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90th Anniversary of the Battle of Arras
26 June 2007 by Peter Burness.
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To Flanders Fields, 1917, Battles, Commemoration
While 11 April 1917 saw the launch of the first action at Bullecourt, on 9 April the larger Arras Offensive commenced. The Arras Offensive of 1917 is often referred to as the Battle of Arras and is a significant battle honour more identified with the British Army. This offensive does however also incorporate the smaller ‘battles’ and ‘actions’ of the Scarpe, of Vimy Ridge which the Canadians commemorate, and Bullecourt which Australians identify with. (See post on battle honours – Bullecourt)
On 9 April 2007, the 90th Anniversary of Arras 1917 was commemorated on the old battlefield itself. During that evening people made a line of torches over twenty kilometres long marking the old front line from Bullecourt through Arras to Vimy. These photos of the occasion were sent to me by my friends Claude and Colette Durand. They were taken around 8.50pm on 9 April 2007 looking towards Fontaine-les-Croisilles, just a few kilometres north of Bullecourt.
A website to commemorate the 90th Anniversary of Arras was also created http://battlefields1418.50megs.com/arras_2007.htm
