Passchendaele

[Wafflingwell]

Anyone else touched by the fact that every evening since 1928, the Belgian town of Ypres have, off their own bat (ie not a state or army undertaking) paid tribute to the fallen men of the British Army and its then Empire who died at Passchendaele?

I've just been watching the BBC coverage. Some shocking statistics - did I hear this right - that of all the British men (and soldiers from all over the French, Belgian and British empire such as Nepal, India, Morroco to name but a few) who died in the first world war, one quarter of them died at Ypres

[TartanDMs]

sleepyhead I worked on a project at work to research and write up about the employees who had died in WW1, who are commemorated on the memorial we have in our building. One was called Thomas Edwin Brown, he went to war aged 19. I wonder if it's the same person, but it probably was a fairly common name.

[Benedikte2]

I went on a trip to Ypres a few years back to the Christmas market. Market wasn't the most brilliant in Europe but the town is charming and one of the reasons we went, anyway, was to see the Menin Gate. There were free rides around the streets in carts pulled by white horses, the church has a carillon that plays tunes and the beer is great. The local museum has displays devoted to WWI and Rupert Brook etc.
I would recommend a trip as tourism helps the local economy and its the locals that continue to remember and honour the War Dead.

[TressiliansStone]

You can pay to download scans of original war diaries from the National Archives: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/british-army-war-diaries-1914-1922/

There's also a volunteer project to tag and categories info in the diaries here: www.operationwardiary.org/#/

[PerspicaciaTick]

I have done some tagging for Operation War Diary - I found it quite hard going and began to get involved in the fate the named officers I was following. I googled the company Major and found his wooden trunk for sale on ebay, with some extra background information on him. Plus the story behind the VC won by one of the men. It is definitely worth doing if you have some time to spare.

[TressiliansStone]

Oh heavens, I'm having a typo-ridden day.

Obviously the dates in my list should be 1917, not 2017.

[TressiliansStone]

Perspicacia

I recently found some of my family's medals on eBay, together with some photos - but was outbid by a collector.

[ParadiseCity]

So sad and just awful and a complete waste.

[mateysmum]

Remembering Ernest Frederick Evers Swindell 1st Battalion Wellington Regiment NZEF killed at Paschendaele 4th Oct 1917 aged 23 whilst storming a machine gun.

His mother kept the letter from his commanding officer in her jewellery box till the day she died.

Commemorated on the Tyne Cot memorial

[Wafflingwell]

Some incredible posts here.

I am going to copy and paste some of the details on this thread and do some historical digging. The Operation War Diary project sounds fascinating.

I definitely intend to visit Benedikte! Agree about Belgian beer! And about contributing to the local economy.

That would be an incredible coincidence Tartan/Sleepyhead but as you say, probably quite a common name.

Matey I was reading about how Tyne Cot got its name today. Found some info here.

[TressiliansStone]

If you end up doing research into individuals, it would be lovely if you helped fill out their entries at the Lives of the First World War project by the Imperial War Museum.

It aims to be a permanent online memorial to everyone from the Commonwealth who served - including nurses and conscientious objectors in the Friends' Ambulances.

[Wafflingwell]

Will do, absolutely Tressilian. I didn't really know anything about these projects until I read about them on this thread; I would be delighted to contribute.

[TressiliansStone]

matey, maybe you already know of this, but the page for E Frederick Evers Swindell has a photo of him: livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/7174234

You may be able to add more details to it.

[histinyhandsarefrozen]

I went to Ypres last winter, it's a fascinating, emotional place, really recommend it. There are crowds at menin gate most nights now.

[TressiliansStone]

That's brilliant, Waffling.

We will remember them.

Thoughts also with those suffering in war today, 31 July 2017 (and this time I really do mean 2017).

[PerspicaciaTick]

Having been following this thread today not realising we had any family connections, my DMum has just called to tell me that her great-grandmother's youngest brother died in the second battle of Passchendaele. He fought in the Bedfordshire Regiment and is commemorated at Tyne Cot.

[PerspicaciaTick]

Sorry that should read "my great-grandmother's youngest brother"

[mateysmum]

Thx Tresilians I've seen that page and have the photo. He was a distant relative of my husband but I don't know any personal details of him.

[mateysmum]

Not related to Passchendaele, but to that other dreadful campaign - the Somme July 1916 and the war diaries - another distant relative died on the first day of that battle in a pointless diversionary action. So many men were killed or wounded, including every single officer, that the commanding officer could not give an accurate account of events in the war diary because nobody survived to tell the tale. The diary says almost precisely where DH's relative died.
The C O complains heart breakingly about the lack of resources to recover the injured in the aftermath. It is matter of fact, but utterly moving.

[sleepyhead]

Tartan, he would probably have been from Glasgow but all we have is that photo with the name and dates on the back and it's literally the size of a thumbnail, so who knows?

I guess anyone who remembered him in life will be gone now but maybe his descendants still have photos and stories, and he'll be on a memorial somewhere.

So many lives and stories

[sleepyhead]

Tartan, he would probably have been from Glasgow but all we have is that photo with the name and dates on the back and it's literally the size of a thumbnail, so who knows?

I guess anyone who remembered him in life will be gone now but maybe his descendants still have photos and stories, and he'll be on a memorial somewhere.

So many lives and stories

[MissBeehiving]

Remembering Private Samuel Preston, Canadian infantry 10th battalion, machine gun corps died aged 25 at Ypres on 10 November 2017 commemorated on panel 32 Menin Gate.

[ShoesHaveSouls]

Amazing thread, so moving. Thanks to all who have contributed.

So interesting and wonderful that there is an evening remembrance. I love that. I can hardly read anything about WWI without feeling utter devastation. Several generations later, and I think of my sons now, who are just coming up to the age where they would have been sent off to fight.

[AmIthatbloodycold]

What a lovely thread

It's my wish to visit. DD went with the school in S3 and one of the boys also played bagpipes at the Last post ceremony

I'm also doing research into women on our work war memorial

I feel as if I know all of them. One of them died today, 100 years ago

I'm going to watch the BBC coverage on I player when I'm alone

I cried all the way through the programme last night

[AmIthatbloodycold]

Not women. Bloody phone

I meant MEN

[histinyhandsarefrozen]

I want to add how easy our visit was. We left s east England about seven by car and arrived in Ypres at lunchtime. We booked a guide for half a day, but it was easy to get around without. The museum in the rebuilt cloth hall is wonderful. The immense cemeteries are, naturally, very sad. I want to go back again.