While spending time at the airfield in Azelot, I noticed a marker on Google maps for a Commonwealth War Memorial. I was intrigued because I wondered whether this referred to the Commonwealth which developed out of the British colonies, whether there was an equivalent French organisation or whether there was something else it was referring to.
Once I arrived at the marked spot, I found myself at the local graveyard, with this notice on the outside.
Being a bit of a fan of graveyards and headstones, I wandered around. I found this war memorial, which included the name of a civilian who had perished in the war.
On the way out I found both the Commonwealth war graves referred to
And this plaque honouring the deaths of members of the Indian Labour Corps, which constructed the airfield I was visiting.
The British had decided Lorraine was a good place to build an airfield from which to attack the Rheinland in 1918. During its construction, the workers were billeted locally and this airfield was completed in May 1918. It remains a very nice and large airfield, which makes it a good place to host large events, such as the record attempt I was there for (the record never completed unfortunately).
travel tales 