Ypres Salient, Flanders & The Menin Gate Page 4

This area of Belgium is known as Flemish Flanders and Ypres (Leper) is the principal city. The Ypres Salient was formed by the Allied countries to halt and protect Germany’s advance towards the ports of Calais and Boulogne (the Race for the Sea); this resulted in the First Battle of Ypres in 1914 – 19th October to 22nd November.

The following key battles after this were:

The Second Battle of Ypres – 22nd April to 15th May 1915
Passchendaele – 31st July to 6th November 1917
Battle of the Lys (Fourth Battle of Ypres) – 9th April to 29th April 1918
The Fifth Battle of Ypres – 28th September to 2nd October 1918

It must also be noted that on top of the five main conflicts of the Salient, constant battles, offensives, exchanges and skirmishes took place in the region during the whole of the Great War. Key and infamous names and locations from this area include Messines, Wytschaete, Polygon Wood, Hill 60, Langemarck, the Lys, Sanctuary Wood, Ploegsteert Wood and Passchendaele to name but a few.

Over 1,700,000 soldiers on both sides were killed or wounded in this region of Belgium during the War years not to mention the uncounted numbers of civilians.

The City of Ypres was constantly shelled by the Germans during the whole of the war but was never taken. Nowadays it is fully restored and is resplendent with its cathedral and stunning Cloth Hall.

Flanders is now the resting place for many a soldier and is the home of numerous CWGC cemeteries and superb memorials including:

Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, Ypres Salient Battlefields, Belgium is the largest Commonwealth Military Cemetery in the world and the resting place for 11,956.

The Menin Gate which is dedicated to the 54,896 missing service personnel of WWI, for those who laid down their life in Ypres Salient Battlefields and whom were laid to rest in unknown graves.

"In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row" - John McCrae.

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If you need Military Bands or Assistance with Honouring Veterans - Please contact your local Royal British Legion. If sadly this is for a Military Funeral or Honouring Veterans at their Funeral, the best contact points are here.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has the responsibility to ensure that 1.7 million people who died in the two world wars will never be forgotten. They care for cemeteries and memorials at 23,000 locations, in 153 countries. The CWGC values and aims, laid out in 1917, are as relevant now as they were over a 100 years ago....

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We have added a number of further pages and Picture Galleries to our website for you of The National Memorial Arboretum, the Ypres Salient, Flanders & The Menin Gate, Nord Pas de Calais, Somme, Vimy Ridge, Verdun and World War 1 Main Page and seven underpinning pages.

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The images below are:

Picture 31 {0030} - The plaque on the New Zealand Memorial at Messines Ridge Cemetery. The Cemetery located 9.5km south of Ypres, was a strategic point in the Salient and such high ground was coveted by both sides for strategic advantage. The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden.

Picture 32 {0028} - The entrance to Messines Ridge Cemetery. The Cross of Sacrifice is mounted on the site of the former convent windmill.

Picture 33 {0018} - One of the Lions guarding The Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing commemorates the lives of 11,477. Located at Hyde Park Corner Cemetery which is located 12.5 km south of Ypres.

Picture 34 {0017} - One of the Lions guarding The Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing commemorates the lives of 11,477. Located at Hyde Park Corner Cemetery. The Last Post is sounded at the memorial on the first Friday of every month at 7pm.

Picture 35 {0015} - The Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing commemorates the lives of 11,477. It is 70 feet in diameter and 38½ feet high. It is flanked or guarded by two British Lions and is located at Hyde Park Corner Cemetery. Interestingly the original intention was to errect this memorial in Lille.

Picture 36 {0092} - Just one of the many tablets that adjourn the Menin Gate - this particular example demonstrates the call at arms was responded to from the further reaches of the Globe.

Picture 37 {0090} - The Menin Gate Ceremony. Attendance brimming on this 100th anniversary. See also Picture 2 {4420}.

Picture 38 {0024} - The headstones of the Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery, in Ypres Salient. This is the extension which contains 876 burrials. Most of those commemorated here died as a result of the day to day warfare as opposed to very specific battles or major offensives.

Picture 39 {0023} - The Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery, in Ypres Salient. This is the extension which contains 876 burrials. This is adjacent to the Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing. The cemetery and memorial were designed by Harold Charlton Bradshaw with the sculpture by Gilbert Ledward.

Picture 40 {0021} - The Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery, in Ypres Salient. This is the orignial cemetery containing 83 Commonwealth graves and 4 German graves. The memorial was unveilled on 7th June 1931 by Duke of Brabant.

These images are kindly provided by Ian Humphreys, RBL, and are his Copyright. You may click on the thumb nail images for the original - these are high res images and may not be used for commercial purposes without full written consent from Mr Humphreys. Each image is 3264 x 2448 pixels or 3008 x 2000 pixels and are several MB in size..

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