Paul Harris

The recently restored equestrian statue of Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig. It was created by French sculptor Paul Landowski in 1931. The statue was melted down by the Germans when they occupied France in 1940. The new monument, cast from the old mould, was erected in 1950. Montreuil sur Mer was the local of British Army GHQ from 1916. This photograph was taken in November 2024.

This area was fought over for most of the war. The name derives from the position being sixty metres above sea level. Much of the action here was underground. It was probably the where British blew their first mine of the war in February 1915. Five Victoria Crosses were awarded in the years of combat at Hill 60. In June 1917, the British Second Army detonated nineteen mines under the German positions removing the Germans from Messines Ridge. The two northern-most mines were at the Caterpillar and Hill 60.

A British bunker on the upper part of Hill 60.

The cemetery was developed on the site of a moated chateau. In the early part of the war it was used by nearby British Field Ambulances and Dressing Stations as a burial ground. In 1917, the chateau was used by 55 Brigade as an HQ and severely damaged by artillery fire. In one day during Third Ypres nearly 500 gas shells were dropped in the area.

This memorial stands on the ridge to the south west of Langemark to commemorate the units of the 38th Welsh Division which took part in the attack on the opening day of Third Ypres, 31st July 1917.

The Last Post ceremony at Ploesteert takes place on the first Friday of each month at 7pm.

Members of the Household Division form up in Ypres for a march through the town to commemorate the action of the Household Cavalry at Zanvoorde in October 1914.

Outside St George’s Chapel Ypres