Brits) - this caused outrage across
the pond because of the large numbers of (especially) Canadian victims
who are also buried there.

Anyhow, I took the car over on the ferry today (on what we call a 'booze
cruise'), and after stocking-up on the best that France has to offer,
drove down to Etaples to pay long-overdue respect.

I am pleased to tell you that the cemetery now looks truly magnificent.
It looks like the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has taken the
'opportunity' to sand-blast the entire monument to make the stonework
match the scars left when the graffiti was removed.

The autumn sun shone today, making the place look as glorious above
ground as it is below.

Chris G4PDJ




http://www.silentcities.co.uk/cemeterye/etaples.htm

Don't forget to click on the link: - "Overseas Unit breakdown, Awards, &
other burials" near the top of the page for VE/VK/ZL casualties, plus a
better photo.


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