Flanders – the killing fields of Europe

Tyne Cot Cemetery, Passendale

Standing among the thousands of graves at Tynedale Cot cemetery, tightly packed row upon row on the hillside by the village of Passendale, there is no escaping the enormity of the tragedies that millions of families endured in those dark days of the First World War. Many graves bear no name – only a regiment and a date. Such was the rate of death in this corner of Belgium that there was no time to identify who had fallen. Many relatives have come to these sites of remembrance and have had to find solace in the knowledge that one of the unnamed graves may be that of their father or grandfather. The peaceful air in this pleasant rural spot gives no clues as to the horrors that occurred here more than 90 years ago.

Some of the many thousands of names inscribed on the Menin Gate, Ypres

A visit to the In Flanders Fields museum in Ypres on the other hand spares no details and provides a graphic yet sensitive portrayal of the hell that this area became for both troops and residents for four years. This beautiful market town was razed to the ground although it’s hard to believe looking around now and admiring the impressive main square. The museum curators must be commended for bringing together both artifacts and photographs from WW1 and creating audio-visual displays that powerfully convey the emotional and physical torment that the soldiers on both sides endured. Particularly poignant are the stories of humanity that arose during the long years of trench warfare: the famous Christmas truce, the regularly agreed breakfast and even latrine truces, and the many examples where despite the daily horrors there was a code of conduct for warfare that was adhered to by both sides.

A wander through the trenches gives little clue to the hell that men endured here

A short drive out of Ypres is Hillside 62, where many thousands of Canadian troops fought and fell. Here visitors can wander through trenches, some still bearing their original construction although the growth of trees in the last century masks the sense of the desert that this place became. The cafe and shop by the trench exhibit has a very impressive collection of photographs and military hardware from the battlefield.

No visit to this area is complete without hearing the Last Post sounded at the Menin Gate in Ypres. Played every night for the last 80 years with the exception of the WW2 years, it is a simple yet moving tribute to ensure that those who died will never be forgotten. A bugle sounds out the haunting tune of the Last Post to a silent crowd of hundreds of tourists and soldiers, while guests lay wreaths of remembrance at the gate. The Menin Gate itself bears the names of tens of thousands of men who died here.

Last post at the Menin Gate

In an area that has a population of no more than 50,000 it is sobering to think that over half a million men lost their lives in a four year war. They came from all over the world to fight in the service of their country and for four years the western front moved by no more than a few miles back and forth. It is humbling and at the same time bewildering to try and comprehend the sheer scale of the death and destruction that took place here. I am glad to have seen these sites and glad to know a little more of the terrible story of these brave men and the sacrifices they made in the cause of a better world for future generations.

Many museums end on an uplifting note, but the museum in Ypres does just the opposite. As I left the final exhibit, the final sentences stayed with me. To paraphrase: “The hope was that this would be the war that would end all wars. Yet this has proved to be a false hope. On every day of every year since the armistice, there has been armed conflict taking place somewhere in this world.”