The Ypres salient in February 2006

[Tony]

....

[Tony]

side entrance

[Tony]

,,,,

[Tony]

The church in Passchendaele; probably around 1916/17 and today.

[Tony]

Roeselarestraat in Zonnebeke looking towards the junction of Ieperstraat and Langemarkstraat.

[leigh kitchen]

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

cheers.

It might be while checking out this site?

http://www.britishwargraves.org.uk/

[smiler]

Thanks mate, i have had a look but did not him listed on it.

cheers.

It might be while checking out this site?

http://www.britishwargraves.org.uk/

[douglynn]

Thanks mate, i have had a look but did not him listed on it.

cheers.

wow the memories all came back of my trip to all the places did you know that all the german grave stones are all black??

[Ardent]

wow the memories all came back of my trip to all the places did you know that all the german grave stones are all black??

There are a few different styles of German stone/cross in the area:

In Commonwealth cemetaries you'll find a very square white stone of the same marble as our own but with rough cut lettering under an impression of the Iron Cross

Some cemetaries have thin black metal crosses with a name on each side of each cross-arm - they're about half inch thick and perfectly in line vertically, horizontally and diagonally (the only exceptions being small round rough stones between the ranks for the Jewish soldiers)

The majority of stones however are laid on the ground rather than upright and there were quite a few mass graves in the area too

[smiler]

Hi,

Just thought I would post an update to this thread, last week I visited our Tommy's final resting place at the Hooge Crater Cemetery. With my brother and old man we left a little reminder of him, an altogether very humbling experience mixed with a sense of great pride.

Stephen.

[smiler]

<!--quoteo(post=156833:date=Mar 14 2007, 21:41 :name=douglynn)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(douglynn @ Mar 14 2007, 21:41 ) ←</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->wow the memories all came back of my trip to all the places did you know that all the german grave stones are all black??<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

There are a few different styles of German stone/cross in the area:

In Commonwealth cemetaries you'll find a very square white stone of the same marble as our own but with rough cut lettering under an impression of the Iron Cross

Some cemetaries have thin black metal crosses with a name on each side of each cross-arm - they're about half inch thick and perfectly in line vertically, horizontally and diagonally (the only exceptions being small round rough stones between the ranks for the Jewish soldiers)

The majority of stones however are laid on the ground rather than upright and there were quite a few mass graves in the area too

Langemark Cemetery, as you say very different from the Commonwealth cemeteries.

[Tony]

Nice photos Stephen, please keep them coming if you have more.

Tony

[smiler]

Nice photos Stephen, please keep them coming if you have more.

Tony

No problem Tony, this is a good time of the year to field walk as the farmers are busy ploughing. I found this 18 pound shell and Mills grenade only feet apart.

Hill 60

Sanctuary Wood

Tyne Cot cemetery, resting place of just under 12,000 men.

[Tony]

It looks like fat Jacques has finally got someone to fix up his trench system, Sanctuary Wood was in a bit of a mess the last time I was there.

I was once walking along a trench line in Polygon Wood a day after a heavy down pour and saw what looked like a pine cone at about eye level. I naturally had a closer look, it turned out to be a Mills bomb placed on a ledge that had been cut into the parapet and had probably been there since 1918.

Tony