2025 Tour Day 29 - Dedicated to my Grampa Drew

Ernest Andrew Wilkinson. 

15th Battalion, 48th Highlanders, Canadian forces. 

(Photo below with his father E. Alfred Wilkinson, British forces.) 

My maternal grandfather fought (for Canada) in WWI. He was injured near Ypres, Belgium, on June 3, 1916. He was transferred to a hospital in Boulogne and he returned home to Canada to recover. 

Today we visited The Battle of Mount Sorrel commemorative plaque on Observatory Ridge, where the battle, and his injury, happened. 

The commemorative plaque is on Observatory Ridge, basically the highest point in the area. The plaque details a nasty battle with the Canadians coming up against an extreme barrage of bullets and bombs from the Germans. So many were lost, but in the end the Canadians helped secure this important front. This next photo shows Mount Sorrel, where the Germans were approaching from. 

The area today is rolling hills of farms and orchards, hedges and trees. But they are still finding (unexploded) bombs and other war artifacts in the fields, and yes, bodies. 

From the plaque. 

The mad crescendo runs
 On the woeful waiting ones 
The huddled world in waiting

'Neath the guns.  

The Maple Copse Cemetery is also nearby, nestled quietly between fields and trees. 154 Cdn soldiers and 154 English soldiers. Resting. In Peace. 

Thank you Grandpa Drew, and the thousands and thousands who gave their lives, for your sacrifice. ❤️

- -

We started the day learning about the farm we are camping on. Eli, the son of the owners, introduced us to the history of the campground and the farm. They bought the farm 6 years ago and have laboured to make it a campground for over 50 RVs + tents. The buildings have been well-preserved since they were built in the late 1920's, and the family has done a wonderful job of creating a well designed and well equipped campground. 

This farmland was a German stronghold in WWI (it sits at a high point). And the English were just across the field in the "railway woods". (See trees in distance behind our tent) 

The fields between us and the woods cannot be ploughed, because it is archeologically protected. Many tunnels were built here, making the current fields show depressions as the tunnels give way. There are also many other war artifacts buried.  Eli says he often finds a bullet or two. 

Eli told us that the first campers to pitch a tent here, hit a bullet / ordinance with their tent peg 😳, (it did not explode), and indeed they have found a few on the property, on display at the front gate. 

They have a pony, Ziggy, and a one year old work horse, Rosie.  Ziggy is very vocal while Rosie is quite reserved.

Rosie in the field and Railway Woods behind her. 

Off to Ypres we went. 

We entered the city through the Menin Gate.  It is a massive gate entering the once-walled city. It is an iconic British war memorial, inscribed with 54,896 names, of those lost, with no other grave stone to identify them. The tradition of a bugle Last Post happens at these gates EVERY evening at 8 pm. This started in 1928, and the Last Post Association has set itself the goal of keeping this transition alive forever.  Over 33,000 continuous nights already. 

From the gate we went to the main market square, the city center, In Flanders Fields Museum and Tourist Office. Heavily damaged in the wars the city has been beautifully restored. 

The Lille gate is a much smaller entry to the city, with a quiet little cemetery between the city wall and the moat. 

Again, many Canadians in this cemetery, as well as many unknown soldiers. 😔

There is a 5+ km walking trail along the ramparts (old wall) of the city. We followed it for a couple of kilometers of lovely trees and art, and quiet places for people to sit. 

Another important stop on our tour was to see the place where John McCrae wrote the poem In Flanders Fields.

These are the bunkers, along the canal, where injured soldiers were brought to medics, including John McCrae. We learned today that John McCrae died in a hospital in Boulogne, perhaps the same hospital that helped save my Grampa Drew.

It was a big day full of big emotions. Imagine the horror of the first world war and then having to live through it again from 1939-1945. So much tragedy here, so much destruction. So much history. And so much thankfulness. 

On a lighter note, we indulged in some Beligian specialties at a lovely cafe for lunch. 

But actually it didn't feel so "light" after finishing the whole bowl 🤣

The Strava stats for today - show one big out and back. 

We left our tent up all day, for a nice little change, and we even managed laundry, so tomorrow we can keep on rolling towards Brussels. 

Good night. 

Short days ago 

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, 

Loved, and were loved, 

and now we lie In Flanders fields. 

Take up our quarrel with the foe 

To you from failing hands we throw 

The torch, be yours to hold it high 

If ye break faith with us who die 

We shall not sleep, 

though poppies grow 

In Flanders fields.