Warbird Information Exchange

Part 1
Over the weekend on July 11th -12th myself and Mrs Fence along with a couple of very good friends travelled on our first trip to the Ypres Salient. During the Great War, this was the only corner of Belgium that remained unconquered. Fighting occurred in the area on every day of the war, with on average 5000 British soldiers dying every month. Apart from 3 days early in the war, the Salient and the town of Ypres remained in Allied hands throughout.

On our way from the Boat, our first stop was at the airfield at St Omer, here there is The British Air Services Memorial, this commemorates the Members of the British Air Services from every part of the Commonwealth who served on the Western Front 1914-1918


From St Omer we travelled on to Bailleul


Under darkening skies we visited our first CWGC Cemetery. As with most it contains, in addition to the many graves and memorials, the tall white Cross of Sacrifice and the Stone of remembrance. Like all of them they it is a peaceful place, seemingly immune from the hustle and bustle of daily life.


Here as well we came across our first unknown grave. The first of many on the Salient but, as this was the site of a medical station behind the front lines, thankfully rare here.


In many cases the occupant is totally unknown. In others the rank and regiment, if known, is recorded on the stone. A name is only added if the CWGC is sure that there is no mistake.

The Cemetery also contains the grave of Sgt Thomas Mottershead VC who received his award for saving the life of his observer whilst flying an FE2b of 20Sqn, The citation reads

“For most conspicuous bravery, endurance and skill, when attacked at an altitude of 9 000 feet [2 800 metres]; the petrol tank was pierced and the machine set on fire. Enveloped in flames, which his Observer, Lieutenant Gower was unable to subdue, this very gallant soldier succeeded in bringing his aeroplane back to our lines, and though he made a successful landing, the machine collapsed on touching the ground, pinning him beneath wreckage from which he was subsequently rescued
Though suffering extreme torture from burns, Sergeant Mottershead showed the most conspicuous presence of mind in the careful selection of a landing place, and his wonderful endurance and fortitude undoubtedly saved the life of his Observer. He has since succumbed to his injuries.”

He died 4 days later. (IWM take note, if you get and FE2b and display it behind structural ironwork, I will move it myself)



Next stop, Ypres and the Salient.

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Very thought provoking pictures. Thankyou for posting. I have always wanted to go over and pay my respects over there, and plan to do so when my son is old enough. Also, being in the fire service myself, I would like to witness the last post ceremony at the Menin Gate, which the local fire service do every night I beleive. May we always remember the truly horrendous sacrifices made.

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If the first casualty of war is innocence, the second is sobriety - Hawkeye.
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws - Plato.
Lies get halfway round the world before the truth has a chance to get it's pants on - Churchill
If you are going through he11 - keep going - Churchill

Go! It will be one of the best things you ever did!

Part 2
The town of Ypres was pretty much destroyed during the fighting, it is very sobering to think that practically every building you see within the town (and nearly the salient as a whole) was reconstructed after the war. Indeed as the British and French governments were busy arguing about what to do with Ypres, the Belgians were already rebuilding it. This process finally finished in 1967 with the completion of the beautiful Cloth Hall.

Ypres was a walled city and the Gate on the Menin Road was reconstructed after the war as a memorial to those who have no known grave. Hey are commemorated every night of the year at 2000 hrs with the famous Last Post Ceremony. This took on a particular significance for me, but more of that later.



The original Battlements have been restored and now make a very peaceful walk after an excellent evening meal. If one walks from the Menin Gate so the south you will reach the Lille Gate, which was the most used by the BEF for entering and leaving the City owing to the Menin Road being heavily shelled. Right by the Lille gate lies the Ypres Ramparts Cemetary, this is possibly one of the most peaceful I have visited. It also contains the ashes of Rose Coombs MBE who did so much to keep alive the memories of the great War when she worked for the IWM.




On the gate itself there are some old IWGC markers

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Part 3
Day 2 dawned wet, very appropriate considering the reputation of all 4 Ypres battles for the Mud.

The first part of the day was spent in the town centre first looking round the rebuild Cathedral, as with all houses of religion, I appreciate the architecture but don’t believe the message (although I do respect it)

Inside the Cloth Hall is the “In Flanders Fields” Museum. It doesn’t contain many artifacts, focusing instead on telling the story of the 4 battles. When we went round we have a party of English School kids with us, the were lively and noisy as you would expect but they were lead by an excellent teacher who had clearly been here before. Part of the exhibition takes in the use of Gas on the battlefield, when the kids approached he quietened them down, th tableau starts with a very loud explosion which had them all jumping, this is followed by a description of the effects of gas and some original gas masks mounted in well lit tubes.



They got the message!

On the way out there is a superb model of a house pulling an Ammo Truck to emphasise the use of animals on the front


Hill 60
This is/was an artificial hill formed when a railway cutting was dug before the war. It was the site of an underground battle and its here that the first British mine of the war was exploded.

The Hill was left after the war and is now run by the CWGC, Here is what remains of the crater


There is still a small amount of battle detritus laying here


On our trip round the battlefield we seemed to bump into two parties of Soldiers undergoing basic training at Catterick and as part of this they were taken on a battlefield tour, all between 17-20 ish (not much older than many who served here) they are loud and boisterous as you would expect, but they listened intently to what they were told (their tour guide was trying to show them how the lessons learned here applied to today’s wars) and they did us proud later. One party was from The Guards, the other were Gurkahs.
To the rear of the crater there was an old defensive blockhouse, literally covered in memorials


Some were very old


This one caught my eye, somehow I have no doubt it means what it says


Next stop, Tyne Cot.

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So So many went to the slaughter. Fascinating, and thank you for your photos. We need to all remember this one.

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tracers work both ways

Part 4 – Tyne Cot
Tyne Cot Cemetery is the largest and most visited CWGC in the world. It contains 12000 graves with a further 35000 names of the missing listed on the rear wall. Its situated on the site of 3 concrete bunkers, all are still present with one forming the base of the cross of sacrifice.
I just didn’t know where to start.





A stone commemorating men whose graves were destroyed in subsequent fighting, these are surprisingly common


The Blockhouse is still visible




A crew who died together?


Very sobering, one could guess that they died together in the same shell hole

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Not far from Ypres is the Guynemer memorial at Poelkapelle:

http://www.webmatters.net/monuments/ww1_guynemer.htm




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Part 5

The start of Day 3 took us to Bedford House Cemetery. Built on the site of a moated Chateau, it was used by nearby field dressings stations and contains 5048 Burials (including 1 VC)





The VC is Temp 2nd Lt Rupert Price Hallowes of the 4th Bn Middlesex Regt, who for 5 days inspired his men with no thought for his own safety until he was killed on 20th Sept 1915.


Nearby at Lankhof Farm, surrounded by a moat are the remains of shell proof bunkers.



On to the Island of Ireland memorial, I wont say much here as we bumped into Ian Hislop and a Channel 4 film crew who were filming a piece for a program to be broadcast near Armistice Day


This just about sums it all up


Onwards to Hyde Park Corner near Plugstreet Woods


Here lies the grave of 16 year old Albert French who was the subject of a Radio 4 documentary “He shouldn’t have been there, should he”


A view into the dense Plugstreet Woods


On a very rough back road we came across the memorial to the 1914 Christmas Truce (by this time we were above the weather but below sea level!!!)


The Aptly named Mud Corner Cemetery, with another on the horizon. Plugstreet woods is dotted with cemeteries.

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Part 6

In the town of Poperinge there is a building called Talbot House aka Toc H, this was a rest house for soldiers. It fulfills the same purpose today and rooms can be booked, I would recommend it as a stop, the tea is good! If yopu had a relative who served on the Salient, the chances are he passed through here.


Essex Farm Cemetery, fames as the place the Poem In Flanders Fields was written by John McCrae, there is a memorial just outside the cemetery. Behind is a set of Bunkers that was used as a dressing station. Imagine being wounded and laying in here, the conditions are something wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.




The cemetery includes the grave of Pvt V J Strudwick who was one of the youngest victims of the war at 15 years of age

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Thanks for the tour, I bet that the time spent go there was well worth it...

Lynn

Part 7
On the morning of the final day, we paid our respects to a truly heroic gentleman. Throughout the visit I had tried to treat all graves as equal, irrespective of rank, country or gallantry awards. However in Brandhoek Military Cemetery lies Capt Noel Chevasse VC and Bar! To win the highest award for gallantry takes a special person, twice is beyond my description. Both awards were for tending wounded under fire. His death was no more devastating to his family than any of his comrades, his life however was beyond compare.


The Cemetery is in fact 3 Cemeteries very close to each other, like may others they are in a small hamlet by the side of a main road, over looked by the back gardens of the local villagers. The setting couldn’t be more perfect. The locals couldn’t have been friendlier to us throughout the trip.


Also here was the grave of one of the Chinese Labour Corps. Like all of his fallen comerades he is marked by his number and with one of two inscriptions. I this case the date of death is 1919, I suspect he died while clearing the battlefield.




I said earlier that Tyne Cot was one of the most visited Cemeteries, our last stop was one of the least visited. Gwalia.
Its pretty easy to get to, but a bit isolated. But its worth the trip. Situated in an area that would have been a vast tented city, indeed it was very vulnerable to shelling and one grave holds 14 Men killed on the same day.

It is very beautiful though.

Foes buried side by side.


Lest we forget


The Menin Gate and a discovery will complete the story.

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The Menin Gate

Totally destroyed during the Great War, the gate over the Menin Road leading from the city, was rebuilt as a Memorial to the fallen who have no known grave. As such it is literally covered in names.
Every day at 8pm, a last post ceremony is conducted under the auspices of the Royal British Legion and led by Buglers from the local Fire Brigade. During the ceremony, poppy wreaths are laid by members of the general public (by prior arrangement). It is always packed, the silence is always impeccable. The townspeople of Ypres ALWAYS remember.
While we were there, as I said earlier, there were two parties from the Army garrison at Catterick. The Gurkahs and the Guards. I was a very moving moment when the marched into each end of the gate and has what appeared to be a good natured (they were seen in various bars with each other later) marching competition before the ceremony. The future of the Army is in good hands if these young men are anything to go by, fiercely proud of what they represented they conducted themselves with dignity throughout their stay in town. As an aside the town of Ypres is beautiful and the people are very welcoming and friendly and EVERY shop sells Poppies.








People from all over the world attend, this school from Australia laid a wreath


The Buglers



This young lad was wearing his great grandfather’s medals, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house


Finally there was a surprise in store. I have known for ages that my own Great Grandfather served on the Somme. As far as I was aware he was the only member of my family who served during the war. Having an uncommon surname (if its spelt the same way we are related, however distantly) sometimes comes in handy. As I was waiting for the ceremony I was glancing around the walls looking at the names, not expecting to find anything and to my complete surprise I found this.

Listed under the South African Infantry. As I said, the name s the same so we are related, but I am not aware of any South African family. Checking the register finds this


This cleared things up a bit, the address is in the right area to be family and I have a spouses name as well. I will have to do some digging through the family history, I am looking forward to it.
It seems odd but, discovering this made me feel better about touring round the Cemeteries, I felt an empathy in a strange way.

Before we left I placed a small tribute on the wall by his name


If you haven’t been, then go. If you have been, then go again. It puts everything into perspective.
It certainly beats an over hyped airshow.

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
Scarce 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 our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

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MY BLOG and other ramblings This is where most of my photos will appear in future.

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Thanks for the photos, thoughts and tour. I've been through Arlington and it has that same, "hallowed ground" feel to it. When you see the row after row, name after name, thousands upon thousands, it really hits home what the place is all about.

Chris

Thank you for posting these. Outstanding, powerful essay.

Mike

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"So there I was, knee deep in a river I couldn't pronounce..."

Thanks very much Nick... a wonderful essay, with a real and powerful message. Terrific images too.

All the best,
Richard

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Richard Mallory Allnutt - Photography - http://www.rmallnutt.com