The English coastal port of Folkestone was the ‘artery’ through which more than 10 million men passed between 1914 and 1918, either on their way to the Western Front or returning after leave.

Folkestone was also the point of arrival for the Belgian Royal Family and served as a temporary home not just for them but for 65,000 other refugees from the fighting.

Read More

Their Journey to an uncertain future

One of the many thousands of men who crossed to France from Folkestone was Harry Patch. Harry died in 2009 and was the last surviving British soldier (Tommy) to have fought in the Great War. He described what it was like to leave England to face the unknown horrors of the war:

Portrait of Harry Patch

“Our small group walked up a narrow gangway andwas packed together in an old paddle steamer. As we pulled out of Folkestone harbour, we watched England and the white cliffs gradually recede into the darkness. I wasn’t the only one who wondered whether we would ever set foot on her soil again. Would I come home and, if I did, would I be in one piece?”