Todays WW1 tour (Mesen, Kemmel and Ieper)

[woodhatcher]

Hello

I have gone today at a WW1 tour around Mesen, Kemmel & Ieper.
These are the pics.



this is the remebrance monument that the Khaki Chums have left after their Christmess truce re-enacting at 1999.
The only monument in Mesen for the Christmess Truce

After that, we went to the Ploegsteert memorial.


This is a Jewish grave at this memorial.


The memorial.


The remembrance stone.


This pic is a small piece of the remembrance tablets in the memorial.
private Sydnet Alfred Wyllie was with his 15years the yongest WW1 soldier that is mentioned at the Ploegsteert Memorial.


Kind Regards Vincent

[woodhatcher]

next place we visited was a cemetery not far from Ploegsteert Memorial.
Why I visited this cemetery is because of this:

In august 2008, I was going to Ieper and was looking for stuff in a militaria shop of a friend of mine (the Shell Hole Bookstore).
After a couple of minute's, an Australian chap enterd and asked where was Mesen (also known as Messines)
Mesen is about 15 km of Ieper. I was planning to go after my visit at the shop, to go to Mesen and i told him that he could go with me.
As we where driving a long, he told me that he was surching for the grave of his great grand uncle: A.R. Harbeck.
After the surch for the cemetery and grave (and a very emotional letter that he read by the grave), we went to go sight seeing.
I drove him back to the train station and changed email adresses.
Because of this happening, I still go every month to that grave and clean it a bit up.
Ive even start reasurch about his life and dead.
You can read every thing of that reasurch here: Great War Forum



This is his grave. I try to put the cross in the ground, but it was to hard frozen.



Me and A.R. Harbeck


Kind Regards Vincent

[woodhatcher]

Next stop is Kemmelberg.
This hill was of great importance in WW1.


This is a French Monument on the top of the hill


After this, we went to the Lettenberg, their you 4 original German Bunkers build in a little hill.



A german Sani-Bunker (the cross is original painted)



My friend overlooking the field



The command Bunker



Sight from the command bunker



My friend that is takning a picture


Kind regards Vincent

[woodhatcher]

My favorite WW1 monument in the westhoek:



American monument for the 27th & 30th ID



Front of the monument



A sign next to the monument with explenation



Back side of the monument



27th ID (New York Division)



30th ID (Old Hickory)


Kind Regards Vincent

[woodhatcher]

This was ower last stop.
The museum at "T'klein Rijsel" also known as "Ramparts Museum"
Al the guns are away, because they are looke to restore them.



Belgian Soldier



A bomb



A Belgian soldier on his byke



A german soldier



A englesh soldier, awaiting orders.



A french soldier, ready to go "over the top"



A look from the stairs towards a trench



A german soldier with a mortar.




Some german soldier that are resting in a dug-out.



German Stirn Panzer




Americian soldiers who captured a wounded german soldier



An WW1 veteran


Kind Regards Vincent (I hope you all enjoyed it as much like i haved today)

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Thank you for taking the time to post such an interesting thread they're great photo's and I can see you went to alot of trouble to put this post together. Going through them I felt that I'd visited with you. I'll definately be visiting the area in the future, there's so much to see and so much to ponder. Will want to lay a wreath to all casualities from all nations and families affected.
LUCKYSTRIKE

[woodhatcher]

If you ever are planning to come to Ieper or the neighbourhood.
Let me know. If you want (and I have the time) I will give you a tour guide.
Next tour that we make, will be towards Boezinge.
Thats a part in the westhoek that i did'nt visited before.

Kind Regards Vincent

Thank you for taking the time to post such an interesting thread they're great photo's and I can see you went to alot of trouble to put this post together. Going through them I felt that I'd visited with you. I'll definately be visiting the area in the future, there's so much to see and so much to ponder. Will want to lay a wreath to all casualities from all nations and families affected.
LUCKYSTRIKE