Account of the Easter Tour to the Salient
of the 2nd London Regimental Association
and their Friends.
74
The Ypres Times.
On Good Friday (April 2nd) thirty-nine members of the 2nd London Regimental
Association, accompanied by their wives and friends,assembled at an early hour at Victoria
Station, where they entered the boat train to Dover, and, on arriving at that port, went
straight on board the Belgian steamer, Jan Bredel, a very fine boat; Beautiful weather and
a calm sea made the three hours' crossing a pleasant experience. Most of the party kept
together, but a few went below where, judging from the number of popular airs they sang,
I think they found the refreshment to their liking At Ostend, which we reached about
3 o'clock, we made our way to the Leicestershire Hotel and enjoyed a good tea, which had
been ordered in advance. The journey to Ypres, although under twenty miles from Ostend
took over two hours to accomplish. It was, however, not lacking in interest, especially
when we passed pill-boxes, splintered trees and ruins, which are still to be met with in odd
places. We were also much impresssd by the number of new farms built and the generally
cultivated condition of the soil. We arrived at Ypres just before 7 p.m., walking to our
hotel, The Splendid and Britannique," situated in-the Grand' Place, nearly opposite the
Cloth Hall, which is still a ruin. The hotel accommodation and food were excellent through
out the whole of our stay.
On Saturday many of us had a walk before breakfast, and at 9.30 a.m. we started on a
char-a-banc tour comprising the following itinerary Sanctuary Wood, Hill 60, St. Eloi,
Wytschaete Mine Crater, Messines, Ploegstreet, Armentières, Neuve Eglise and Kemmel.
At the Menin Gate, through which we passed, a memorial is being erected on which will be
inscribed the names of 55,000 of the missing who fell at Ypres. Our first halt was at
Maple Wood, which is lined with young maple trees grown in Canada. At the end of the
road is Sanctuary Wood with its trees standing up gaunt and bare as they were left in 1918.
On the edge of the wood is the memorial to the Canadians, a magnificent piece of work
occupying a large area. It is built in the form of three large terraces of Aberdeen granite,
which are bordered by evergreen shrubs. Steps ascend either side of the memorial and the
terraces are laid out with heather plants that form a carpet. On the highest terrace is a
place for a monument, not yet erected, and in the centre is a chart sunk into the floor,
showing by arrows the exact direction of Gheluvelt, Zillebeke, etc. On either side are stone
balustrades, and the site commands a wide view of the Salient towards Hooge on the one
hand and Zillebeke on the other. The memorial is like a great garden, and is so designed
that the stone-work blends with natural effects. It is indeed worthy of a great Dominion.
Our next stop was at Hill 60. On the hill is the memorial to the Queen Victoria Rifles and
all around the scene is one of desolation and destruction. Belgian labourers were engaged
in digging for identifications of our missing and also for the copper of shells and any
thing else worth salvaging. We were told that they find on an average twelve identifications
daily. These are then reported to a member of the War Graves Commission, who makes
arrangements for the necessary search. From here we went on to the Mine Crater at
Wytschaete, I suppose one of the largest craters made, and thence, without further halt, to
Armentières, where we made a stay of about an hour and a half, each going his own way.
Most of us paid a visit to our old billets, where we were received with open armsothers paid
a visit to Hooplines, but we were disappointed because we were unable to find any graves of
the Regiment. On leaving Armentières we went to Ploegstreet, where there is a London
Rifle Brigade cemetery, and so back to Ypres, which we reached at 5.30 p.m. after one of
the most interesting days that one could possibly spend.
