Northumbrian Gunner: March 2016

Thursday 31 March 2016

Ypres 2016 - St Martins Cathederal

The construction of St Martins Cathedral began in 1230, and was completed in 1370.

Ypres St Martins Cathedral
Pre WW1

During the First World War the Cathedral was destroyed due to four years of shellfire falling on Ypres.

St Martins Cathedral Ypres WW1 Ruins

Reconstruction of Pres began in 1920, the Cathedral being rebuilt and completed in 1930, with change to the shape of the spire.

Ypres - St Martins Cathedral

Under the wall of the organ in the north transept is a memorial to the British and British Empire Solders who died during the First World War. It is one of the 'cathedral tablets' which were placed by the Imperial War Graves Commission (now Commonwealth War Graves Commission) in cathedral towns throughout France and Belgium.

Ypres St Martins
CWGC Memorial Tablet

A poem found in the papers of Brigadier General HM Hordon OBE MC and considered written by him recalls the newly restored organ and the memories of the conflict around Ypres.

YPRES CATHEDERAL

1930

THE ORGAN THROBS, ITS ECHOES DIE AWAY,

A SHAFT OF LIGHT, ROSE TINTED, MAKES A TRACK,

THAT DWELLS UPON AN ALTAR BREATHING PEACE

I SIT, AND IN MY REVERIE LOOK BACK……

THE WALLS DISOLVE, THE MOONLIGHT FILTERS THROUGH,

THE STARS ABOVE SHINE OUT IN FITFUL SKY,

THE ALTAR YAWNS, THE GRAVES AGAIN GAPE WIDE,

AND GHOSTLY VOICES BREATHE A MURMERED SIGH.

AS IN A DREAM I HEAR AGAIN THE SOUND,

OF TRANSPORT RATTLE OVER COBBLED STREET,

THE DISTANT DRUM THAT TELLS OF LURKING DEATH,

AND BEATING PULSE OF COUNTLESS MARCHING FEET.

A NEAR-BY GUN BOOMS OUT ITS WARNING NOTE,

I HEAR VENOMED ANSWER WHINNING BY,

THE EARTH AGAIN IS SHATTERED AND I HEAR

A WHINNY OF ALARM, AND THEN A CRY…..

THE ORGAN SWELLS, THE DARKNESS FADES AWAY,

I STRUGGLE TO THE PRESENT FROM THE PAST,

THE HUM OF GHOSTLY VOICES INTERWINES

WITH CANDENCES THAT BREATHE OF PEACE AT LAST.

BUT STILL THERE LINGERS IN THIS TOWN OF DREAMS

WHERE EVERY STONE IS SANCTIFIED BY DEAD

A BREATH OF ENGLISH LANES, AND HOPES OF YOUTH.

I SIGH AND THEN IN SILENCE BOW MY HEAD.

Ypres St Martins Knave

Ypres St Martins
Side chapel to Our Lady of Thuyne

Ypres St Martins
Side chapel

Ypres 2016 - Ramparts Walk

A wander around the Ramparts of Ypres starting from the centre of the city......

Ypres

Ypres dates back to Roman times and grew to be a prosperous city becoming a major market place for the textile trading. Building of the Cloth Hall began in 1200, being completed 100 years later.

Ypres - Cloth Hall

Construction of St Martins Cathedral commenced in 1230 and completed in 1370.

Ypres - At Martins Cathedral

As the prosperity grew, canals were built to improve trade routes and to protect the city defences were constructed . By 1390 high walls with turrets surrounded the city. The defences were adapted as weaponry developed. Around 1680, French engineer Vauban transformed the ramparts with frontal fortifications and bastions. The Austria Habsburgs took over Ieper in 1713 and scaled back development to save money.

Ypres defences 1775

In 1794 the French took control of Ieper, but relinquished the city to the Dutch after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815. The Dutch strengthened the walls to a thickness of 2-3 metres and built a bombproof ammunition store. In 1830 a revolution led to the founding of an independent Belgium and no further work on the ramparts was undertaken.

In 1914, Ypres became a strategic focus during World War One and the Salient that grew around the city was the scene for five major battles and the loss of thousands of lives.

Battles of Ypres 1914 - 1918

Ypres - Lille Gate WW1

Ypres - Lille Gate

Ypres - Ramparts Cemetery

Ypres - Ramparts Lille Gate

Ypres - Ramparts

Ypres- Menin Gate from the Ramparts

Ypres - Menin Gate Ramparts

Walk completed - well earned refreshments......

Ypres - Old Bill Pub

Wednesday 23 March 2016

Ypres 2016 - Brooding Soldier Canadian Memorial

Canadian Flag 1914

The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was raised following the British Governments acceptance of an offer by the Canadian Government to recruit 20,000 men. Men from all over Canada answered the call to arms, and by September 1914 a Division had been raised, together with a reserve formation.

Canadian Expedition Force 1914

The CEF left Canada on the night of 23/24 September 1914 in 33 liners protected by the Royal Navy en route to Plymouth and Devonport, arriving the evening of 14th October . In England, the Division occupied camps on Salisbury Plain, Bustard, West Down South, West Down North, Pond Farm, Lark Hill, and Sling Plantation. They trained and prepared for deployment to the Western Front.

The Canadians movement to France commenced 4th February 1914, the last transport reaching the port of St Nazzaire on 16th February. The Canadians first action was in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle 10-12 March 1914. After being relieved and a period of rest, they took over an area to the NE of Ypres from the French Army 15th - 17th April.

At around 17:00 on April 22, 1915, the German Army released one hundred and sixty eight tons of chlorine gas over a 5 mile front on the part of the line held by French.

The effect was devastating. Around 6,000 French and Colonial died within 10 minutes. The remainder abandoned their positions creating an 8,000 yard gap. As the Germans sought to to exploit the gap, the Canadians fought fiercely to block German penetration. Reinforcements and ad hoc formations, including elements of the newly arrived Northumbrian Division, established defensive positions, though a great deal of ground was ceded to the Germans. Despite another gas attack on the 24th April, the Germans were unable to break though.

Gas Attack Ypres - 22nd April 1944

To commemorate the action of the 1st Canadian Division and the loss of 2,000 lives, the 'Brooding Soldier' memorial at Vancouver Corner was built as a memorial to the Canadian Troops.

Brooding Soldier
Vancouver Corner Ypres

Commemoration to Canadian Forces

Vancouver Corner
Ypres 2016

Tuesday 22 March 2016

Ypres 2016 - Prowse Point Cemetery

Prowse Point Military Cemetery

CWGC Prowse Point Military Cemetery

The Prowse Point cemetery is unique on the Salient for being named after an individual. It is the site of the stand by the 1st Bn. Hampshire Regiment and the 1st Bn. Somerset Light Infantry in October 1914. It honours the heroism of a Major Charles Prowse - later Brigadier-General C.B. Prowse, DSO (Somerset Light Infantry) who was killed on the Somme 1st July 1916.

The cemetery was begun by the 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers and the 1st Royal Warwicks, and was in use from November 1914 to April 1918. It contains 231 Commonwealth burials of the First World War.

Private Harry Wilkinson

The most recent burial occurred on 31st of October 2001, when the remains of Private Harry Wilkinson, 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers who was killed 10th November 1914, were laid to rest.

WWI soldier finally laid to rest

CWGC Information: Private Harry Wilkinson

Ypres 2016 - Christmas Truce 1914 Memorial

1914 Christmas Truce Memorial

Plugstreet - St-Yvon 1914 Christmas Truce

By Christmas 1914 the Western Front had stagnated into a line of trenches stretching from the Swiss Border to the English Channel. Soldiers on both sides would be spending Christmas in their trenches. On 24th December 1914 an unofficial truce developed. The German soldiers began to sing carols on Christmas Eve, the British responding across no mans land.

The following morning the combatants of both sides left their trenches to greet each other in no mans land, exchanging gifts and souvenirs. The opportunity was taken to bury the dead, both British and German. A football was produced, a pitch constructed by filling in shell holes, goal posts marked from clothing, and the game began.

The final score form the German official account; “Das Spiel endete 3:2 fur Fritz.”

German Lines - No Mans Land - British Lines

German Lines looking towards British position

German and British Soldiers meet in No Mans Land

Football Memorial Ploegstreet

British Trench
Charing Cross 105 miles - Victoria Cross 20 yards

Monday 21 March 2016

Ypres 2016 - Battle of Gheluvelt

Following the failure of the German forces to breakthrough the allied lines during offensive operations around Ypres in October 1914, Chief Of Staff General Falkenhayn visited Crown Prince Rupprecht commander of the Sixth Army. The Germans looked to renew the offensive by the formation of Army Group Fabeck. The intent was to launch attacks along the front in Flanders, and to focus the newly formed Army Group on the area from Ploegsteert Wood to Gheluvelt.

Gheluvelt looking East

Gheluvelt was central to the main German assault. On the 31st October the Germans launched their assault. An initial attack was repulsed, however, by 11:30 he defenders of Gheluvelt were overwhelmed, the British line had been pierced. The road to Ypres lay open.

Battle of Gheluvelt

To restore the line the 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment made a charge through the Chateau at Ghelvulet to restore the line.

2nd Worcestershire Counter Attack
Gheluvelt 1914

Gheluvelt 2016

Gheluvelt Church 1914

Gheluvelt Church 2016

Sunday 20 March 2016

Ypres 2016 - Langemarck German Cemetery

The German Cemetery began as a small group of graves in 1915. The cemetery was used to intern German casualties throughout the period of the Great War. During the 1930's the sites of German soldiers buried in the Ypres Salient were consolidated and Langemarck became the only German Cemetery in the Ypres Salient.

The cemetery was officially inaugurated on 10^th July 1932.

German Military Cemetery Langemarck

On entering the cemetery, there is a mass grave, the comrades' grave 'kameradengraf' which contains contains 24,917 servicemen.

Sculptures - Comrades Grave

Langemarck German Cemetery
Comrades Grave Name Tablet

A bronze wreath contains the inscription "Ich habe dich bei deinem namen gerufen, du bisst mein" (I have called your name, you are mine) Isaiah (43.1).