Falls the Shadow...

By Helen Pollock from New Zealand. Sculpted from the clay of the battlefield of Passchendale to create a forest of arms as tribute to the young New Zealand men who lost their lives on the Western Front.

Early morning mist cleared to leave a wonderful sunny day, almost summer like with temperatures reaching 20c. We started our day with a visit to Essex Farm CWGC Cemetery, on the John McCrae memorial site, author of 'In Flanders Fields', and which he composed while serving at this site in 1915. The youngest casualty here was 15 years old and had forged his mothers signature so he could fight for his country.

After this, we visited the Passchendale Memorial Museum. I have included a photo of the museum as an extra because from the outside you think you will have seen everything in half hour. But it was like a tardis, fantastic information and displays, going underground to the Dugout Experience and then onto the trench experience which included some rebuilt original shelters. Very interesting and well worth a visit.

We were not planning to visit another cemetery but we came upon Tyne Cot Cemetery, the worlds largest commonwealth war graves cemetery. Almost 12,000 graves and 35,000 names of those who were not identified or recovered.

After a lovely supper in Ypres, we went and took up our places under the Menin Gate to witness the Last Post. Getting there over an hour before hand because it gets so busy, a long time to be standing especially for my parents. An incredibly moving ceremony and the day was just a little too much for dad, who became very emotional after the service.

Extras... Museum, cemetery, Ypres at night and one for all you blippers ;-)