Tuesday 1 October 1918 – Heading Off Back to France

It was probably today that Greg started off on his journey back at Holyhead station. He would have travelled from North Wales, through England to France.

LNWR train at Holyhead station.
An LNWR train stands at Holyhead station prior to departure. Click for larger image. Credit: oldukphotos.com. The LNWR Society identifies (here) the train formation in this photograph as Jubilee class No 1915 ‘Implacable’ heading the royal train in March 1900, on the occasion of Queen Victoria’s last visit to Ireland. So the photo is over 18 years earlier than Greg’s journey, but it gives the general idea – especially as the buildings of Holyhead station looked essentially the same as late as the 1960s!

The return journey would have been essentially retracing the outbound trip on 18 September 1918 – something like:

  • Train from Holyhead to London Euston 
  • Euston Square to Victoria via London Underground (Circle Line)
  • Train from London Victoria to Folkestone
  • Ferry from Folkestone to Boulogne
  • Train from Boulogne to Aire
    • Either via Desvres, Lumbres and St Omer,
    • Or (less likely)  along the circuitous route by which he arrived on 2 June 1918 from Berck Plage, via Étaples, Montreuil, Hesdin, St Pol and Chocques, and 
  • Tender from Aire-sur-la-Lys to Rely

 

© Copyright 2018- Andrew Sheard and licensors. All rights reserved.