British Legion Pilgrimage.
THE YPRES TIMES 107
By HENRY BENSON, M.A.
(Reprinted by kind permission of Southern Daily Echo.")
THE British Legion Pilgrimagethe greatest of all pilgrimages since the
greatest pilgrimage of allwhich commenced in August, 1914, and ended in
November, 1918was the unqualified success the noble progress warranted.
As soon as the pilgrims touched the shores of France a bright light shone in their
eyes, for they were as a people who had set foot on holy ground. Each had made
the long journey with some special purpose in view. Many of those who had seen
YPRES CATHEDRAL (UNDER RESTORATION) AND RUINED TOWER OF CLOTH HALL.
Photo taken August 2nd, 1928. X marks the spot where H.R.H. the Prince of Wales took the salute
at British Legion Pilgrimage on August 8th, 1928.
service in Flanders essayed the difficult task of reconstructing, amid the fields of
ripening wheat and barley, the scenes of their former conflicts and perils; whilst
wives and mothers were taken to places which a husband or son had described
nearly fourteen years ago in his first letters home as Somewhere in France." All
were comforted by the spirit underlying the work of the Imperial War Graves
Commission, which tends the last resting-places of their gallant fallen, and by the
atmosphere of peace, beauty and security in which the graves are surrounded.
Approximately 2,500 of the 11,000 pilgrims were taken by car or charabanc to
visit individual graves in cemeteries as far apart as Amiens and Zeebruggethe
majority made journeys to Beaumont Hamel and the historic heights of Vimy,
whilst all were present at the solemn memorial service at Menin Gate. Simplicity
and beauty characterized this impressive ceremony, which lasted half an hour.
