Tunnels, sheep and socks!

When we visited Beaumont-Hamel and Vimy Ridge, I liked seeing all the sheep! Did you know that these cute woolly animals are put to work keeping the grass short on these old battlefields for a very good reason? There are still many unexploded artillery shells from the First World War under the soil there and people with lawn mowers could potentially get hurt … luckily the sheep can do this chore safely.

While we were at Vimy, we saw lots of trenches and tunnels that soldiers actually dug with picks and shovels here during the war. Underground tunnels were very useful as they helped protect soldiers from enemy fire. Some of them were pretty fancy, even having electric lights, piped water and storage spaces—but they sure weren’t comfortable for the men.

When I first saw the sheep, it reminded me of a special way that people back home helped the soldiers during the war. Women would knit thousands of pairs of warm woolen socks and gloves to send to the men who were serving overseas, stuck outside at all times of the year. Hmmm, maybe I could get wool from the sheep here and make socks for all the Remembrance Clubhouse animals. It sure would take a lot to make some large enough to fit my big feet, though!