CHAPPIDI ABHIRATH REDDY
C/O COL GKS REDDY
Visit Belgium
Belgium (
i/ˈbɛldʒəm/; Dutch: België; French: Belgique; German: Belgien), officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal monarchy inWestern Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters as well as those of several other major international organisations such as NATO. Belgium covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres (11,787 sq mi), and it has a population of about 11 million people.
Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups, the Dutch-speakers (about 59%), mostly Flemish, and the French-speakers (about 41%), mostly Walloons, in addition to a small group of German-speakers. Belgium's two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia. The Brussels-Capital Region, officially bilingual, is a mostly French-speaking enclave within the Flemish Region. A German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in the political history and a complex system of government.
Historically, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg were known as the Low Countries, which used to cover a somewhat larger area than the current Benelux group of states. The region was called Belgica in Latin because of the Roman province Gallia Belgica which covered more or less the same area. From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century, it was a prosperous centre of commerce and culture. From the 16th century until the Belgian Revolution in 1830, when Belgium seceded from the Netherlands, many battles between European powers were fought in the area of Belgium, causing it to be dubbed the "Battlefield of Europe,"[10] a reputation strengthened by both World Wars.
Upon its independence, Belgium participated in the Industrial Revolution and, during the course of the 20th century, possessed a number ofcolonies in Africa.] The second half of the 20th century was marked by the rise of contrasts between the Flemish and the Francophones fuelled by differences of language and the unequal economic development of Flanders and Wallonia. This continuing antagonism has caused far-reaching reforms, changing the formerly unitary Belgian state into a federal state, and several governmental crises, the most recent, from 2007 to 2011, being the longest.
Being a Student of Military History and an Infantry Officer of Indian Army, I decided to utilise the opportunity to visit the Famous World War I (The Great War) Battle Fields of Ypres Salient in the West Flanders Region of Belgium, which had witnessed some of the fiercest Battles of the Great War on the Western Front right through the war from 1914 - 1918. The Ypres is about 50 Miles from the Bruges Town, towards the North Sea coast. We selected Quasimodo Travels for the Tour, as we heard that it was one of the best Tour operators in Bruges, run by a Wife and Husband Duo, both of whom are well read and well qualified Guides, who take personal care of each tourist, by restricting the Number of Tourists to 15 or 16. And we never regretted our decision at the end of the Tour.
Quasimodo Travels Vehicle. They use Mini Bus, so as to be able to pay personal
attention to each and every member of the Tour
Strategy of opposing Forces at Ypres
The strategy of both the Allied and German armies is not entirely clear. The accepted and mainstream reasoning for the Ypres battle was the British desire to secure the English Channel ports and the British Army's supply lines; Ypres was the last major obstacle to the German advance on Boulogne-sur-Mer and Calais. The French strategy revolved around a desire to prevent German forces from outflanking the Allied front from the north. This was the last major German option, after their defeats at the First Battle of the Aisne and First Battle of the Marne. The Ypres campaign became the culmination point of the Race to the Sea. The opposing armies both engaged in offensive operations until the major German offensive occurred in mid-October, which forced the Allies onto the strategic defensive and limited to counter-attacks.
The Battles of Ypres and the Aftermath
Five Major Offensives took place in the Ypres salient from Oct 1914 to Oct 1918, resulting in Total Allied casualties of 5,80,524 Killed, wounded or missing and German casualties of 4,82,509, thus combined casualties of more than a million ( about 10,63,033 men killed, wounded or missing as per figures available from various sources).
The fighting for Ypres Salient was so intense, that just in the Third Battle of Ypres (Also Known as "The Battle of Passchendaele) fought from 18 Jul 1917 to 06 Nov 1917, the Allies suffered 2, 44,897 Casualties including 78000 dead and the Germans suffered 2, 17,194 casualties ( A combined total of 4, 62, 000 casualties) as both sides were determined to achieve their respective aims at any cost. The entire Ypres Salient is littered with War Cemeteries and Memorials.
I have published my Pre-lunch visits of Flanders Battle Fields in my previous blog. We had lunch at Hooge Crater Museum Cafeteria located astride Ypres - Menin Road approximately 04 KMs from Ypres Town. After lunch, we visited Hooge Crater Museum, which is co-located with the Cafeteria.
The Hooge Crater Museum is located in an old Chapel, on the Ypres – Menin Road, Approximately 04 KMs from Ypres Town. The chapel, in which the museum is located, dates back from the early twenties. This chapel was built directly across the Hooge Crater cemetery in memory of the many fallen soldiers on the battle fields of ‘Hooge’ over a period of 4 years. The chapel and annex village school was bought by the De Smul – Ceuninck family in 1992 – 1993 and saved from total ruin due to a radical renovation. The museum is now located in the renewed chapel and the old village school is now the place for the theme café. The museum ‘Hooge Crater’ was inaugurated on Easter Day, 1994. It got in the hands of Niek and Ilse Benoot – Watteyne from the 1st of January, 2009. It still is a private museum with all kinds of unique collections of the Great War, exposed in a great setting!
Museum Board in the Cafeteria Lawn
Self and Daughter Sirisha Reddy at the Entrance of Hooge Crater Museum
Exhibits at Hooge Crater Museum. Un-exploded shells, Stick Grenades, Bullets and other war like Material collected from the Flanders Battle Fields. A Great Collection
Another View of the Exhibits
Heavy Munitions Exhibits in the Hooge Crater Museum
Medium size Munitions Exhibits in the Museum
An Un - Exploded Shell of the British 15" Naval Gun, which had a Range of 30 KMs
The Latest Finds awaiting Cleanup and Preparation, before being Exhibited in the Museum
Visit To The Famous Hill 60
Hill 60 is actually a large Mound, formed by dumping of excavated earth, during the construction of Ypres – Comines Railway line. The Ypres–Comines railway ran roughly parallel to the roads from Ypres and 600 yards (550 m) from Zillebeke, went through a cutting 15–20 feet (4.6–6.1 m) deep, which extended beyond the crest of the ridge. Earth excavated when the railway was built, had been dumped on either side to form small hillocks. Two were on the west side, a long irregular mound atop the ridge called "The Caterpillar" and a smaller mound 300 yards (270 m) down the slope towards Zillebeke, known as "The Dump". On the east side of the cutting on the highest point of the ridge, was a third mound known as "Hill 60", from which observers had excellent observation of the ground around Zillebeke and Ypres.
Hill 60 was captured by the German 30th Division on 11 Nov 1914, during the First Battle of Ypres fought from 19 Oct to 22 Nov 1914. A number of Battles were fought for Hill 60 thereafter, due to its dominating position and the objective changed hands a number of times till end of War in 1918. However, Hill 60 is known for the Battle of Messines (07 – 14 Jun 1917), due to the tunneling underneath by the allies and the explosion of a huge charge underneath Hill 60, at the beginning of Battle of Messines. The Explosion instantly Killed 600 German Soldiers occuppying Defences on the Hill. The huge crater formed by the explosion, exists till date, 96 years after the date of explosion
British mining under the hill and the neighbouring ground, began on a much more ambitious scale in August 1 915 and by October 1916. A mine under Hill 60 was charged with 53,300 pounds (24,200 kg) of explosives and a branch mine under the Caterpillar was filled with 70,000 pounds (32,000 kg) of high explosive, despite water logging and the demolition by a camouflet, of 200 feet (61 m) of a German gallery above the British diggings, which endangered the British deep mines. The 1st Australian Tunneling Company maintained the galleries until 1917, when they were fired along with 17 other mines, at the beginning of the Battle of Messines (7–14 June).
Entrance to Hill 60. The entire Feature has been Barricaded and Preserved subject to the Vagaries of Weather and time
A Stone Plaque displayed outside Hill 60 Complex
The Crater on Hill 60 Formed due to the Massive Underground Mine Explosion on 14 Jun 1917. Except for Grass, No Trees / Plants have grown in the Crater, even 96 years after the Explosion
Another view of the Huge Crater on Hill 60
One of the Bunkers on Hill 60, destroyed due to the Huge Mine Explosion
The Lone Concrete Bunker on Hill 60, which withstood the Underground Mine
Explosion of Jun 1917 and Preserved till Date
Another view of the Surviving Concrete Bunker on Hill 60
A Memorial to the Soldiers of Queen Victoria Rifles, who Fought and Laid down their Lives on Hill 60. The Original Memorial was destroyed by the Germans in 1940 and since Rebuilt
The Inscription on the British Queen Victoria Rifles Memorial on Hill 60
A Memorial at Hill 60 in Memory of the Officers and Men of 1st Australian Tunneling Company who laid down their lives Tunneling underneath Hill 60 and Subsequent Ops
The Inscription on the Australian Tunneling Company Memorial. The
Bullet Marks on the Memorial are of WW - II vintage
Menin Gate Memorial To The Missing
The Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing is a war memorial in Ypres, Belgium dedicated to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient of World War I and whose graves are unknown. The memorial is located at the eastern exit of the town and marks the starting point for one of the main roads out of the town that led Allied soldiers to the front line. Designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and built by the British government, the Menin Gate Memorial was unveiled on 24 July 1927.
The Indian Forces Memorial, Ypres
A view of Menin Gate Memorial, the Entry to Ypres Town through the Fort Wall (Ramparts) on either side
Another Full view of the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing
Wreaths laid at the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing
A view of the Menin Gate as seen from the Top of the Fort Wall (Ramparts) on the Southern Side.
The Indian Memorial is on the same wall, to the Right (Not seen in Photo)
The Indian Forces Memorial is located on the Ramparts (Fort Wall) on the south side of the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing. Though a total of 9000 Indian Soldiers died fighting at Ypres Salient, during World War I, from 1915 to 1918, there is No Cemetery for the Indian Soldiers and their Graves are not Known. Hence the Memorial for these soldiers has been erected at the Menin Gate Memorial for the Missing, as late as the year 2011, almost 95 years after the Great War
Visitors can get to the Ramparts and the Indian Forces Memorial via the steps in the southern stairway of the Menin Gate. Or, for visitors who wish to avoid steps, access up to the Ramparts can be made by using the sloped path from the western end of the Menin Gate Memorial where the path starts at the junction of Meensestraat and Bollingstraat.
This memorial was unveiled in a ceremony in March 2011. It is dedicated to the 130,000 troops of the Indian Forces who served in Flanders during the Great War of 1914-1918. 9,000 members of the Indian Expeditionary Force died as casualties in France and Flanders, not only due to the nature of their injuries in battle but also due to the severe winter weather conditions they were exposed to, without adequate winter clothing.
The Indian Expeditionary Force on the Western Front (Flanders) consisted of 1,30,000 men organized into Two Army Corps made up of four divisions.
(a) one infantry corps, the 1st Indian Corps comprising two divisions: 7th (Meerut) Division and 3rd (Lahore) Division
(b) one cavalry corps, formed on arrival in France as the Indian Cavalry Corps: 1st Indian Cavalry Division and 2nd Indian Cavalry Division
Indian Memorial located on the Fort Wall (Rampats) to the South of menin Gate Memorial to the Missing. Self and daughter Sirisha Reddy at the Memorial
A Closer view of the Memorial
A close up of the Inscriptions on the Indian Memorial
Some of the Names of Indian Martyrs at Menin Gate Memorial, Which could be assessed
by our Camera. Others were too high and beyond the reach of our camera
After the visit to Indian War Memorial at Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, we had half an hour tea break, after which we started our third and last phase of the Tour of Flanders Battle Fields, including Ypres town itself. See my next blog for the final phase of the Tour
Note:- The information about the places visited has been Extracted from Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia
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