ypresman Posted 1 February , 2010 Share Posted 1 February , 2010 After the Ceremony has long gone...so the burials begin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ypresman Posted 1 February , 2010 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2010 more pics.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ypresman Posted 1 February , 2010 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2010 More pics... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ypresman Posted 1 February , 2010 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2010 more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT-Guards Posted 1 February , 2010 Share Posted 1 February , 2010 Finally at rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judy7007 Posted 1 February , 2010 Share Posted 1 February , 2010 Very, very emotional. Thank you for these photos. I have been searching for some. Please forgive silly question but what is the uniform they are wearing? Sometimes my eyesight isn't what it used to be. Judy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
River97 Posted 2 February , 2010 Share Posted 2 February , 2010 Very, very emotional. Thank you for these photos. I have been searching for some. Please forgive silly question but what is the uniform they are wearing? Sometimes my eyesight isn't what it used to be. Judy Nice photo's indeed, Thanks for posting them. There are three pall bearers from Australia and another three from the British Forces. The Australians are from the Federation Guard wearing Service Dress and due to the weather conditions, they have an additional winter weather great coat. Cheers Andy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrislock Posted 2 February , 2010 Share Posted 2 February , 2010 And so do the British. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelPack Posted 2 February , 2010 Share Posted 2 February , 2010 Thanks for posting the photos. Can you tell us the extent of the ceremony involved in these burials - is there, for example, a firing party? Mel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 2 February , 2010 Share Posted 2 February , 2010 This might be a daft question, but why were they burying this particular soldier the day after? Why was he not buried the day before in the main ceremony? Or is this an identified soldier and the family requested a quiet service? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ypresman Posted 2 February , 2010 Author Share Posted 2 February , 2010 Can you tell us the extent of the ceremony involved in these burials - is there, for example, a firing party? I was there for about an hour and the Hearse drives up, the coffin is taken out by the Burial Party and taken for re-burial. This is then repeated not long after. There is a firing party at the end of each day, but not after each burial. Quite a sombre mood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelPack Posted 2 February , 2010 Share Posted 2 February , 2010 This might be a daft question, but why were they burying this particular soldier the day after? Why was he not buried the day before in the main ceremony? Or is this an identified soldier and the family requested a quiet service? Paul These are the first of the 'batch' burials scheduled for each Monday, Wednesday and Friday throughout February (weather permitting). Ypresman, thanks for the information. Mel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ypresman Posted 2 February , 2010 Author Share Posted 2 February , 2010 This might be a daft question, but why were they burying this particular soldier the day after? Why was he not buried the day before in the main ceremony? Or is this an identified soldier and the family requested a quiet service? They are burying the other 248 Soldiers during the month of Feb, on each Mon,Wed and Friday starting at 9.00am (weather permitting). They are burying up to 30 soldiers per designated day. It begins with the Start of Day procedure and ends with Close of Day ceremony which includes the salute by the Firing Party. The coffin is received by the Burial Party and a Chaplain and then they perform concurrent ceremonies on opposite sides of the ceremony. It was strange watching it, one coffin was lowered in one side of the Cemetery and soon as that had finished another was brought into the Cemetery and it was buried at the other side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pighills Posted 2 February , 2010 Share Posted 2 February , 2010 Thank you for posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrislock Posted 2 February , 2010 Share Posted 2 February , 2010 Good informing post by Mark. I arrived at 3pm for the last burials of the day. It works exactly as Mark posts so if you wish to see the firing party and hear the wonderful Last Post played by this amazing piece of history ( The Australian Cornet * See separate thread ) and the flag raising ceremony, this only happens at the end of each day. The last daily batch of burials commence at 3.30pm. There is also another single burial on the July 19th Ceremony in the Cemetery. Dress up warm guys, the wind howls across the public viewing area and it was biting, just as it was on Saturday! Salute! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameron2165 Posted 2 February , 2010 Share Posted 2 February , 2010 Thanks for posting the photo's. Very moving. Cam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 2 February , 2010 Share Posted 2 February , 2010 Ah - ok. I understand. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Bennett Posted 2 February , 2010 Share Posted 2 February , 2010 If the day commences at 9.00am and the last burials are 3.30pm, does this mean that the Padres and Burial Parties will be working for nearly seven hours ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ypresman Posted 2 February , 2010 Author Share Posted 2 February , 2010 If the day commences at 9.00am and the last burials are 3.30pm, does this mean that the Padres and Burial Parties will be working for nearly seven hours ? One of the Burial parties and Padres marched off down the road to the huts where the coffins are being stored. There is also quite large facilities there.. ie toilets, kitchen...etc, so one assumes they go for a break every so often. Funny moment when the woman Padre commented on how she couldn't say the words properly as her lips were frozen!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Tiger Posted 2 February , 2010 Share Posted 2 February , 2010 Ypresman I must have been standing right next to you. Speaking to the Australian media liason girl she said that it was anticipated for each burial party to have a break approx every hour. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
River97 Posted 2 February , 2010 Share Posted 2 February , 2010 If the day commences at 9.00am and the last burials are 3.30pm, does this mean that the Padres and Burial Parties will be working for nearly seven hours ? As a soldier, an opportunity like this never comes up. For the members of the Federation Guard, this would be the trip of a lifetime, something they will never forget. To be able to travel to France, visit the battlefields, and be in the funeral party for up to 250 of your fallen countrymen from the Great War, working seven hours a day would not be a problem. They would have volunteered in the hundreds for this. Cheers Andy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coppertales Posted 2 February , 2010 Share Posted 2 February , 2010 I would volunteer in a heartbeat, alas, I am from the wrong country. Thank you for posting the pictures. They are very moving....chris3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Bennett Posted 2 February , 2010 Share Posted 2 February , 2010 As a soldier, an opportunity like this never comes up. For the members of the Federation Guard, this would be the trip of a lifetime, something they will never forget. To be able to travel to France, visit the battlefields, and be in the funeral party for up to 250 of your fallen countrymen from the Great War, working seven hours a day would not be a problem. They would have volunteered in the hundreds for this. Cheers Andy. Andy I wasn't being critical, but I was just trying to gauge whether it would be 7 hours non-stop or as someone has explained, do they get a break. I want to be there at the start on the 10th and hopefully at the closing ceremony, but I would probably feel siezed up if there was no break. I think I will keep on the move and go to VC Corner, Aubers Ridge etc in between the internments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Tiger Posted 2 February , 2010 Share Posted 2 February , 2010 Peter Sounds very similar to the way I planned it; only I went to Vimy which looked amazing in the snow! Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ypresman Posted 2 February , 2010 Author Share Posted 2 February , 2010 I wasn't being critical, but I was just trying to gauge whether it would be 7 hours non-stop or as someone has explained, do they get a break. At least I knew what you meant...after all 7 hours is a long time without a loo/tea/fag/scoff break... It's a long day for anyone, especially in the harsh conditions as it has been over the last few days. Personally... if I was there for the whole day, I would see the opening Ceremony (first burial), then do Aubers Ridge (Kaisers Bunker, Hitlers Bunker..etc), Neuve Chapelle and maybe Bois Grenier. Plenty to do around that area (VC Corner,Cobbers Memorial)..then head back for the Closing Ceremony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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