Day 29 - 25 April 2019 Thursday - Ypres - Anzac Day
Up at 3.30am this morning, yes you have read right, 3.30am in the morning to attend the dawn service at Polygon Wood. These are the things that your dedicated correspondent does to get to the heart of the story for you my learned, educated and entertained reader.
Seriously though folk, this was a very emotional dawn service. The Buttes New British Cemetery is one of the larger cemeteries in the area, there are 2,000 odd graves of which 1,700 contain a 'soldier of the Great War, known unto god'. Of 564 Australian burials, 407 are unidentified. This cemetery is also the site of a major New Zealand memorial and on the buttes overlooking it all is the 5th Div AIF memorial.
So you can start to imagine the atmosphere standing amongst these graves, many of them unknown, during a simple and touching service. There was a band there from Rossmoyne High School in Australia and a choir from the NZ Maori Arts & Crafts Institute. The Ypres fire brigade buglers played the last post and rouse and two pipers played the lament, the Belgium military provided the catafalque party and the guard on the 5th Div memorial. It is hard to estimate the number of attendees, but I would suggest that it was well attended. Although not bitterly cold it was cold enough to say 'crikey its a bit chilly' even though well rugged up.
After the service I was going to attend the breakfast at Zonnebeke. I changed my mind and instead I picked up the car and drove to Paschendaele where I picked up a delicious filled roll and a coffee and drove to the Canadian memorial at Crest Farm. This overlooks the Ypres battlefield where the Australians attempted to take Paschendaele and failed at great loss to them. The Canadians also at great loss were eventually successful hence the Canadian memorial. Although cold and blustery it was a good spot to have some breakfast and a quiet contemplation.
From here I drove to the big cemetery at Tyne Cot. The road to Tyne Cot follows the 10th Brigade boundary of their unsuccessful attack on Paschendaele it also goes past where Lewis McGee of the 40th Battalion stormed a German bunker, an action that resulted in him being awarded a VC. After a quick wander through Tyne Cot I headed back into Ypres to attend the service at the Menin Gate and Belgian memorial.
I will post some photos of both of these services once I get somewhere where the Wi Fi is robust enough to let me do so. Good wi fi in the bar so getting some photos posted.
There is the normal 8.00pm service at the Menin Gate this evening and that will about see me out for commemoration services for a little while.
Lunch today was shrimp croquettes, salad, chips and beer.
Last night's dinner was one of the best meals I have had while I have been away. I had a pork loin with potato croquettes and and mustard sauce and little chopped up vegetables followed by icecream with cream and chocolate topping. The Belgians love their desserts and when you are sitting there watching them scoff into big bowls of icecream it is hard to resist.
Seriously though folk, this was a very emotional dawn service. The Buttes New British Cemetery is one of the larger cemeteries in the area, there are 2,000 odd graves of which 1,700 contain a 'soldier of the Great War, known unto god'. Of 564 Australian burials, 407 are unidentified. This cemetery is also the site of a major New Zealand memorial and on the buttes overlooking it all is the 5th Div AIF memorial.
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| 5th Div memorial and graves pre dawn |
After the service I was going to attend the breakfast at Zonnebeke. I changed my mind and instead I picked up the car and drove to Paschendaele where I picked up a delicious filled roll and a coffee and drove to the Canadian memorial at Crest Farm. This overlooks the Ypres battlefield where the Australians attempted to take Paschendaele and failed at great loss to them. The Canadians also at great loss were eventually successful hence the Canadian memorial. Although cold and blustery it was a good spot to have some breakfast and a quiet contemplation.
From here I drove to the big cemetery at Tyne Cot. The road to Tyne Cot follows the 10th Brigade boundary of their unsuccessful attack on Paschendaele it also goes past where Lewis McGee of the 40th Battalion stormed a German bunker, an action that resulted in him being awarded a VC. After a quick wander through Tyne Cot I headed back into Ypres to attend the service at the Menin Gate and Belgian memorial.
I will post some photos of both of these services once I get somewhere where the Wi Fi is robust enough to let me do so. Good wi fi in the bar so getting some photos posted.
There is the normal 8.00pm service at the Menin Gate this evening and that will about see me out for commemoration services for a little while.
Lunch today was shrimp croquettes, salad, chips and beer.
Last night's dinner was one of the best meals I have had while I have been away. I had a pork loin with potato croquettes and and mustard sauce and little chopped up vegetables followed by icecream with cream and chocolate topping. The Belgians love their desserts and when you are sitting there watching them scoff into big bowls of icecream it is hard to resist.
Fun Fact: I actually got a Belgian to smile even a laugh! Last night when I was having dinner a family entered the restaurant and the last person in didn't close the door and it was chilly enough to be noticeable. I looked up to see who the miscreant was and I caught the eye of a Belgian gentleman (about the same age as me) who was also looking to see what was going on. Anyway one of the party that came in came back to close the door and the Belgian chap and I sort gave a bit of a nod that everything was now OK. Anyway, later as the Belgian was leaving he said 'goodnight and have a good journey' and I said 'thank you and make sure you shut the door', this got a laugh from him and his companions.
Step count: 8,515
Observation: The businesses here must be battling a bit after the wind down from TGW centennial events as there are a number of closed restaurants and cafes around the market square and some other businesses are trading on limited hours.
When are you back?
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