Margaret 6600 Bastogne, bois de la paix, wood of Peace , Belguim,

This is the village we are staying in , its called  Magaret near Bastogne,

http://www.paysdebastogne.be/en/discoveries/battle-of-the-bulge/hades_visite_fiche/the-village-of-mageret-during-the-battle-of-the-ardennes/e_1750
http://www.bastogne.be/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzer_Lehr_Division
http://www.final-round.com/resources/index.php?pageid=101
http://www.bastogne.be/commune/ville-villages/villages/mageret/


Team Cherry at Mageret
While the main force is under pressure in Longvilly forward elements of Team Cherry engage Mageret to reopen the road to Bastogne. But the road leading into the village is soon blocked by the wrecks of a destroyed Sherman tank and two half tracks (the Sherman was heading the column and shot down by a German PAK that had just been set up). At about 1500 a small patrol consisting of 18 infantrymen, two medium tanks and a 105mm. assault gun are sent out against the village, moving cross country north of the road. Although one of the Sherman tanks gets stuck in the bad terrain, draws fire and has to return to the column, the rest of the patrol is able to move on. They enter the northeast part of the village but although they can make out some German tanks and infantry they are in no strength to engage the enemy.

Another group of 40 men accompanied by a section of medium tanks is sent against the southern part of Mageret but as the tanks have difficulties with the rough terrain south of the road no real progress is made. The infantry consists of stragglers from Longvilly and is reluctant to move without the accompanying tanks.

The scattered remains of Team Cherry manage to conquer three houses at the northeastern edge of Mageret where they are stuck. Suffering more and more losses to the German attackers, they are finally (at 0030, 20th December) released to withdraw towards Bizory. Under the covering fire of the paratroopers they manage to make their way to Foy and finally to Bastogne.


taken from http://www.final-round.com/resources/index.php?pageid=101

Barn as part of the building , people lived on one side of the house

This is the front of the same house ,

This is a Sherman tank turret ,

the back of the turret

http://users.skynet.be/jeeper/page135.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4_Sherman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lend-Lease_Sherman_tanks

the church had to be rebuilt after the battle

can you see the old tractors ?

old school building

one of  the buidings shows battle scars ?

looking at old bullet holes

this shows another old

This is where we are staying 

http://www.a-gites.com/annonce-22805.html

It is full of wood and lots of interesting old objects

This is the view from my room !

Leo's Cot

Leo was very tired after his trip !

we walked to the peace woods,







   

taken from
http://images.opt.be/images/elto/30243_30243boisdelapaix.gif

The Wood of Peace is laid out to recreate the UNICEF emblem: a mother and child, symbol of human tenderness. This design is only visible from the air

http://www.opt.be/informations/tourist_attractions_bastogne__bois_de_la_paix__wood_of_peace_/en/V/30243.html

http://www.visitbelgium.com/?page=mustbas

http://paysdebastogne.be/en/Discoveries/battle-of-the-bulge/hades_visite_fiche/the-wood-of-peace/e_1702

http://www.igougo.com/journal-j13706-Bastogne-Bastogne-And_a_Time_to_Remember.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bulge

http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=877952&site_id=1#import

The 4,000 trees making up this wood were planted for the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. They were dedicated to the American veterans who fought in the Ardennes, Belgian combatants and all the civilians and military who died in the winter of 1944-45. Every veteran who returned to Bastogne in 1994 chose a tree, which will always bear his name. The Wood of Peace is laid out to recreate the UNICEF emblem: a mother and child, symbol of human tenderness. This design is only visible from the air. The trees on the site are mostly service trees, birches, beech trees and oaks. 

these are some of the people whose names are next to the trees 

some of the divisions who are commemorated in this wood
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/101st_Airborne_Division
http://www.cgsc.edu/carl/resources/csi/mitchell/mitchell.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/82nd_Airborne_Division

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Bastogne
http://users.skynet.be/jeeper/page135.html

some of the civilian groups involved

note from dad :apologies to people we missed but there are over 4000 trees and a lot of name plates,