Thursday 26th May 2022
After a couple of moths of discussion and planning the day finally came for our trip to the 100km van Ieper, a 3 day International walking event around the battlefields and cemeteries of the Ieper Salient. Having last taken part on 2017, we both new exactly what equipment was required, but still managed to load up the car with more than we would probably need for the 4 days. The day was bright as just before 10.00am we headed westbound up the A303, with a check in time of 2.35 for our subterranean tunnel crossing from Folkestone. Traffic was pretty light as we hit the M3 and so took the usual brief stop at Fleet for a drive through coffee and headed for the moving car park of the M25. A bit slow going up to the A3 junction but always moving, and before we knew it the distance remaining was dropping rapidly. A quick break from the M20 to just stretch the legs and then with time to spare we arrived at check in. The first test in the booking procedure, but all picked up by the ANPR cameras and we pushed up to an earlier train and through to join the first of what would be a few queues on each side of the channel.
A few months ago when considering the dates of the trip, we had no idea it would coincide with the European Champions League final that weekend in Paris, so it was no surprise to find a car full of scousers pull up behind us and fall out, with empty cans in hand. The 3 passengers crammed into a 1 series BMW headed off to the gents as the very sober driver explained that they had already broken down twice and had low oil pressure. The least sober then proceeded to wander around asking if anyone knew anything about cars as another litre of oil was poured into the engine. A quick look for any leaks and we quickly reached our automotive technical limits and concentrate on eating our lunches, as they decided to get the car across to Calais and then abandon it for a train into Paris, where as they had no tickets for the game, were planning on watching the match from a Parisian bar. Just a few minutes late we were on the top deck of the train and heading for the continent. With little opportunity to walk about we used the time to plan our visits as we headed in to Ieper, as we laughed at the guy in front who had a magnetic UK sticker, but only a plastic tail gate to the car. With clocks pushed forward an hour, headlights changed for the right side and instrumentation changed to kilometre, we exited the train for our trip up the coastal motorway before crossing the border into Belgium.
Last time we headed out we stopped in Popperinge to spend a n hour or so in the TOCH, the rest and recuperation location for many soldiers as they escaped for a brief respite from the trenches and shellfire. This year we opted to recognise those not so fortunate and our first stop was at Popperinge New Cemetery where we went to the grave of Private Herbert Morris of the British West Indies Regiment. Morris had volunteered in his home country of Jamaica and joined his regiment during a recruitment drive there in the winter of 1916/17. Having been given some training the battalion left for France arriving there on 17th April 1917. Many of the men had fallen ill during the voyage and sickness continued to be a problem during their months of acclimatisation in France.Although the regiment was not intended to be used as an active unit they were still within the sound of the guns and Herbert Morris later told his court martial that the reason he had gone absent was because he couldn’t cope with the sound of the gunfire. He was one of those to be Shot at Dawn for Desertion. At the age of just 17 Morris was one of the youngest soldiers to be executed, though not the only one underage. In all probability the board had no idea as to his age. Herbert was pardoned under Section 359 of the Armed Forces Act 2006. The pardon stands as recognition that he was one of many victims of the First World War and that execution was not a fate he deserved.
We then headed into town where we wandered across the town square and accessing through a small gate we entered the Popperinge Death Cells and execution area. A harrowing and chilling location where many soldiers spent their last days and hours, including Herbert Morris. The replica execution pole, located in the inner courtyard of the town hall, is a painful reminder of the fate which awaited many so-called ‘deserters’ during the Great War. Most of these frightened men were suffering from shell shock. Soldiers, who were sometimes bombarded for days on end, became near senseless and simply did not know what they were doing. Instead of receiving compassion and understanding, a terrifying example was made of them. The condemned men spent their last night in the death cell before being shot at dawn on the courtyard. There was then just time to grab a quick coffee in one of the square side cafes, before we headed on the main road that would have been travelled by thousands of troops between Popperinge and the front lines around Ieper. Just 2 miles out of town is the very small village of Brandhoek, where on the previous trip we had visited the grave of the double VC recipient, Captain Noel Chavasse. This year prior to our trip, Richard carried out research on the Spratling family of Pitcombe and Bruton, and with some assistance from the family elder, Tom, we were able to find the grave of Private James Spratling in the other small cemetery in the village. Toms brother James is buried in France and so to pay our respects to both, Richard planted 2 crosses at the graveside.
It was then time to go and check into our accommodation, the Flanders Lodge Hotel, in a bit of a light industrial area about half a mile out of town on the northern side. We were allocated room 20, a comfy twin room on the lower floor with a decent bathroom. Having unpacked what we needed and connected our phones to the Wi-Fi (so we could let our others half’s know we had arrived), we decided to head into town and find something to eat before heading up to watch the daily service at 8.00pm at the Menin Gate.
Restaurants abound the edge of the picturesque town square and we opted to sit in doors at one I had never previously been in. Richard opted for a small beer and the Belgian beef stew and I selected a spaghetti carbonara which were pleasantly preceded by a small plate of crab pate and crostini. A very good meal, and with a bit of a rush we paid up and walked the 200 metres or so towards the gate. It was already pretty packed by the time we arrived and just visible through the crowd was a band dressed in blue uniforms. We took up our spots outside of the wonderful world famous memorial that commemorates the names of over 54,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth Forces who died in the Ypres Salient before 16 August 1917 and who have no known grave. The daily ceremony has a long history and rather than repeat it here, ther is plenty of good information on the pages of The Last Post Association who are responsible for ensuring the event runs smoothly every single night of the year. This evening there was a good crowd and during the service a solemn song from a ladies choir and the a rendition of Danny Boy, followed by a rather untuneful version of Abide with me, by an Ulster flute and drum band.
Feeling tired from the journey over we wandered back down towards the square, taking a quick look at the new CWGC “shop” and the Lego Menin Gate before we retired to our accommodation to prepare our rucksacks for the next 3 days ahead of us and for the 50th occasion of the 100 km van Ieper walk.
Read about our first day of walking here
Commentaires