peterhogg Posted 9 October , 2011 Share Posted 9 October , 2011 A couple of days ago. The new occupiers are building a model Hill 60, to be known as Hill 6, in the garden. Yeah, but they are also building a little house to scale in front of it to wreck the view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawley Jockey Posted 12 October , 2011 Share Posted 12 October , 2011 Are the builders working under the cover of darkness, every time I visit the work has progressed but as yet I have never seen anyone working there. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme Heavey Posted 2 April , 2012 Share Posted 2 April , 2012 This is a difficult one in my humble opinion . We PALS here are fiercely passionate about the men who remain forever in the fields where they died and I agree that when they are found they should be given the respect they are due and the BRITISH GOVERNMENT should be smashing down the Belgian front door and doing something about it. Even if the British Taxpayer has to fork out to suspend works for a month we can never do enough to get these lads looked after, perhaps putting some tax on something else may help. Belgium is in a difficult place though. They need to move on and are apparently attempting this in a very strange way, clarity and respect from their side is needed. Perhaps we should start bombarding the King of Belgium with protest letters? After all, if we hadnt stepped in TWICE he would be King of nowhere. Concreted over? You have got to be kidding me? Incredible!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 2 April , 2012 Share Posted 2 April , 2012 Even if the British Taxpayer has to fork out to suspend works for a month we can never do enough to get these lads looked after, perhaps putting some tax on something else may help. I'm sure that would go down really well with the vast majority of British tax payers!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towisuk Posted 2 April , 2012 Share Posted 2 April , 2012 I have been in touch several times with my MP who has raised the matter of soldiers remains not being reported when uncovered during developements in the battlefields. He has passed my concerns on to the various bodies that are involved with the recovery of the fallen. One reply from our MOD states that if I have any substansiated evidence, then I should write to the Belgian Embassy myself. The latest correspondence I had from the House of Lords was a bit more encouraging, I've temporaraly mislaid the letter I recieved, but when I find it I'll post the crux of it on the forum.. regards Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bert Heyvaert Posted 20 April , 2012 Share Posted 20 April , 2012 Well, these concerns are raised every now and than towards the Belgian or Flemish authorities. What happens next is this: The Belgian/Flemish authorities accept the concerns and assure their British collegues that the necessary laws are in place, obliging everyone doing extensive digging to rapport all archaeological and human remains immediatly to the authorities. The British authorities than rest assured, having asked the question and being very hasitant to put their noses any deeper in what is a very shady affair... For instance, archaeological remains are the responsability of the Flemish goverment, while war graves and the exhumation of war victims are under the authorities of the Belgian federal goverment (ministry of defence). Also, if the rapportation of bodies is left to the people operating mechanical digging machines as it is now... They might only notice the remains when they have allready been completely scattered, if they notice or rapport them at all. I am only raising some concerns here, I don't have a workable answer to the current situation. Well, I do have an answer but it surely would be far too expensive in the current situation. It strikes me as highly injust though, that here in Flanders millions of euros can be found with ease to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to the region in 2014-2018 while the authorities are not willing to spend even a fraction of this amount for some pre-construction survey for bodies on battlefield sites. Seems like some people got their moral priorities in the wrong order... regards, Bert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnock Posted 21 April , 2012 Share Posted 21 April , 2012 A couple of years ago I listened to a conversation between a construction worker and another guy. The construction worker said that it still happens that they discover human remains of WWI, but they are thrown on the truck with the dirt and removed... as simple as that Interruption of the works means loss of money for them...they don't have the same concerns as we have Cnock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roel22 Posted 21 April , 2012 Share Posted 21 April , 2012 I've heard the same story from a local farmer: reporting the discovery of remains to the authorities would mean loss of time and money. Roel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towisuk Posted 22 April , 2012 Share Posted 22 April , 2012 Well, these concerns are raised every now and than towards the Belgian or Flemish authorities. What happens next is this: The Belgian/Flemish authorities accept the concerns and assure their British collegues that the necessary laws are in place, obliging everyone doing extensive digging to rapport all archaeological and human remains immediatly to the authorities. The British authorities than rest assured, having asked the question and being very hasitant to put their noses any deeper in what is a very shady affair... For instance, archaeological remains are the responsability of the Flemish goverment, while war graves and the exhumation of war victims are under the authorities of the Belgian federal goverment (ministry of defence). Also, if the rapportation of bodies is left to the people operating mechanical digging machines as it is now... They might only notice the remains when they have allready been completely scattered, if the notice or rapport them at all. I am only raising some concerns here, I don't have a workable answer to the current situation. Well, I do have an answer but it surely would be far to expensive in the current situation. It strikes me as highly injust though, that here in Flanders millions of euros can be found with ease to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to the region in 2014-2018 while the authorities are not willing to spend even a fraction of this amount for some pre-construction survey for bodies on battlefield sites. Seems like some people got their moral priorities in the wrong order... regards, Bert Well said Bert!! regards Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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