WW1 battlefields - Ypres (Ieper) Belgium
 

I have gathered a variety of points of interest for use on Garmin GPS from all kinds of sources and thought it may be good to share these .

Anyone planning to visit the WW1 battlefields around Ypres in the south west of Belgium may find these useful. If you do visit , brace yourself - it's pretty daunting stuff. The war graves abound everywhere. Best place to start is Ypres town centre and visit the Flanders Fields museum (allow at least 2 hours for this) then hit the road.

The last post is played everyday of the year at 8pm , except on the 11th November when it's at 11.00am .

Not sure if 'enjoy ' is the right word to use but certainly it's an experience worth taking time to visit this area.

Anyone planning to visit this area please send me a PM with yoru email details and I can email you back the Garmin waypoint file. I can't post it here. There are over 200 points of interest in the file.

And there are more old bunkers from the WW in Belgium.
Like Breendonk, Liezele, etc.
But even on the French side.
Belgium is a little, intresting land.
By the way, it is not flat, like many people think.
And even when it is little, there are many difference people and places.

Ypres itself is quite a pretty town, it is walled, with a moat around part of it. During the summer there is a good camp site only about 5 minutes from the Menin Gate (where the last post is sounded) - which is incredibly moving.....(on school grounds outside the Menin Gate, about 500m south from memory)....plus a good range of B&B's and hotels.......it is actually quite flat around Ypres but other parts of Belgium further away from the coast are hilly (including the Ardennes) and very pretty.

Great Post
 

Thanks for the great post. We should never forgot those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can have so much.

Thank you.

I always get choked up when visiting the war graves, its the scale of the losses that my grandfather's generation suffered in WWI. I think that every wannabe politician should spend a year tending those graves - that should give them sufficient time to reflect on their actions.

I have also visited a couple of small war graves (WWII) in Brittany with only (fortunately) two or three unknown soldiers buried in them - even sadder that no one knew who they were, but a tribute to the local people who still care for those graves.

As some of you know, I am a Brit now living in France. We have an old french farmhouse and part by chance and part by subsequent research I have learned this about previous inhabitants of our house.
On September 18th 1913, 17 year old Desiree came here as the new bride of Emile. On july 31 1914 their first (and only) son was born. Emile went off to war on August the 4th 1914. He returned on leave at the end of march 1918, and walked with his toddler son down the little internal farm lane. This is the only memory the son ever had of his father, who returned to active service after the weekend leave. Emile was killed on April the 18th at Kemmel hill and was buried there in a mass grave. Of the 5200 odd French soldiers who died there (many from gas) only 57 were identified. Emile Coulais was one of them.
The son, a pharmacist and member of the resistance was killed by the Germans in 1944.
Desiree never remarried.

That's a fascinating story. very sad but very true of life for thousands of families back then. We just have no idea how lucky we are today. Since the foundation of the European Union we have enjoyed peace in Europe as never seen before in history. For all it's failings the EU insstitutions at least have this to their credit.
If you visit the Flanders Fields museum in Ypres, your entry ticket has a barcode on it. The idea is you can insert your ticket into various computer screens located arround the museum and your ticket is actually a story of a real person . As you go through the museum and enter your ticket you get more information about them and what happened to them during the war. At the last machine just before the exit you learn about their fate..... most were killed or never found. It's a harsh reminder about just how real it was.

Breendonk
 

If you would wish to do something for the on-going modern day problems of war, you could consider this:-


I am forwarding a petition on the No 10 website and wondered if you would sign it in support of a dedicated Military Hospital – see below.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Wounded



If you support this, would you be kind enough to pass it onto friends and family who might do the same. We have a time limit of 19th August to sign up to it.



Many thanks


Incidentally, Breendonk is a horrible place: I visited it a couple of times in the late 1990s. The last time I was there, I talked with a couple of old guys who had been imprisoned there (they must be dead by now, they were that old at the time of meeting) - their stories were not nice to hear. It is not a military cemetary, but a place where some fascist Belgiums, working for the occupying Nazi authorities, screened other Belgiums before passing them on through the chain back to Germany for slave labour, or worse. Screening included the use of torture to obtain information about others. There is also a place of execution and the inmates were forced to dig earth all day and simply move it around on starvation rations. Breendock was originally built as part of the Belgium extension of the French Maginot line of forts: obviously the defensive line did not work too well! The dug earth is the earth-fill ramparts to the fort - the inmates got about 2/3 of them dug out and wheel-barrowed a short distance away by the time that Belgium was liberated --- that's the short version of the story.
It is now a national museum on the lines of "never forget".

Flanders Fields
 

Hi
I have just returned from Flanders after visiting the 'Plugstreet' ceremony last Friday with my son (on four wheels - some years since I rode my BSA)
I'd be interested to receive your list of POI's for the Battlefields if possible.
I've only just seen this forum and it tells me I cannot contact you direct.

Flanders Fields
 

I'm new to this site but saw your message on WW1 POI's.
Having just returned from Ypres this weekend, but will no doubt be returning before too long, I would be grateful if you could supply me with the POI's for my Garmin.

There is a new book out with a cd-rom.
It is a 12 days long trip in Belgium and follows WW1.
It includes the trips for your GPS.

I stayed at a camp site in Ypres which was very close to the Menin Gate; presumably the same one.

It's at N50 50.785 E2 53.788

I agree with the opinions expressed here. Ypres is a very special place and shouldn't be missed if you're passing.

Stephan

WW1 battlefields - POI
 

Hello,

I'm traveling to Ypres on March 22nd and would like to add your file to my garmin. I'd be grateful if you could send me your wavefile. Thanks so much!

Darren Potter
Cleveland, OH USA

I did a WW1 tour in 2003...

Very touching indeed. White grave stones for further than the eye can see. It is a very moving experience. Seeing the ages on some of the stones (some as low as 14), really hits you !

The towns and countryside you pass through are really beatiful too...

Gecko,

I know it's been a little while since you posted this. I'm going to Belgium this weekend and would be very keen to see some of these WW1 sites. I just PM'd you for the file. Many many thanks.

Regards
Seth

If anyone who received the file from Gecko is able to forward it to me - I would be most grateful. I hope to visit this Sunday. Many thanks.

Thanks Gecko. It is much appreciated!!

I have visited the Ypres - Flanders area several times, and always enjoyed the rides. It's very easy to spend 2 or 3 days just poking around, riding very small secondary or tertiary roads in the area - there is something of historical interest around every corner.

The whole West Flanders area is within easy reach of Ypres, and it is also a very short hike into northern France, where there is also a great deal to see and do, and many more sites relating to the Great War.

After about 3 days, though, it can get a little depressing, just because of the scale of the conflict and the realization of how many lives were lost.

But, to anyone considering riding in this area- go for it. There is so much to see and do, great variety in the riding, great variety in the food and culture.

Many years ago I sat and had a picnic with my sister and my grandfather on the beach where he'd landed on D-day. He could barely eat anything he was so overwhelmed by it - said if anyone had told him on that day that one day he'd be back, with granddaughters he couldn't even imagine having at that time, he wouldn't have believed them.

My dad is mad about WWI, and we lived just outside Paris so trips up north were a regular occurrence, but that is the day that made me feel the history not just learn about it.

Laura

PS on a lighter note, if you're doing the French battlefields not the Belgian ones, try the local cider and pancakes :-)

WW1 Battlefields
 

Hi Gecko,
I am hopeing to make enough time to do a battlefields ride this year some time and your points of interest would be very helpfull. I will PM you my e-mail address and i would be greatfull if you could send them to me.
Thanks
Jjohn

Ypres is fascinating if not macabre, the town itself is good with plenty to see and the campsite is very good with decent showers and toilets. It has a small snack bar so you can get a light breakfast. It also has cabins it's called 'Camping Jeugstadion' (look it up) very friendly and easy walk to the Menin Gate (Last Post every evening at 8:00 just by the arch). If you go read the book in the left hand arch, very moving. There are plenty of hotels in the town, 'De Schwerd' has a small garage across the street and I believe 'Old Tom' has an undergorund garage. There is also a new Novotel with parking near the town centre. Ter Posterie used to be the place to drink with over 170 different Belgium Beers, but it shut (boo hoo). Salient Tours (again, look it up) operate out of Ypres, run by Mark Horner, a Brit, very good tours and great explanations, will take you to places you won't find by trolling round by bike.

Ypres Waypoints
 

Hi All,
I'm heading to Mettet this weekend for the bike racing, and will be visiting Ypres on the way home for a look an the WW1 sites. Plan to call in at Darley Moor for the classic bikes on the folowing weekend.

Could someone send me a copy of the Ypres waypoint please. I hope to be in the area for about 4 days.

Regards,
Keith.

Can anyone recommend a good book or 3 to read before going to Flanders? I read a great book about Galipolli before i went on ANZAC Day, 2004, and it made the visit so much more......struggling to think of the appropriate word.... meaningful?

If you don't get any recommendations here, try contacting the specialist bookshop in Ypres: Over the Top Battlefield Tours Belgium France Ypres Normandy Bookshop. They should be able to suggest one or two. It's well worth a visit when you get there too. I picked up an excellent book about the British songs of the 1st World War; full of sadness, dark humour and irreverence to authority.

Stephan

WW1 Battlefields
 

I am travelling up to the Somme area for a few days starting 21st May 2009, not been in the area before and would like to visit some of the war graves. If anyone else is in the area at the time and fancy meeting up that would be good, if anyone can suggest any area to visit let me know, although I have bought a couple of books and done a bit of research but you cant beat experience. Steve.

Bef
 

Before Endeavours Fade: a seminal account and record of the WW1 war graves after a life time of dedication to the research.http://www.amazon.co.uk/Before-Endea...900913851After that classic, the libraries are full of books about Ypres (Iper) and all of the other places.

WW1 Battlefields
 

Hi

does anyone have a copy of Geko's ww1battlefield poi's please iv been to Ieper twice now and plan on going again this october could you please send me a copy of your file as id love to see as much as poss i can no longer ride due to health issues so its tin box from now yuck i hope you can help. Tony

i'm interested in this file to i have been there before (also been to verdun,somme and most other places n the western front) but i was like 12-13 at the time so i wanne do it again :mchappy:

Hi,
I live very close to Ypres (15km) so if anybody is interested I can take a ride with you (if I'm not working). There is a complete WWI tour you can do without GPS. The complete tour is marked by signs along the road. And I know all the little roads in this area.
Gr,
Vincent

sounds good, might wanne make use of that this autumn =)

two birds/one stone
 

well, three birds really,

I've been meaning to visit the area for a few years now, where my great uncle Angus (as would have been) was killed in the battle of St Julien in 1915. He was in 2nd Seaforths and is buried in the Seaforths cemetery at Cheddar Villa. I've seen it on Google maps, so I guess I'll get there ok with my iPhone? (haven't got satnav)

A couple of my friends who are classic racers, are over there every year, I was hoping to go over next May for the ihro races at Mettet, then toddle down to Cheddar Villa to pay my respects to great uncle Angus.

I'd then like to ride to the Cambrai area in France, where my grandfather fought with 'Lord Strathcona's Horse RC'. Every day of the Strathcona's field diaries is online, I spent a week reading them, so I know exactly where my grandpa was, when he lost his fingers by the same shrapnel that killed his horse, on 10th October 1918. It's to pay my respects of a different sort.