Day 3 – An American tribute

On our way home we make three more visits. First to the small cemetery of Zillebeke. The remarkable thing about this cemetery is that mainly senior officers from aristocratic families are buried here. The reason is simple. It was not until 1915 that with the establishment of the War Graves Registration Commission, centralized records were kept of who was buried abroad. In addition, the commission was also responsible for the grave. The graves were from then on made of uniform white stones from Portland Stone that are neatly lined up.

This cemetery dates from before this period and it was only the wealthy families who could have their relatives transferred or provide a tombstone. That is why there are still exceptions to the rule of the white tombstone.

A little further is the Maple Copse Military Cemetery for the many victims of the Canadian actions on Hill 62. The cemetery itself had a hard time. 

It was known that there were 308 graves, but after the war only 78 were found. Moreover, only 26 of them could be identified. That is why most of the stones have a name that says 'Known to be burried in this cemetery'.

We leave the Westhoek and drive on to Waregem. This is the only American cemetery in Belgium for victims of the First World War. It is the smallest American cemetery in Europe with 368 graves. 

The United States decided to participate in the war, especially after Germany committed gas attacks and attacks on merchant vessels with submarines, ignoring all conventions. The troops could not be mobilized until after the summer of 1918. These fresh troops were finally able to turn the tide. The allies had blocked the German ports so that the entire German economy collapsed due to lack of raw materials needed for the continuation of the war and feeding of  the population. In many German cities riots broke out and Germany was tossed in a revolution. The politicians who came to power, decided that Germany was to retire from the war and signed a ceasefire that started on November 11, 1918 at 11am. 

The old Europe no longer existed: the German Empire became a republic, the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary disintegrated into a number of countries based on ethnic composition. After the Russian revolution, the tsar empire became the Soviet republic and even the Ottoman emperor had to abdicate, making Turkey a republic. France had collapsed. The British empire was over its peak and the war efforts of the Commonwealth led to the independence of some countries.

The mother of all wars should have been the first and the last world war.
But ironically, the seeds of the Second World War were sown at the end of the first one. France asked unrealistic reparations amounts and forced Germany to give up pieces of their territory. Germany was deeply humiliated. This led to years of poverty, social unrest and revenge and would eventually lead to an even greater war. After 4 years of atrocity, the politicians had learned nothing and the subsequent generations either. I can only hope that the generation after us is smarter than we are.
On the first day of our mini trip my watch stops suddenly and I can not get it moving again. When we get back home, she miraculously starts ticking again.  It looks like a sign to reflect here on the fact that the clock has stopped ticking for hundreds of thousands of deceased soldiers who now rest eternally in Flanders Fields. For them there is no tomorrow. They gave up their tomorrow for our future. Let’s take care of that future wisely ….

Ode of Remembrance :

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam

 

I will remember them… it is our duty to remember them.