Pleased to be patriotic
Trip Start
Jun 06, 2011
1
13
34
Trip End
Jul 11, 2011
Ypres, West Flanders, Belgium
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Had realised that Ypres Flanders was only 1 hour 40 minutes away..my Great gran .. who I knew and adored, had a brother who went away to WW1 and did not return from a battle in the flanders area... His name is on the honour roll / wall and I will be the first family member to go and pay my respects.
Ypres was involved early in WW1,during the war it was constantly under bombardment and was reduced to ruins. The Flanders Fields Museum in Ypers has a comprehensive display and data, and after visiting it, you leave with a broader understanding of the horrid time for all involved.. the town itself, the allies..
Walking towards the Menin Gate,.a memorial to the 54,000 plus men with no known grave was a humbling experience.. all these men would equal a small city..all gone ...their names are listed as per country, division,and rank. My great great uncle was easily found.. the Australian section in the middle of the gate, next to the shrine of remembrance..The Last Post is a moving ceremony held every single night. The traffic through the Gate is halted, and the Last Post is played, a haunting experience in a sombre setting.
Such is the respect and gratitude for these men ..R.I.P.
I travel back to Brugge and to continue my journey with a deeper respect for them all.
