The Soldiers are Here
Located in Ypres, Belgium, the Menin Gate Memorial is a WWI monument that commemorates the tens of thousands of fallen British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient and whose graves are sadly still unknown. The beautifully designed monument stands proudly at the eastern exit of the town and marks the starting point of one of the main roads that led Allied soldiers out of the town to the dangerous front line of battle.
The Menin Gate Memorial was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and constructed by the British government. It was officially unveiled to the public on July 24, 1927. The memorial’s infamous arch provides entry to a barrel-vaulted passage leading to a mausoleum which honors the missing. It was chosen to be a memorial because of its close proximity to the area where the battles took place. In fact, the Allied Troops would have marched right past it on their way to war. Perhaps most noteworthy is the memorial’s large Hall of Memory, which contains stone panels bearing the names of 54,896 Commonwealth soldiers who died in the Salient but whose bodies have never been found or identified.
The location of the monument, Ypres, held a very strategic position during WWI because it stood directly in the path of Germany’s planned sweep across Belgium. It was particularly important for the Allies, since it would eventually become the last major Belgian town that did not come under German control. It was the Ypres Salient, which was comprised of British, French, Canadian and Belgian armies rising up against Germany, that kept Ypres safe from German occupation. These battles, however, came at a high price. Some 300,000 soldiers lost their lives.
One of the most moving ceremonies held at the Menin Gate Memorial is known as the Last Post Ceremony. Each evening just before 8pm, traffic is stopped from passing through the gate and a troop of bugle players, members of the local volunteer Fire Brigade dressed sharply in uniform, make their way to the center of the Hall of Memory. At exactly 8pm, as stillness descends over the memorial, the buglers play Last Post, observe a moment of silence and then finish with a rendition of Reveille. Depending on when you visit, you may even witness musical bands, choirs, orchestras or even a parade honoring the fallen soldiers during the Last Post Ceremony. It is an incredibly moving tribute to the courageous sacrifices that were made here.
As with much of Europe, Belgium boasts a long, sordid history with sobering reminders of the past seemingly at every turn. The Menin Gate Memorial is one such reminder – a testament to those who went before us and made the ultimate sacrifice in their fight for freedom and a better future. It presents an excellent opportunity to take a moment and reflect, paying honor and respect to the many fallen soldiers and to help ensure that although they haven’t been identified, they did not die in vain and will never be forgotten.