During the holiday I took a quick trip with the family to Ypres...did a couple of the "tourist" bits just so the boys could get the most out of a short day...
Shell holes at Sanctuary Wood (close to Ypres). It got the name of "Sanctuary Wood" as at the begining of the war it was a "safe" place for troops to stop over whilst waiting to rejoin their units...needless to say, the safety did not last long and, peversely, the name never changed...
The wood was completely obliterated. Apart from a couple of trees. Their stumps are now petrified, this one being the largest of about 5 surviving stumps.
At Sanctuary Wood thee is a small museum. One special thing about it are the photos. It has very old "stereo" (3-D) pictures from the war period. The collection is amazing and a lot of them show the full horror of WWI. Not for young children !
This is why the area was important. Ypres from Hill 62 (100 meters from Sanctuary Wood) - so called because it was 62 meters above sea level. Next to Hill 60...two high points in a relatively flat Flanders area.
Memorial to Canadian troop on top of Hill 62
Then on to Tyne Cot cemetery. Some 12,000+ graves. As you enter the cemetery, there are outdoor speakers with a voice that reads off the name and age of each of the buried servicemen.
There were 4 German bunkers that were taken by the Allies. Two are in the cemetery grounds; one was where the car park now stands; the other is under a central memorial.
Graves, with the wall in the background
The wall at Tyne Cot...over 35,000 names of servicemen known to have died but for which there is no possibility of a grave...
Some people have found their relatives...
Then on to Ypres for the Last Post at the Menin Gate. The Gate has another 35,000+ names for servicemen with no grave. Tyne Cot took over the recording of the names as the Gate ran out of space. This ceremony has taken place every day at 8pm since 1929. The only break was during occupation in WWII (but it started again as soon as the centre of Ypres was liberated - even though the rest of the town was not...)
And a very moving moment...as we were walking towards the Gate for 8pm, I saw an old serviceman and his family also hurrying. Afterwards, I noticed him again and took a quick shot - and got a face that (I think) says it all...
I then took another picture with him and his wife and got talking to them...they have been married for 63 years; they were both very emotional (which seemed to be a common theme...); the last time he was in Ypres was in 1937 - he said he didn't know at that time he would be back in Europe fighting another war...even whilst talking to them, a couple of people came up just to shake his hand. There were a few veterans around (some laying wreaths) and they were all getting thanks and handshakes from total strangers...
The next American ex-pat that calls it a "truck" is going to find out what 2.7 tons feels like on their foot...
Club "yes, I too have had the EGR's replaced..."
Club "yes, I too have had the compressor replaced..."
Club "yes, I too once had the car at the dealer for a couple of weeksnearly 4 weeksover 4 weeks...5 weeks"
Club "yes, I too have had EPB failure..."
Club "yes, I too get mysterious bings and bongs..."
30th May 2009 9:12 pm
NJF
Member Since: 05 Oct 2007
Location: Gone
Posts: 2466
Nice photos, JF.
I was in Gravelotte and Verdun yesterday, showing the in-laws around. He's a bit of a foodie so we started with a detour to see the covered market in Metz. The cathedral being next door, we took a look inside:
Then on to the Franco-Prussian military cemetery (French graves in the foreground, Prussian graves in the background):
The last headstone bears shrapnel marks from WW2. The cemetery was damaged in fighting during the US Third Army's advance in 1944:
I took no photos in Verdun and Butte de Vauquois. I've been there a few times before. I must be getting lazy.
31st May 2009 10:02 am
tanters
Member Since: 24 Oct 2007
Location: Oireland
Posts: 4287
Fantastic posts lads thanks
Hoping to go that way in August.
Looking at those photos of Salvation Woods would put a chill up your spine.
RIP to those brave men & womenA happy childhood ... is the worst possible preparation for life.
31st May 2009 11:25 am
countrywide
Member Since: 16 Sep 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 6019
Great photo's
31st May 2009 11:50 am
kevi
Member Since: 18 Mar 2006
Location: in the rhondda valleys
Posts: 945
Yes a very good post
must get there one day , it should be a must do for every one in europePractice safe eating - always use condiments.
2 Too many seats now
No trouble so far
tow pack, tasmods sills
IT goes without saying that you should never have more children than you have car windows
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