Embedded Files
The penultimate post in France and Belgium:
On Friday we arrived In Ypres, Belgium and paraded at the Menin Gate the following morning (future post to come on this) whereby 55,000 names of those who perished defending the town are held at. These names only dated up to 1916 whereby they ran out of room and the rest are at held at Tyne Cot Cemetery, 11,000 buried and a further 30,000 of those who are declared missing.
Riding out of Ypres towards Polygon Wood, both known for the notorious battles of the Australian and New Zealand Divisions, Hellfire Corner ( the first and only key defensive position to be under consistent bombardment from the Germans throughout the war here) and as the training area for the Belgian cavalry based in Ypres. With the density of the forest, it was a really harrowing scene to stumble upon the Australian and New Zealand Memorial commemorating the heavy fighting that took place.
Upon moving to the biggest military cemetery in Europe, Tyne Cot, I was surprised to see how many men from Lancashire had died defending the area. I was personally moved to see 1 identified soldier from The Lancashire Hussars, The Duke if Lancashire's Own Yeomanry, The Cheshire Yeomanry and The Northumberland Hussars, all now squadrons that make up the Queens Own Yeomanry.
The immense privilege and honour to be representing all the Yeomanry and as a member of the DLOY is understated. As Churchill once sad "never in the field of human conflict, has so much been owed by so many, to so few".
What a surreal, sombre and harrowing experience.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse