Poelkapelle Things to Do Tips by Pavlik_NL

Monument for Georges Guynemer (French)

This is the French text that is inscribed in the foot of the monument. My French is not that well and if someone could translate it for me and send it by e-mail, I will be most grateful (just because I am curious what it says exactly).

"Heros legendaire tombe en plein ciel de gloire Apres trois ans de lutte ardente restera le plus pure symbole des qualites de la race: Tenacite indomptable energie fourage courage sublime anime de la foi la plus inebranlable dans la victoire il legue au soldat Francais un souvenir imperissable qui exalterra l'esprit de sacrifice et provoquera les plus nobles emulations.
11 Septembre 1917"

Legendary hero fallen from the sky during his glory period after three years of ardent struggle, he will remain the purest symbol of the qualities of the race: tenacity, indomitable energy, sublime courage driven by the most unshakable faith in the victory. He gave to the French soldiers an imperishable memory that will exalt the mind of sacrifice and will provoke the noblest emulations.
September 11, 1917"
Translations in gratitude to <a href=”http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/406b3/”>Ptitetoile</a>. Thank you very much, my “Latin” lady. Please do also visit her homepage and learn the wonderful joys of the dance, in particular the Tango.

Website: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/406b3

Poelkapelle British Cemetry

In the direction of Westrozebeke, along the main road, a rather large cemetry appears on the right hand side. Around 6.000 British (which means actually various nationalities as long as they were from the British Common Wealth - Australians, Irish, Indians, Canadians etc.) are burried. The cemetry is symetrical and therefor the amount of gravestones impresses very much. From some angels it looks like the lines even disappear in the horizon. In the attempt to break the frontline that got stuck for three long years, the allied forces tried in September 1917 a forceful attack on the German strengholds. The eventual march forwards was approximately twelve kilometers and got litterally stuck in the mud. Three out of four soldiers died, one of them not by a bullet or bomb, but because they drowned! Men and horses sank away in the mud that was here after weeks of heavy rain. Even tanks (the first ever used in warfare) disappeared. The attack that in the end got stuck in Passchendaele, was the fiercest in the "Ieper Saillant". Nearly half a million men lost their lives.

Poelkapelle, a village in midst of vegetables

The West Flanders clay fields are furtile and the area has an agricultural purpose. Especially around Poelkapelle vegetables are grown everywhere. Now-a-days one also sees a strong appearing horticulture, but the open field cropgrowing is still most present. Poelkapelle has many farms surrounding the village and the varie from small houses with little soil to large old castlefarms with enormous acres and fields stretching out to far corners. Still the parcels are small in these lands. Reorganisation is only in a beginning fase.

Fanatic father & son loose their innocence & life

The Great War started in 1914, after decades of tension building up between kolonial superpowers England, France and Russia one one side and the traditional European empires Germany and Austria-Hungary. Everybody was rushing to the frontline and the propaganda machines were even making national feelings and fanatic behaviour worse by giving those who didn't go the worst possible names. The war to end all wars had started and no-one had the faintest idea that it could take a long time before this would be over. Enlisting buro's were getting teenagers in front of their desks. "How old are you, son?" was the repeated question and if the answer was under 18, the marchingorders were: "Go home, boy, and come back tomorrow, when you are 18 years old."
At Poelkapelle British Cemetry one grave is the most extreme example of the fanatic madness that took place in World War 1. The silent but much visited grave of John Condon is covered in wooden crosses with red poppies. 14 years old was the poor boy, when a bullet claimed his much too young life.

Monument for Georges Guynemer

Georges Guynemer was definately one of the pioneers in war flight. He was a French ace in the air in a war in which for the first time aircrafts were put into action. Fierce man to man battles were fought out over the frontline and Guynemer was one of these pilots that came out victoriously time and time again. He was the hero of the French and a mascotte for the propaganda machine. On the 11th of September 1917 he flew out from Dunkerque for his 54th victory, but he didn't return anymore. Germans proclaim that he was shot down over Poelkapelle by Kurt Wisseman and was burried with full military honour. His grave however never has been found. A week later Poelkapelle was captured by the English forces in an assault that costed yet again thousands their lives. In 1923 a monument was erected for Georges Guynemer in the centre of Poelkapelle. On a high column a storch is clapping it's wings in flight. This points out to the name of Guynemer's esquadron, called the "Cigognes" (the storches).