belgium

1927What is the 'first collective memorial' erected along the former Great War front in France and Belgium

The Menin Gate Memorial in Ieper, Belgium, stands as the first collective memorial erected along the former Great War front in France and Belgium, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield for the Imperial War Graves Commission. Unveiled on 24 July 1927 by Field Marshal Lord Plumer, this imposing triumphal arch honors the roughly 90,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers who have no known grave, with the names of 54,897 casualties—including 7,000 Canadians—engraved across its panels. Its enduring legacy is kept alive each evening at 8 p.m. through the moving Last Post Ceremony, performed by local buglers since 1928, making it one of the most visited and continuously commemorated memorials on the Western Front. In 2015, the memorial marked a remarkable milestone with the 30,000th sounding of the Last Post, a testament to the lasting power of remembrance.

1915What inspired the most beloved and famous of all war poems?

At a front line dressing station near Ypres, Belgium, Canadian Army doctor Major John McCrae penned the enduring war poem "In Flanders Fields" on 3 May 1915. Written in the immediate aftermath of the Second Battle of Ypres, as deadly chlorine gas and relentless artillery claimed thousands of lives, the poem gave voice to the grief and resilience felt by soldiers and medics alike. Inspired by the death of his friend Lieutenant Alexis Helmer and the sight of wild poppies blooming among war graves, McCrae composed the fifteen lines in just twenty minutes while perched on an ambulance tailgate. Although nearly discarded by its creator, "In Flanders Fields" quickly became a powerful symbol of remembrance for generations to come, immortalizing both the sacrifices of war and the enduring image of the poppy.