2nd Ahoghill Company Section continued their World War 1 history tour, visiting several memorial sites and cemeteries around the Ypres Salient in Belgium.
Our day began with an early start at 7:30am, and allowed plenty of time for us all to use the campsite facilities to get washed. With the boys refreshed and awake, they began to pack up camp and load their gear into one of the vans. Jonathan and Tommy took the opportunity to drive to the local Aldi to buy food and supplies to use throughout the week.
They eventually returned to camp bearing gifts, fresh croissants and chocolate milk for everyone. While the boys and other leaders had their breakfast, Jonathan and Tommy had a real world game of Tetris – trying to organise a week’s worth of groceries properly into the van. With both vans now fully loaded, we headed back into Ypres for our reserved slot at the In Flanders Field Museum.
In Flanders Field Museum
The museum is located on the second floor of the Cloth Hall, in the town’s market square. The original medieval building was largely destroyed by German artillery during World War 1, but was later reconstructed.
On arrival we were each given a microchipped Poppy Bracelet, which would allow us to interact with exhibits and personalise them to use English text and audio. The exhibits tells the story of Belgium’s involvement in World War 1 – from their invasion by Germany and initial response, to the four years of trench warfare that took place in the region. The combination of interactive displays and recovered artefacts offered a fascinating insight into the tremendous impact the war had on the people of Belgium. Having explored all the exhibits, we headed downstairs to the museum shop. A few of the boys took the opportunity to buy wooden memorial crosses, which they would lay at the graves of relatives later in the day.
With lunchtime approaching, we treated the boys to Belgian waffles in a little shop opposite the museum; before heading back to the vans to travel to our next destination.
Hill 60
Four and a half kilometres south of Ypres, this area of high ground was the location of several battles throughout the war. Originally created in 1850s when excavating a railway line, the raised land later became known as Hill 60 by the soldiers due to it being 60 feet above sea level.
After eating our lunch in the carpark, we headed into the memorial park. A gentle sloping walkway led to the top of the hill where a memorial stood for the Queen Victoria’s Rifles battalion, who had successfully defended the hill in April 1915. Continuing into the wooded area of the park, we came across the remains of a concrete bunkers and several shell craters – evidence of the bitter fighting which had taken place.
We followed the path out of the park towards a railway bridge, passing by a memorial to men of the 14th (Light) Division who gave their lives between 1915–1918. After crossing the bridge, we walked along a short path to the massive crater of the Caterpillar mine which was detonated in 1917 as part of the Battle of Messines.
As we walked back through the park towards the carpark, we came across a memorial to the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company who were responsible for the construction of Caterpillar mine. It commemorated the men who had given their lives in the mining and defensive operations of Hill 60 between 1915 and 1918.
Tyne Cot
After another short drive, we arrived at Tyne Cot. It is the largest Commonwealth cemetery in the world, home to the remains of almost 12,000 soldiers.
Our first stop was the visitors centre, to learn more about the battles which took place in the area. The walk there was a somber one, with the names of fallen soldiers being spoken on a loop through speakers along the route.
The cemetery itself was a sight to behold. The neatly plotted rows of graves and perfectly maintained flowers offered a fitting memorial to the men who had laid down their lives almost a century ago.
When we returned to the carpark, we hopped back into the vans one final time to make the 124km drive to our next campsite in the Somme area of France.
Camping Bellevue
Once both vans had arrived and we had set up the tents, we started to prepare dinner. Jonathan lit the barbecue, while Tommy gave a short Bible talk on True Christian Manliness. This focused on how a Christian man should live, and some of the instructions given in the Bible. That night’s dinner was a hearty meal of boiled rice and spiced sausage, with roasted garlic for the more adventurous boys.
After dinner, the boys were free to chat and explore the campsite until it was time for bed. Another busy day beckoned in the morning.
