Comments (1)

By Fred Hart, November 6, 2013 21:20

I took hundreds of photos around the Grand Place – it looks very impressive all lit up at night!

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By Fred Hart, November 6, 2013 20:57

There’s no formal dinner tonight, and I fancied a bit of Greek food… I’m glad I came to the El Greco restaurant on the Grand Place! It only cost me €19 for my meal – which was good considering the central location. It seems most of Brussels’ Greek community was there tonight too.

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By Fred Hart, November 6, 2013 16:00

The Menin Gate is located right in the middle of the town of Ypres (or Ieper is the official name now, as it falls within the Flemish (Belgian Dutch) region of Belgium).

This is the memorial to the Indian soldiers killed during both World Wars.

A model showing the Menin Gate Memorial…

We lay a wreath to the fallen…

To the armies of the British Empire who stood here from 1914 to 1918 and to those of their dead who have no known grave.

Comments Off on Langemark: The German Cemetary

By Fred Hart, November 6, 2013 15:20

Langemark – the German cemetary – is quite different. I guess the difference between winning and losing a war is that you’re not allowed much time or space in which to remember those you have lost.

This building is the memorial to students killed during the war.

Below you can see the mass grave – 25000 bodies are buried here.

Notice how there are no headstones here.

It is also worth noting that the cemetary will be maintained by volunteers (unpaid) from German schools after the current Belgian contract comes to an end.

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By Fred Hart, November 6, 2013 14:38

There are almost 12000 people buried here – approx. 8000 unidentified/unnamed. Many aged 19/20 too – so not much younger than I am now!

It is quite moving to walk through and see the number of headstones, before realising that many of the people here may still to this day not have been identified – with each one a family back home not knowing what has happened.

Just in case you can’s read the text in the image below…

Their name liveth forever.

Comments Off on German World War 1 First Aid Post

By Fred Hart, November 6, 2013 13:50

I still think these gas masks look rather scary! But then being gassed must have been a traumatic experience too!

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By Fred Hart, November 6, 2013 13:49

The British Artillery is on the left. The German Artillery is on the right.

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By Fred Hart, November 6, 2013 13:48

Wandering round the Hooge Crater War Museum.

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By Fred Hart, November 6, 2013 13:47

The Hooge Crater War Museum – these gas masks look rather scary to me. They also look rather basic compared to the World War 2 ones!