Here are some more pictures of my family's trip to Ypres, Belgium, last August. The first picture is of the awe-inspiring Menin Gate in Ypres. The second was taken on the inside of the Menin Gate, and shows just a handful of the 55,000 names inscribed there. These are names of those who feel in the Ypres Salient in WWI, and whose graves are "known unto God".

Picture the third was taken at the top of the Menin Gate. It shows my mother (in the middle), my brother (in the green) and myself (in the white). The fourth picture is a family picture, taken at Bard Cottage Cemetry. It shows my father (in the yellow), my mother in the orange, my brother is in the grey, and I am at the back.

Some more...
The first is of the Albertine Memorial at Essex Farm Cemetry, celebrating John McCRae. Essex Farm was where he wrote the poem "In Flander's Field". The second is of myself, looking at the grave of Private V.J. Studwick, who was killed aged 15.

The third is the grave of Private P. Bugden, VC. Bugden was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award available int he British Military, after he singlehandedly took a German pillbox, capturing the machine gun there. He then turned the machinegun on the German defenders. He then carried 2 injured comrades back to his own trench, and was killed trying to rescue a third.

The final picture in this batch is of the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate. Every evening, at 8pm, roads are closed and the Last Post is sounded at the Menin Gate, and a minute's silence is held to remember the fallen. We were there for 3 days, and attended the ceremony every day. It really is an emotional thing, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

One final picture for now. This one was taken at Tyne Cot Cemetry, near Passchendaele. It is looking up from the entrance to the Sword of Sacrifice, which is on top of a captured German pillbox.

Tyne Cot is the final resting place of just under 12,000 soldiers, making it the single largest British War Cemetry in the world. On the rear wall of the cemetry, the names of 35,000 more, whose grave are known unto God, are inscribed. WIth the possible exception of the Menin Gate, it was the most awe-inspiring, and humbling, place we visited.

Great pictures Jack. What an experience for you and your family. Hope when you go back again you will take more pictures.

Quite impressive Jack.

Jack, are the relatives of yours there?

My Uncle was killed in Vernon, France in WWII, and I visited with my father years ago. It really is a very emotional experience.

Wonderful to see that these memorials have all been so well maintained.

Jack, your pictures brought tears. Those scenes are dreadfully beautiful.

We didn't find any with my surname, but we did find a few with my mother's maiden name. Whether they are relatives, we don't know.

I do know I lost a great-uncle at Dunkirk in WWII.

I realized early on, Diddley, even before you embarked on your journey, just how important the making of it was to you. I'm so glad that you made a point of gathering all of these images and sharing them with us.

My heart thanks you.

Good and great photos JD.

Such a stark contrast between the beautiful cemetry geometric parallax of crisp tombs and the horror/s associated with it.