The Ypres salient in February 2006

[Tony]

Keep them coming Chris, looks like the Dixmuide trenches on on my list of things to do now.

I visited Vladso last year, I have an Iron Cross named to an officer buried there. Well, I can't actually confirm that he's the one.

Tony

[harribobs]

cheers mate

here's the Pax Gate and the Ijzer tower at Dixmuide

[harribobs]

on the Vladso theme, here's Peter Kollwitz's marker from 'Flanders Fields' museum, his mother created the sculptures at Vladso cemetary

[harribobs]

the Canadian memorial at Hill 62

and again with Passchendeale church in the background

Edited February 12, 2006 by harribobs

[harribobs]

Tyne Cot cemetary looking down towards Ypres

and a close up of the base of the cross of sacrifice at tyne cot, it's built on top on a blockhouse

[harribobs]

and lastly

Inside view of the Menin gate

and the last post buglers

[harribobs]

I visited Vladso last year, I have an Iron Cross named to an officer buried there. Well, I can't actually confirm that he's the one.

Tony

i was very surprised at how Vladso affected me, i've visited a few German cemetaries previously but the Kathy Kollwitz sculptures had a profound effect

[Chris Boonzaier]

The fireman in the middle, the medal on the left.... looks rather British doesnt it?

[harribobs]

The fireman in the middle, the medal on the left.... looks rather British doesnt it?

looks like a MBE....

good spot

[Danny]

Superb photos. Thanks for sharing them with us. I am hoping to make it to Europe next year for my wedding anniversary and Ypres is definitely on the agenda.

[Ardent]

Some memorials starting off with the Belgian one for both wars in the centre of Ypres.

If you visit Ieper and look at this you can see the bullet holes from the 2nd war very evident in the bronze

[Ardent]

The Australian memorial at Hill 60 and the Belgian memorial at Whitesheet.

Tony

WWII bullet holes again

[Ardent]

cheers mate

here's the Pax Gate and the Ijzer tower at Dixmuide

you get a great view of the area from the top of the tower - there's an aluminium plate all round the rampart with lines engraved and painted in it showing directions and distances to all the major landmarks around the region (if you can cope with the strangly unsupported and "open" metal staircase that spirals up from the viewing area in the cross arms)

[Ardent]

The fireman in the middle, the medal on the left.... looks rather British doesnt it?

several of the long-standing Brantweer band have the MBE for their services to this

[leigh kitchen]

A poor bugger found during the excavation work, a RWF killed on or before the 31.7.17 (battle of Pilkem Ridge). His tag was illegible.

Was this the 17 years old who featured in a tv documentary after the find?

[leigh kitchen]

I'm working on the wife for a 4 night trip to Ypres covering 11th November this year - a bloke at the police HQ in Cambridgeshire organises a lot of such trips (& is well involved in charity work, does excellent work) my wife had kept quiet about this forthcoming trip but we met him the other day by chance for the first time in a couple of years - and I asked what trips he had planned, he said Ypres in November, yes we've got places, the wife looked rather guilty & despairing 'cos she knew & had kept quiet, but I think we're going to do it - about ?195 a throw, well worth it.

[smiler]

Hiya,

Tony, very nice pictures and a great thread.I am also looking to travel to Ypres this year as i have a relative buried at the Hooge crater cemetery, one John Tommy Marsh 1st Bt Lancashire Fusiliers KIA 29/09/18. I am thinking of travelling by eurostar to Brussels and then onto Ypres, does anyone have any advice on wheather this is the best route to take via train and any info on places to stay.

Cheers Smiler.

[Ardent]

Hiya,

Tony, very nice pictures and a great thread.I am also looking to travel to Ypres this year as i have a relative buried at the Hooge crater cemetery, one John Tommy Marsh 1st Bt Lancashire Fusiliers KIA 29/09/18. I am thinking of travelling by eurostar to Brussels and then onto Ypres, does anyone have any advice on wheather this is the best route to take via train and any info on places to stay.

Cheers Smiler.

Unfortunately as Ieper is on "dead end" rail line it's the only way to travel (it's on the Kortrijk-Poperinghe line - Poperinghe being the end of the line)

Friendly and relatively cheap and convienient places to stay would be the Old Tom, Sweerd, Regina or Sultan hotels - all of which are on the Grote Markt or market square and 2 minutes walk from the Menin Gate

They can be found online relatively easily

[leigh kitchen]

Hiya,

Tony, very nice pictures and a great thread.I am also looking to travel to Ypres this year as i have a relative buried at the Hooge crater cemetery, one John Tommy Marsh 1st Bt Lancashire Fusiliers KIA 29/09/18. I am thinking of travelling by eurostar to Brussels and then onto Ypres, does anyone have any advice on wheather this is the best route to take via train and any info on places to stay.

Cheers Smiler.

Just in case you're not aware, Soldiers Died shows:

Private 3468 John Thomas Marsh, 1st Bn Lancashire Fusiliers, Born Manchester, Enlisted Bury, Lancs, Residence Bolton, Lancs, KIA France & Flanders 29/9/18.

[smiler]

Hiya,

Thanks mate, i already had the info as i have visited the Fusiliers museum which is just down the road from me. One thing that puzzles though is that when i downloaded his medal roll from the NA it states 2nd Bt. Thanks fellas for the travelling info.

cheers.

Just in case you're not aware, Soldiers Died shows:

Private 3468 John Thomas Marsh, 1st Bn Lancashire Fusiliers, Born Manchester, Enlisted Bury, Lancs, Residence Bolton, Lancs, KIA France & Flanders 29/9/18.

Edited March 4, 2007 by smiler

[Tony]

Was this the 17 years old who featured in a tv documentary after the find?

Don't know Leigh.

Smiler, I was there yesterday so it's a shame I didn't know, otherwise I'd have taken a photo of his grave for you.

I did take a couple of then and now pictures so will post them soon.

Tony

[smiler]

Tis a shame Tony, that would have been nice to show my old man a picture of his headstone.

cheers.

Don't know Leigh.

Smiler, I was there yesterday so it's a shame I didn't know, otherwise I'd have taken a photo of his grave for you.

I did take a couple of then and now pictures so will post them soon.

Tony

[Tony]

Here are some then and now photos taken in Ypres and Passchendaele the other day.

There was a fair on the Grote Markt so I couldn't get as good a picture as I wanted of the hospital.

[Tony]

Today, well, the day before yesterday.

[Tony]

St. Martin's