A TRIP TO FLANDERS-FIELDS

AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE ASK WHY ARE THEY MARCHING FOR.

AND I ASK MYSELF THE SAME QUESTION( © Eric Bogle)

Commercial use of this presentation is prohibited unless written permission of the maker.

© of the photographs is owned by H. Donkervoet

• The 3e battle of Ypres, also known as the battle of Passendale.

• For a better look at the whole area use google maps or viamichelin.fr

This used to be a “dressing station”. 3 on the front left are german- the others commonwealth graves

Lancashire cottage farm

Ploegsteert

• After more than 90 years there’s still

only:

“Believed to be buried in this cemetery

The German line near Ploegsteert

This is not exeptional

In the landscape around Ypres

This place is called “ Mud Corner”

On top of the hill is “Prowse Point

One of the few French monuments around Ypres is on Mount

Kemmel.Not very high, only 132

metres, but an important point of view.

This commemorates5294 French soldiers who

are buried unidentified

Only 57 names are officially known

• Dugouts on the “quiet side”of the hill, used as command posts and resting place

• Looking inside out

• Men lived here for weeks.

• Never in full safety, one of these dugouts received a direct hit and was totally destroyed.

• Although I do not expect this private to be family of yours, I could not resist in taking this photo.

• I’ve seen the name many times.

Overlooking “Flanders fields in easterly direction. No poppies yet

Poelkapelle: one of the larger cemeteries. About 3200 graves

• The sun makes it difficult to read• but

• The Harp and Crown• (Irish)

• 6322 Private• J. CONDON

• ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT

• 24TH MAY 1915 AGE 14

• He is supposed to be the youngest soldier who died in British service.

• He lied about his age by enlistment,

• because his family was very poor.

• It’s said that he enlisted in 1913 to get a pair of boots.

“Langemarck soldatenfriedhof” A large number also unidentified

Here on the hillslope were the German trenches. The original cemetery was devastated by artillery fire

In this neighbourhood they discovered only recently a “massgrave” with possibly 400 commonwealth servicemen still to be identified

• Fromelles (France)

Australian monument for the “Cobbers”

These were the men who tried to recover the wounded from the battlefield. They also suffered heavy losses.

Victoria Cross corner. Australian cemetery. 1300 names mentioned on the memorial. 400 of them not identified.

One doesn’t need a metal detector, a good eye is sufficiënt. A 75 mm shell

Close to Zillebeke

Railway Dugouts cemetery ( W of Zillebeke).The tombes in circle are all: “believed to buried on this cemetery” or “Unknown

• A German stronghold, still present in the landscape. May-be in use as pig sheds now

Here they lie together, like brothers in arms, the Australian gunner, the German Pilot and the British infantry soldier. Bedford House cemetery.

Ypres famous “Cloth Hall. Originally from the 15th century. Almost totally devastated in the war and later greatly rebuild. It houses “In flanders Fields” museum

• In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scars heard amid the guns below

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders Fields

Take up your quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold up high

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders Fields

John McCrae