If you were to recommend a battlefield location for people to visit, which would you choose? For me, it would be Vimy Ridge in the Pas-de-Calais region of France. I have always been bowled over by the striking presence of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial and its twin 90ft tall pylons. Unveiled in 1936 by King Edward VIII, it commemorates more than 11,000 missing Canadian soldiers of World War One. Located on ground fought over by the Canadian Corps during the eponymous battle, the Vimy Memorial is the centrepiece of an impressive 250-acre park that includes preserved trenches and tunnels that are well worth visiting.
That is my pick, but we have 15 more suggestions for you. If you are planning a battlefield tour, then I encourage you to read our feature by battlefield guide Sophie Shrubsole as she takes you through her preferred historical sites and explains a little of what you can find there and why you should visit.
Now for something a little closer to home. Transatlantic communication was vital during World War Two and ostensibly secure lines enabled Prime Minister Winston Churchill and US President Franklin Roosevelt and their staff to discuss sensitive matters. But there was a rather perti…
