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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Ypres-Messines Bicycle Tour in 1925


Brett

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My grandparents, from Amsterdam in Netherlands, took a bike trip through Belgium between 20 June and 2 July 1925, primarily to visit the grave of my grandmother's brother "Harry" Schipper (1883-1917) of the 36th Bn AIF, who had been killed during the Battle of Messines, on 9 June 1917.

I have already posted photos that my grandfather took of his brother-in-law's memorial cross in Toronto Avenue Cemetery, and thought I would also include some of the the other pictures that he took on that trip, as they have some historical significance.

The captions are as written in the photo album, in Dutch. If anyone can identify any of the photos more accurately, or provide some interesting information about the locations, I would be very grateful.

Regards and best wishes,

Brett

First of the photos:

21.6.'25 Yperen - Hallen

post-4-1082945060.jpg

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Brett,

What great pictures taken in 1925

Andy

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Some translation by the photo's:

1. Cloth Hall Ypres

2. Messines New Zealand Monument

3. Destroyed wood near Ypres. Note: difficult to locate as this was the state of most woods around Ypres after the War.

4. Messines ruine. Sure some pal will be able to locate this.

5. Destroyed lock near Comines.

Hope this helps.

Jacky

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Brett,

Excellent photos. I have a great interest in the Messines area. Its good to see some post war photos.

Jacky,

I am inclined to think that photo 4 may be the ruins of the old church in Messines. Look at the brickwork, it looks quite ancient. Do you know when the current church was constructed? and was it before or after 1925? What do you think mate?

Iain

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Hello,

About the Messines ruine; the village was totally destroyed except the crypte of the church. It was a good shelter (used by both, Adolf Hitler was billeted in the church crypt, he made some water colour drawnings.) because of the tons of debris on the crypte coming from the destroyed church. So I think this foto is not one of the crypte. I rather think the cellars of the abbey.

Finally, the church was rebuild in 1931.

Greetings

Joris

Westouter

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22.6.'25 Messines - New-Zealand monument

Great photographs, thanks.

Contrast the earlier photo of the NZ Memorial with this one taken just over one week ago.

Robert

post-4-1083002549.jpg

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Thanks everybody for your kind comments. Also my appreciation to Jacky for a more precise translation than I could provide, to Iain, Jacky & Joris for your illuminative ideas on the location of the ruins, and to Robert for an excellent recent photo of the NZ Memorial at Messines.

Just out of interest, this is a shot of my grandfather Dirk Smit (1895-1985), the intrepid 1925 tourist - and photographer - having a pit stop somewhere en route!

Regards and best wishes,

Brett

post-4-1083009802.jpg

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  • 3 years later...

I am intending to revisit the locations of the photographs described above in the next couple of months. Since the photos seem to have disappeared, I thought I would repost them. this time located on a separate server, so that they will remain visible.

dirksmit1925.jpg

My grandfather, Dirk Smit, on a cycle trip to the battlefields in 1925.

ypresclothhall.jpg

Ruins of the Cloth Hall, Ypres, 21 Jun 1925

ypresruinedwood.jpg

Ruined wood near Ypres, 22 Jun 1925

Regards and best wishes,

Brett Payne

Tauranga, New Zealand

and the other images to follow, as it will only let me post three at a time ...

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Well, it seems only three in total!!!

messinesnzmem.jpg

New Zealand Memorial at Messines, 22 Jun 1925

messinesruins.jpg

Ruins at Messines, 22 Jun 1925

torontoave1925.jpg

Toronto Avenue Cemetery, Ploegsteert Wood, 22 Jun 1925

Okay, that worked, so I'll try again.

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I would also like to add that I've more or less confirmed the identification made above by Joris, that the "Ruins - Messines" were probably the cellars of the abbey at Messines, rather than the crypt of the church. Compare the above image with that shown below, from the Flanders 1917 web page, devoted to The Royal Institution of Messines.

mpostwar.JPG

Thanks very much Joris! Regards and best wishes, Brett

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A1 Photos Brett.Nice to see them and thanks for sharing them.Regards Russ.

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