A major focus of this trip was visiting the war sites and learning about the wars and especially the Canadian involvement. We started this portion of our trip in Ypres, Belgium with Marnix, our guide who also works for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. They are responsible for taking care of all Commonwealth cemeteries and monuments.
A little bit about Ypres. A charming small town of 25000, it is home to many visitors each year seeking to learn about WWI. The buildings are lovely but surprisingly new as the Germans completely destroyed the town - for no strategic reason but rather revenge because the Belgium king would not let them cross through the country. 5 years after the war a major portion of the city had been rebuilt and in its original form. We certainly thought the buildings were old on first sight.
Our first visit was Hill 62 just outside of Ypres. Canadians played a huge role in this area in an effort to hold the Germans off from reaching the sea. It is startling to see the small amount of land that was fought over for 3 years with thousands of lives lost. The monument to the Canadians is simple and located at the top of the hill with a view of Ypres in the distance now but a view of the enemy then.
The small museum at Hill 62 is an unorganized collection of items found in the area. Outside you can see some of the British trenches.
Just a short walk away is a cemetery with over 2600 buried there. Each country has its special marking - for Canada it is the maple leaf.
Next stop, In Flanders Field museum in Ypres. A completely opposite experience as the museum is modern with amazing displays. Having Marnix, our guide, walk us though the display was so much nicer than the audio guide. As you leave you see massive flags with writing hanging down. Shockingly these are all the wars that have happened since the end of WWI. So much for the war to end all wars.
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| The map of Europe looked very different and essentially fighting was in France and now Belgium |
Crest Farm was another key battleground for Canadians and again you see the monument on the hill but first you walk through Canada Gate. Inside the gate is a poster identifying 9 Canadians who received the Victoria Cross for their bravery during just one battle - according to Marnix, this was very unusual.
Our drive through the countryside took us by beautiful farms and lovely landscaped yards which were truly amazing after witnessing some of the display pictures from the war - burned out barren land and muddy swamps was all that was left after the fighting which seemed to go back and forth over a very small section of land for years.
The Passchendaele Memorial Museum is located in an old rebuilt mansion. It is is a great museum focusing on the soldiers and their experiences. The final displays take you through recreated bunkers and finally a look at trenches that have also been recreated. Learning more about this battle is a bit chilling - we have learned there were lots of mistakes that were not necessarily part of the history writings. Mistakes that cost more lives lost than were necessary. Seeing these images can certainly remind you that war is ugly!
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| This was created by a New Zealander artist representing the men that were mowed down over a swampy area and bodies never recovered. The arms were created out of the mud where these soldiers died! |
Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial is the largest commonwealth cemetery in this area with over 12000 graves. Only about 3000 are identified. It is massive with the first portion being graves dug during the war and post war it was expanded to accommodate the bodies found. It is a somber experience seeing one white grave marker after another! While this is the largest, there are cemeteries everywhere ranging from a few graves to hundreds - the count 170 cemeteries.
The Brooding Soldier at St Julien Canadian Memorial is a stark reminder that 2000 Canadians lost their lives during a short period on April 5, 1915 with the German’s first gas attack. This monument was the runner up to the contest held for the Vimy monument.
The German Cemetery is the resting place to 45000 Germans. Only half are buried in individual graves while the others are in a mass grave. It is very stark compared to the Commonwealth cemeteries we visited. There are 4 German cemeteries in the area and the bodies found in smaller grave sites have been moved to one of these four sites.
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| The mass grave is behind this monument |
Essex Farm Cemetery is very important to Canadians as it is where John McCrae wrote In Flanders Fields. Short on poppies but significant as a burial did and some bunkers on display.
The final memorial in this area is the Menin Gate in Ypres. This rebuilt gate became the memorial to the missing. Among the thousands of names engraved in the walls are the names of 6000 Canadians either buried in unmarked graves or missing. The huge crowd shows up every night for a memorable and emotional few minutes. Every day since July 2, 1928 a ceremony recognizing the missing takes place with the playing of the Last Post and wreaths laid by visiting groups or families.
Some First World War stats and personal thoughts:
10 million lost their lives
66000 Canadians lost their lives in the war
Men from 130 countries, many of them Commonwealth fought in the war
25 Canadians were Shot at Dawn for desertion - yes we executed our own
Towns were levelled for no strategic war reason but to show a conquest
There were definitely bad decisions made by the powers to be that led to greater loss of life - in some cases it felt like men were sent out like lambs to slaughter
WAR IS UGLY, USELESS CARNAGE, SENSELESS.
The experience was an eye opener - the messages we have always learned about glorious battles are not necessarily the reality of the day!
