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Remembered Today:

Passchendaele weekend


bruce

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Since I started the topic, I suppose I should finish it.

It was a stunning trip. We went over from Hull on the Wednesday, and stopped first at the Zeebrugges memorial, before going on to Nieupoort and then Coxyde. A few more headstone pics before heading down to the Somme for a coupl of days.

On Saturday evening, we saw the reversal for the Grote Macht event from the new Spar restraint on the square (fo of good, and the service, if a little prices). 

On the Sunday, spent all day on the field at Zonnebeke having been invited by the WFA. It was almost exclusively local Belgians who were very interested and inquisitive, and a number went off with a smile on being assured that the army that finally capture Passchendaele in 1918 was the Belgian one. Few seemed to know. The re-enact ours.....Belgian, French, German and British.....we're all enthusiastic and knowledgable, even if the German Germans ought that the British Germans ought to at least speak German!

The event in the Square that venting was splendid. The big screen showed the Last Post and then th show went on until 11. After fighting our way back to the car and getting to the rented house in Pops, we got to bed about 12.15. Up again at 4......to Hagebos so as to be at the firing of the gun to mark the centenary of the opening of the infantry offensive. Three of the party couldn't stay for a vin dhonneur as we had to be back at Zonnebeke before seven when the area as locked down. Two went to the ceremony at Artillery Wood at ten, and then, with tickets, back to the Welsh National Memorial at four. THree of us spent the day on the field at th chateau again....this time nearly all British, and wanting o know dactyl where great uncle Albert was killed. A very long day, but a very rewarding one.

some more cemeteries on Tuesday and Wednesday, plus some retail therapy, the Wednesday evening ferry, and back in time for the Merseyside WFA meeting on Thursday evening.

just beginning to catch up on the missed sleep!

wouldnt have missed it for the world, if only to see the look on number one daughters face when she realise that she was shaking the hand of the King of the Belgians!

 

bruce

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On 8/2/2017 at 19:46, Lanayca said:

Will you be going back for the Scottish weekend later in August? I was also there this weekend with the 18 pounder but won't get back for the Scottish event . My grandfather was with the 13th Royal Scots at Frezenberg

 

Sadly no, I would have loved to but finishing up school just now. Up the 15th Div!

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On 8/7/2017 at 15:21, bruce said:

Since I started the topic, I suppose I should finish it.

It was a stunning trip. We went over from Hull on the Wednesday, and stopped first at the Zeebrugges memorial, before going on to Nieupoort and then Coxyde. A few more headstone pics before heading down to the Somme for a coupl of days.

On Saturday evening, we saw the reversal for the Grote Macht event from the new Spar restraint on the square (fo of good, and the service, if a little prices). 

On the Sunday, spent all day on the field at Zonnebeke having been invited by the WFA. It was almost exclusively local Belgians who were very interested and inquisitive, and a number went off with a smile on being assured that the army that finally capture Passchendaele in 1918 was the Belgian one. Few seemed to know. The re-enact ours.....Belgian, French, German and British.....we're all enthusiastic and knowledgable, even if the German Germans ought that the British Germans ought to at least speak German!

The event in the Square that venting was splendid. The big screen showed the Last Post and then th show went on until 11. After fighting our way back to the car and getting to the rented house in Pops, we got to bed about 12.15. Up again at 4......to Hagebos so as to be at the firing of the gun to mark the centenary of the opening of the infantry offensive. Three of the party couldn't stay for a vin dhonneur as we had to be back at Zonnebeke before seven when the area as locked down. Two went to the ceremony at Artillery Wood at ten, and then, with tickets, back to the Welsh National Memorial at four. THree of us spent the day on the field at th chateau again....this time nearly all British, and wanting o know dactyl where great uncle Albert was killed. A very long day, but a very rewarding one.

some more cemeteries on Tuesday and Wednesday, plus some retail therapy, the Wednesday evening ferry, and back in time for the Merseyside WFA meeting on Thursday evening.

just beginning to catch up on the missed sleep!

wouldnt have missed it for the world, if only to see the look on number one daughters face when she realise that she was shaking the hand of the King of the Belgians!

 

bruce

 

A Kwak-assisted post, perhaps? Or maybe your phone has lost the ability to type English due to your semi-continental existence. ;-)

On 8/6/2017 at 11:00, KGB said:

Yes there was a dress code, as to graves, maybe it is an Irish thing, the graves are clearly marked, so stand beside, not on. Mas e do thoil e, (Dhia dhuit), slan.

 

The graves are not clearly marked. The headstones show the approximate position of the grave and therefore the body.

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On 02/08/2017 at 11:37, AmericanTommy said:

I was one of the reenactors present in Zonnebeke and Ypres over the weekend. Was a very moving experience. If you saw some Cameronians walking about it was a group of us down from Glasgow. On the 31st we got into modern clothes and moved about the salient. I gave a tour to some reenactors following the 15th Division's assault on Frezenberg. Was a bit sad seeing no attention paid on the actual day of the assault at many of the famous sites. Also somewhat irked at the large focus on the word "Passchendaele". Seems no one will talk of Broodseinde, Pilckem, or the other major events which made up the overall Third Battle of Ypres. 

 

I did indeed meet and see you and talk to you. (on the Friday or Saturday evening, I think.. and very smart you were. In fact you stood out as looking (and sounding) the part. Well done

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I was delighted to 'bump' into forum member 'Kookaburra' at the Memorial park and again  later at Tyne Cot

She had travelled with her brother from New Zealand to honor the memory of their Great Uncle.

I wonder how many forum members we may have unknowingly met?

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I started the thread in the hope that we might manage to meet up whilst there. What a shame we didn't, but we did meet some lovely people, especially a couple of Canadians, and our daughter will treasure shaking the hand of a King!

 

bruce

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10 hours ago, NigelS said:

A piece from the Surrey Advertiser this week (11th Aug) - oh dear!

NigelS

'Don't be Vaig, ask for Hague'

Edited by Ian Riley
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On 8/9/2017 at 18:10, Ian Riley said:

 

I did indeed meet and see you and talk to you. (on the Friday or Saturday evening, I think.. and very smart you were. In fact you stood out as looking (and sounding) the part. Well done

Was a pleasure meeting you as well! We have to talk Liverpool Scottish at some point.

 

James

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