Visiting Bastogne and nearby - should I stay there or Liege or elsewhere?
 

I'm just starting to work out a trip for late April and/or early May. Will mostly be in London but I will do a side trip to Amsterdam/Belgium. I'm thinking 3 nights in Amsterdam, 1 night in Bruges and about one day/night to see areas where my Dad was in the Battle of the Bulge.

The order can be completely shuffled -- I'll probably fly in/out of London instead of open jaw.

I'm mostly asking for help w/ the Bastogne/southern Belgium bit. Where would be a good base for a sort of BotB memorial trip?

Can't help with your question but if you fancy meeting up in Amsterdam let me know. I realise you may not want to give up precious time there so don't feel under pressure to say yes.

Hi Janisj, I don't really know that area, but know that La Roche is a popular place to stay with Belgian families. There was heavy fighting there during the battle - which is called the 'Ardennen Offensief' here. There's a museum; http://www.batarden.be/
May 1st is a holiday in Belgium - and a long weekend, so it will probably be busy in the Ardennen.
And April 27 is Koningsdag in the Netherlands; you may or may not want to be in Amsterdam then!

thanks -- yes I'm trying to squeeze things in/around/avoiding the various holidays including the Bank Holiday in the UK. I'll look onto La Roche

hetismij2: A GTG would be great. I only have a few musts in A'dam so should have at least some free time. Hope to have my dates firmed up/flights booked by the middle of next week.

ooh - La Roche-en-Ardenne looks like what I want. Seems like a good place to stay, especially for this trip. Would one night/1-ish day be enough time to see the museum, both towns + other bits. There are photos my dad took at the time but unfortunately they are in w/ my Mom's stuff I put in a big storage unit when she passed away a couple of years ago. So I probably won't be able to locate the specific farms and villages. If I DID have those I'd stay longer and try to hunt down the actual sites.

I understand (but could be wrong -- does happen ;) ) that English isn't as widely spoken in the small towns in that area. Right? Wrong? Just stupid?

Janisj, many people there speak just French.
But it's a tourist area, well used to tourists coming for the WWII history. It's an anniversary year, there's been a lot about it in the newspapers. I'm sure the people in hotels and museums will speak some English.

JANISJ, that sounds like a great trip with the personal/historic dimension.

By the way, did you ever receive your poppy from the Tower of London display commemorating the fallen in WWI? Still waiting for mine.

latedaytraveler: Not yet. I periodically check my order number -- last time was maybe 6-7 days ago - and mine was still to be processed.

You can plug your order # into the website and it will tell you the status.

We stayed in Bastogne at Hotel Melba three nights but didn't arrive till late the first day. A lot of history in the town and many spoke English. Driving was easy and historical places are well marked with a torch. My Dad was with the 509th paratroopers and we found monuments to them in the village of Sadzot. We knew where he was so followed that route. Would be nice if you could find a little info about his unit.

Check out Spa, a unique spa town right in the heart of the area you are on about - well not your traditional town but I kind of like these type places:

https://www.google.com/search?q=spa+...w=1280&bih=860

>>Would be nice if you could find a little info about his unit.<<

I know the unit -- I just can't find the letters he sent my Mom after the fact giving more details. Some info was censored out but I remember seeing some village names when I last saw the letters 20+ years ago.

2nd Division 38th field artillery. He was a platoon leader and during part of the battle they were hunkered down in a farm/barn for 2 days under heavy fire . . . unfortunately I just don't know where that was.

janis...look up 2nd Division web pages and you ahould get a lot of good stuff regarding your dad's unit's whereabouts. I was in the 24th Division (Pacific) and was even able to find a very detailed book written in 1946 which I was able to share with my living buddies with whom I'm still in touch.The divisional archives web pages for all divisions from WW II to Vietnam is a great place to start...knowing the 38th field artillery will open the flood gates...they all name names, places, battles and bivouacs, etc.
stu

by the way, in visiting the area, we stayed in Spa, recommended by Palenque. Very inviting small town. "Take the waters"... fun and sooo relaxing. In Bastogne there are a few tanks (German and American)near the town square.

Janis, Good luck in your search..it wil be so meaningful.

Ah the roll of the dice - my dad's unit was scheduled to go to the Battle of the Bulge area - where casualty rates I think may have been more than 50% or higher - but at the last minute they decided on part of the basic training group would go - most went to Bastogne area but my dad's group went to the Aluetian Islands, one of the safest places then anyway for WW2 soldiers.

jan is so lucky her dad go out alive - many did not.

Thanks so much tower -- will try that

jj - I dislike "one night stands" anyway, but it sounds as if you're going to need 2 nights in the battlefields if you're going to get the most out of your visit.

i know that i'm probably telling my granny how to suck eggs!

Following along as my father fought in the Battle of the Bulge and came home.

tower, I tried finding something and can't find anything specific. I was lucky that I had my Dad and that a modern historian,Jim Broumley had written about the 509th. That gave me so much info. If you look at generic records they lump them in with the 101st and 82nd. Even the Band of Brothers who were the 506th aren't listed by themselves. I got little snippets about the 38th field artillery but that was all.
It would be so cool to find that barn or the location.

>>i know that i'm probably telling my granny how to suck eggs!<< ;)


I do know my Dad was in the battle of Eilsenborn Ridge (which I <i>think</i> was around the same time as the Malmedy massacre). So maybe I should concentrate SE of Liege insted of Bastogne . . . I'll have to do some more studying.

how does a granny suck eggs?