The first visit of the day was to Zandvoorde. After taking a look around the preserved HQ bunker just outside the village, we went to the site of the Last Stand at Zandvoorde by diminished regiments of the Household Brigade, notably the 1st Life Guards, on 30-31 October 1914. After which we visited the village cemetery where many of the dead are buried in unknown graves.
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| Zandvoorde bunker |
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| Life Guards Memorial on the site of the last stand |
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| View from the Life Guards' position looking across the valley to where the German attack came from |
We moved on next to Polygon Wood. Here we saw the Black Watch Corner memorial before we had an interesting hike through the trees finding many of the remaining concrete bunkers before taking in the Buttes & Polygon Wood Cemeteries. These would be the focus of ANZAC Day commemorations the next day.
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| Black Watch Memorial |
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| Polygon Wood today |
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| The Buttes CWGC Cemetery |
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| View from the top of the buttes - an old Belgian Army rifle range back-stop |
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| Australian Division Memorial |
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| Polygon shaped cemetery |
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| British Bunker |
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| Scott's Post bunker |
After an excellent lunch of bread, cheese and tramp wine we toured the truly remarkable Passchendaele Museum in Zonnebeke with their recreated bunkers and trenches.
After which we visited the largest CWGC cemetery in the world – Tyne Cott. Followed by a walk along the old railway line to the Thames Farm bunker remains.
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| Thames Farm bunker |
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| Tyne Cott CWGC Cemetery |
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| Cross of Sacrifice built on German Bunker |
This just left time to visit the Welsh Memorial Park and their Dragon Memorial, before we visited the Pond Farm collection. Here, Stijn gave us a tour of his personal collection of artifacts together with a chance to see the replica MkIV tank he and colleagues have built over the last 10-15 years.
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| Welsh Memorial Park |
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| "The Iron Harvest" - One Week's worth!! |
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| Hand built replica MkIV Tank - powered by JCB Diesel! |
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| Some of the Pond Farm Collection |
The day was topped off with chicken and chips followed by the last post at the Menin Gate.…
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| When Ypres' cathedral was rebuilt, these were the bits from the ruins they couldn't re-use. |
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| Last Post - just before the scaffolding went up. |
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