Adventures on the Wargames Table

Final day of the holiday and it was off to Poperinge. Here’s the large, cobbled town square. This town became an army ‘hub’ for the Ypres salient with all of the men and supplies taking the road east to Ypres. Hundreds of thousands of men passed through here but around a quarter would not make the return journey. Although within range of the larger German guns Poperinge was a relief for many men offering as it did a chance to get clean, enjoy a meal and maybe enjoy "more" besides! However, Poperinge of 1914-18 had a darker side too. It was here that soldiers awaiting the firing squad were held. The ‘death cells’ can be visited and include an some rather moving information about a few of the poor souls that spent their last night there. The walls of one of the cells still show some of the graffiti left by those awaiting execution. In the adjacent courtyard is a post against which soldiers were stood. It was all rather chilling and to be honest I was glad to ...

The penultimate Ypres post - honest!? Another day, another Great War tour! First stop was Kemmel, a very picturesque little village and from its tourist info office you can get tickets for the Bayernwald German Trenches. The very helpful lady in the office also suggested that we view the 20 minute video (in a cinema room upstairs) which explained some of the Great War history of the area and described the underground warfare that was taking place in the sector south of Ypres. It was warm sunshine so a coffee at a nearby café was required before we set off for Bayernwald. The site was the property of a Belgian family who, after discovering German counter-mine shafts, uncovered and preserved the adjoining trenches and block houses. This was taken over in the late 90’s by the local authority and substantially restored. Like many German positions the site offers a commanding view of the surrounding countryside. There are also some useful panoramic picture boards. Ypres can be see...

A lot of places can be closed on a Monday (do check in advance!) so we decided to have quiet day in Ypres, enjoy it’s relaxed atmosphere and perhaps do a bit of shopping. We wandered along ramparts again and visited the Lille Gate and Ramparts War Museum. Entrance via the ‘pub’. It’s set in mocked up ‘trenches’ with numerous display cases and notes in a variety of languages. Sorry about the dark pics – I wasn’t sure if flash photography was allowed so switched it off. Not amazing but with an entrance fee of only 3 Euros, it’s worth a look if you have a spare half hour. Looks to be a friendly pub/bar too. Then we strolled on in to town for a spot of lunch followed by some tourist shopping. My word but they do have some splendid chocolatier in Ypres! The Cloth Hall belfry The main square Next day we went out and about; first to Polygon Wood Cemetery. As always, meticulously cared for. Then across the road to Buttes New British Cemetery – which in fa...