THE YPRES TIMES
The 13th Belgian Field Artillery
119
You, too, probably have your own vivid recollections of strange coincidences, and,
viewed from the level of everyday life, Iiow unusual and fantastic they appear.
If this page sets memories stirring then I aver that coincidences such as these will
be legion. And yet no novelist or playwright of standing introduces them to the world
of fictional realism they only allow for their existence in the unrealistic world of farce
and impossibility, while in everyday life we accept these coincidences without demur.
The writers, of coursé, discovered long ago the fundamental truth that strange
coincidences, such as we have in mind, have usually not the slightest effect on our lives
they pass by and we neither gain nor lose by them.
I make this plea for coincidence are we not, in this transitory age of disbelief,
(when debunking is such a popular pastime) in danger of going to the other extreme
and denying even the possibilities of coincidence as apart from chance
W. J. Parry.
ON Sunday, September 9th, the bronze plaque to the memory of the 13th Belgian
Artillery was unveiled at Ypres. This plaque is let into the wall at the side of
the Ypres Town Memorial and inscribed in Flemish, French and English.
The unveiling took place in the presence of a very large assembly. The pavements
from the station to the Grande Place were thronged with interested spectators and
Belgian and British flags were flying from every window. A special train brought the
members of the 13th Belgian Field Artillery Old Comrades Association with its President,
Baron de Rosée, and after a reception at Hotel Skindles, the cortege, headed by the
Ypres Town Band playing the old British march tunes, proceeded to the Town Memor
ial, where the Burgomaster, Monsieur Vanderghote was awaiting to receive the members,
a number of whom are also members of the Ypres League and take particular interest
in our Association owing to the fact that the 13th Belgian Field Artillery Regiment was
the only Belgian Artillery unit which served for two years of the Great War under
British Command at Ypres.
The Ypres League was officially represented by Brig.-General Stephen Lushington,
C.B., C.M.G., and Captain P. D. Parminter, the League's Ypres representative, and on
behalf of all our members, General Lushington placed a beautiful wreath at the Memor
ial composed of Flanders Poppies tied with the League's colours and inscribed as
follows From The Ypres League
In memory of its fallen comrades of the
13th Belgian Artillery Regiment who gave
their lives in the immortal defence of Ypres.
Wreaths were placed at the Menin Gate and on the Munsters' Memorial, Amongst
those present at the ceremony were:Lieut. General Gillieaux, representing King
Leopold, Colonel L. Aerts, Colonel Ashwanden, the National Vice-Chairman of the
British Legion, who delivered a most impressive speech at the unveiling, Major P. Slessor,
of Toe H., Mr. H. Reeder, of Haig House and members of the Brussels, Antwerp,
Ostend, and Ypres Branches of the British Legion.
A special service was held in the Cathedral in which the band of the "Guides" from
Brussels took part. After the ceremony the official lunch was held in the Salle Lapierre
at which nearly four hundred persons attended under the Presidentship of General
Lushington, who proposed the health of the King and Queen of the Belgians. During
the lunch the gathering lustily joined in the musical items, comprising many of the old
British war-time songs and it certainly appeared that the members of the 13th B.F.A.
knew the words of the songs as well if not better than the rest of the community.
The organising of the whole ceremony was of the highest efficiency intermixed with
an atmosphere of real good comradeship.
