June 23 - Ieper

 June 23 - Ieper

We went for a wander around town this morning and decided that this really is a lovely city.  JEM had previously decided that she could quite easily live in Lille, France, however, that has now taken a back seat and been replaced by Ieper, and I totally agree!  There are so many beautiful buildings here, loads of restaurants and bars, the weather’s great (he says tempting fate!), and the locals have been really nice, what’s not to like? (trying to learn Dutch maybe! 😆)

This afternoon’s activity was an organised ‘Battlefield Tours’ trip with a local Belgian guide (“call me Jack, it’s so much easier than the Flemish version!” 😊).  Not knowing a lot about WW1, and especially any action around this area, we’d booked this particular tour as it was of a generalist nature and would give us an overall picture of what actually happened. Jack was great in this regard as the tour covered not only Commonwealth but German cemeteries and memorials as well. The whole thing was really well done and we both found it really interesting and informative, a definite recommendation for anyone visiting this part of the world.  


Essex farm cemetery 

Bottom L: Note the age, 15!

The German cemetery at Langemark where over 44,000 are buried and with up to 40 in a plot!

The Canadian Memorial at St Julian, marking the spot where they first encountered German gas attacks. 

Tyne Cot cemetery at Passchendaele. It’s the largest cemetery for Commonwealth forces in the world, for any war, and has just under 12,000 graves, over 8,000 of which are unnamed.

Our last activity of the day was back to the Menin Gate for the Last Post ceremony.  Following the gate’s opening in 1927, the citizens of Ieper wanted to express their gratitude towards those who had given their lives for Belgium's freedom. Consequently every evening at 20:00, buglers from the Last Post Association close the road under the memorial and sound the Last Post.  Except for during the occupation by the Germans in World War II this ceremony has been carried on uninterrupted since 2 July 1928.





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