Thursday 11 July 1918 – A Trip to the Seaside

A day off!  And a trip to the seaside at Paris-Plage that didn’t go entirely to plan…

Diary

Diary

Thursday July 11th 1918. The first of a series of tenders to the seaside went down to Paris-Plage. 

I was picked out.

Tender left mess at 1.30 & owing to driver not knowing the way arrived at Paris-Plage at 5 pm.

Raining most of the way, but fine at Paris-Plage – which is quite a nice little place on the coast near Etaples.  Had a walk around, dined at the Continental Hotel, & left at 9.30.

Arrived in camp at 2 am.  Got lost on way home.

Paris-Plage

About a 45 mile (72 km) journey by road from Rely,  and near Étaples, the town is today formally known as Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, often shortened to Le Touquet.  The early years of the 20th century witnessed its development, and it became a fashionable resort for Parisians – hence the name.  

Map showing Paris-Plage
‘Western Theatre of War’ map extract showing Paris-Plage in relation to Rely, Merville  and the Lys Sector. Map credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital

It took Greg 3½ hours to get there and 4½ hours to get back.  Not a great rate of net progress in either direction!  Presumably driving was more difficult on the return journey because of a general lack of illumination in the dark.  Étaples was still liable to German air raids, much as Greg had experienced when he was first posted to France – less than six weeks earlier, but an age ago:

Friday 31 May 1918 – Across to France

 

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