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| Menin Gate, Ypres (Ieper) Belgium Photo copyright Melanie Wills |
We take a few minutes every November 11 to be mindful of and
thank those who endured and sacrificed so much during the wars. But every evening the people of Ypres (Ieper)
commemorate those who died in the liberation of Belgium during the Great War of
1914-1918. In a city lovingly rebuilt from rubble to resemble its former medieval
splendour, a ceremony is held at the Menin Gate, where 55,000 names of those
Allied troops who have no known grave are inscribed. Nearly 7000 of them are
Canadians. Aside from a few years during WW2, this moving homage has been
taking place every day since 1928!
It includes the playing of The Last Post, which you can see in this YouTube video. If you have 8 minutes, watch this lovely short film as well. For more
information about the Menin Gate ceremony and its history, visit this website.
And if you have a chance, do go there and experience it yourself. My family and
I will never forget our trip to Ypres!
You might also be interested in my WW1 website – Odd, Intriguing, Surprising Facts about WW1 - which is being used by educators and
researchers worldwide.
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