With the British Army in Flanders & France

A wet and windy day finds us back on the western outskirts of Messines at Messines Ridge British Cemetery, less than a quarter of a mile across the fields to the north of the Island of Ireland Peace Park. Continue reading →

The Island of Ireland Peace Park is situated just to the south of Messines on the road to Ploegsteert.  The site was chosen as the Irish Divisions played a significant part in the Messines battle (although as we saw in the early posts of this tour, they actually fought some way north of here), and because Irishmen of all religions fought side-by-side in the actions to capture the ridge. Continue reading →

Across the road from Bethleem Farm East Cemetery Baldrick, still shell-shocked, attempts to clean the mud off his car with handfuls of grass!  No, it was never really going to work, now was it. Continue reading →

A story of commitment to the cause.

“It’s down this track to the left”, says I to Baldrick as we drive south from Messines* searching for the next cemetery on our tour.  We turn off the main road and before long our task appears a tad more problematic than it first appeared (see above).  “Never fear, we’ve encountered worse than that”, chorus your intrepid adventurers.  Except, as it turned out, we hadn’t.

*No, you haven’t missed anything.  On this tour we shall find ourselves up on the ridge at Messines in Parts Eight & Nine. Continue reading →

One of two waterlogged mine craters that still exist at Kruisstraat.  A third crater has long since been filled in. Continue reading →

Just a few hundred yards west of Spanbroekmolen British Cemetery, a CWGC signpost points the way to our next stop, Lone Tree Cemetery. Continue reading →