Am currently sitting in Lille having spent the last three days visiting WWI memorials on the Western Front, not just the NZ ones but Australian, French, Canadian and many others. I sttarted at Le Quesnoy and attended the three day conference organised to celebrate the 90 years since the NZ troops liberated the tozn on Nov 4. The mayor and deputy mayor of the sister town in NZ,Cambridge, were there, as were members of the Averill, Barrowclough and Blyth famimies. About 140 ppeople attened over the three days which culminated in a tour of the terrain leading the troops up to the town. We visited the grave of VC winner Nicholas. Everywhere we travelled on the front were hundreds of visitors. most notably hordes of French school children learning about the war. The memorials are magnificent but no more so than the sacrifice made by so many.