A short way east of Potijze, this is one of nineteen Demarcation Stones still to be found in Belgium. They were erected in the 1920s to either mark the extent of the German offensive that finally petered out in July 1918, or the point of departure from which the Allies launched their final, ultimately successful, onslaught against the Germans the following month, depending on which book you read. Continue reading
Leatherhead War Memorial, Sunday, 10th November 2013. Continue reading
Skirting the field to the north of Grounds & Lawn Cemeteries, this grass pathway leads us to the fourth cemetery that bears the name Potijze; Potijze Chateau Wood Cemetery. Continue reading
Just a quarter of a mile east of Potijze Burial Ground the three other Potijze cemeteries are reached, as so beautifully demonstrated here by Baldrick, in air-stewardess mode, by following the signs… Continue reading
A couple of minutes drive east of Ypres (Ieper), along the road to Zonnebeke, the hamlet of Potijze, now an extension of the outskirts of the city along the N332, plays host to no less than four CWGC cemeteries. After the fighting of the first Battle of Ypres died down in November 1914 and trench warfare began in earnest, Potijze found itself just behind the British lines, and there it remained, within easy range of the German guns, for much of the rest of the war. It was from Potijze that men would enter the communication trenches that would take them east to the front line, and it was just up the road from here that an Advanced Dressing Station, set up in Potijze Chateau in April 1915 and in operation for the next two years, created the need for more than one burial ground in the vicinity. Continue reading
Oosttaverne Wood Cemetery, the final stop on our Tour of the Messines Ridge. Continue reading
Just before we arrive at the final cemetery on our tour, we pass this roadside memorial, known as the ‘Butterfly Memorial’, to the men of the 19th Division. Continue reading
