Open navigationClose navigationHome All the major chapters in the American story from Indigenous beginnings to the present day History from countries and communities across the globe Learn about the use of poisonous gas during WWI. This memo, the Germans concluded, proved that “the French in their State workshops manufactured shells with asphyxiating gases fully half a year ago at least” and that they must have manufactured sufficient numbers for the War Ministry to issue directions on how to use the shells. “What hypocrisy when the same people grow indignant because the Germans much later followed them on the path they had pointed out!” Though the French were, in fact, the first to employ gas during World War I–in August 1914 they used tear-gas grenades containing xylyl bromide to confront the initial German advance in Belgium and northeastern France–Germany was undoubtedly the first belligerent nation during the war to put serious thought and work into the development of chemical weapons that were not merely irritants, like xylyl bromide, but could be used in large quantities to inflict a major defeat on the enemy. Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on June 25th On June 25, 1864, four years into the Civil War, Pennsylvania troops for the Union, begin digging a tunnel toward the Rebels at Petersburg, Virginia, in order to blow a hole in the Confederate lines and break the stalemate. The great campaign between Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia and Ulysses S. […] Native American forces led by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull defeat the U.S. Army troops of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, also called Custer's Last Stand. 1910 Congress passes the Mann Act, which was ostensibly aimed at keeping young women from being lured into prostitution, but really offered a way to make a crime out of many kinds of consensual sexual activity. The outrage over sex work began with a commission appointed in 1907 to investigate the problem of immigrant prostitutes. Allegedly, […] On June 25, 1941, with World War II heating up in Europe, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Executive Order 8802 prohibiting ethnic and racial discrimination in the country’s growing defense industry. The order, issued after adamant protest by African American leaders, marked the U.S. government’s first move to ban employment discrimination and promote equal opportunity—and […] Following his arrival in London, Major General Dwight D. Eisenhower takes command of U.S. forces in Europe on June 25, 1942. Although Eisenhower had never seen combat during his 27 years as an army officer, his knowledge of military strategy and talent for organization were such that Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall […] On June 25, 1950, armed forces from communist North Korea smash into South Korea, setting off the Korean War. The United States, acting under the auspices of the United Nations, quickly sprang to the defense of South Korea and fought a bloody and frustrating war for the next three years. Korea, a former Japanese possession, […] On June 25, 1953, Jacqueline Bouvier and Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy publicly announce their engagement. Kennedy went on to become the 35th president and Jackie, as she was known, became one of the most popular first ladies ever to grace the White House. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy was born into a prominent New York family […] The last Packard—the classic American luxury car with the famously enigmatic slogan “Ask the Man Who Owns One”—rolls off the production line at Packard’s plant in Detroit, Michigan on June 25, 1956. Mechanical engineer James Ward Packard and his brother, William Dowd Packard, built their first automobile, a buggy-type vehicle with a single cylinder engine, […] On June 25, 1965, two Viet Cong terrorist bombs rip through the My Canh floating restaurant on the Saigon River. The first exploded in the dining room; the second one, a few minutes later, detonated on the gangplank as panicked survivors tried to flee. More than 30 people, including nine Americans, were killed in the […] On June 25, 1978, activists hoist a vibrant rainbow flag in the midst of the festivities for San Francisco’s Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day parade. According to its creator, Gilbert Baker, the crowd immediately recognized the flag’s significance: “It completely astounded me that people just got it, in an instant like a bolt of lightning—that […] On June 25, 1988, 17-year-old Debbie Gibson becomes the youngest person ever to write, produce and perform her own #1 pop single when her single “Foolish Beat” reaches the top of the Biilboard Hot 100. Contrary to what some critics of teen pop might imagine, pop sensation Debbie Gibson saw herself not as the next […] In Ottawa, Kim Campbell is sworn in as Canada’s 19th prime minister, becoming the first woman to hold the country’s highest office. Born in Port Alberni, British Columbia, in 1947, Campbell studied law and political science before entering Canadian politics during the 1980s. In 1986, she was elected to the British Columbia legislature as a […] On June 25, 1996, a tanker truck loaded with 25,000 pounds of explosives rips through the U.S. Air Force military housing complex Khobar Towers in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 19 U.S. airmen and wounding nearly 500 others. The terrorist attack that blew off much of the eight-story Building 131, leaving a crater 50 feet wide […] On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson, one of the most commercially successful entertainers in history, dies at the age of 50 at his home in Los Angeles, California, after suffering from cardiac arrest caused by a fatal combination of drugs given to him by his personal doctor. Jackson, who grew up as the talented lead […] Both World War I and the 1918 influenza pandemic were devastating events in history. So why did memorials for one event overshadow the other? Some winged warriors, like the famed Cher Ami, received military honors for their intrepid feats as battlefield messengers. After terrorizing trans-Atlantic ships in World War I, German U-boats grew even more fearsome in World War II. Manfred von Richthofen—better known as the “Red Baron”—was the top scoring flying ace of World War I, with 80 aerial victories between September 1916 and his death in April 1918. We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate Uncover fascinating moments from the past every day Learn something new with key events in history from the American Revolution to pop culture you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Global Media You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States Bruno Thiry handed Subaru in search of Ypres redemption Thiry drove a Subaru to second on the 1997 Ypres Rally Jim Harrison is loaning the Belgian his original car to go one better this summer Photography by Girardo & Co. Archive Words by David Evans Subaru owner Jim Harrison has turned dream-maker for one of rallying’s biggest names from the ’90s When Briton Harrison purchased an ex-Bruno Thiry Subaru Impreza 555 one of his ambitions was to reunite car and driver from an iconic Belgian battle This summer he will do just that as former factory World Rally Championship star Thiry climbs aboard the exact car he used on the 1997 Ypres Rally in an effort to go one better and win on some of Europe’s most famous lanes The former factory Ford WRC driver missed out on a Ypres win 28 years ago when countryman Freddy Loix edged him for the podium’s top step by just seven seconds aboard his factory Toyota Celica GT-Four Thiry will tackle June’s Ypres Historic Rally in the Impreza recently restored and returned to its full late-Nineties glory by BGMsport Thiry will have the chance to familiarise himself with the car at the Ardenne Rally Festival on May 1-3 This is the exact car I drove to finish second alongside Stéphane Prévot but thanks to the British number plate system we can confirm that this is ‘my’ Ypres Subaru “It has been meticulously restored over the last two years James [Jim Harrison] sandblasted the car completely and decided it would be fun to paint his model in the colours of the Ypres Rally Harrison's ex-Bruno Thiry Subaru has been beautifully restored by BGMsport in time to return to action in Belgium next month which remains one of my biggest frustrations Of all the cars I’ve driven in rallies this Group A Impreza is by far my favourite and the fact it was developed by Colin McRae all contribute to that The 1997 edition of the Ypres Rally also helped make this car legendary.” Thiry will be co-driven at the Festival by Julien Vial who tackled the Monza Rally with Thierry Neuville in 2015 Harrison is looking forward to seeing Thiry behind the wheel of his precious Subaru “BGMsport did all the restoration and preparation work on the car,” said Harrison He was sending me pictures of the car as the work was progressing and I just knew I had to get Bruno in the car “It’s a chance to really bring the story full circle with this car It’s going to be incredible and quite emotional to see him driving it again after all these years.” Tags: Ardenne Rally Fesitval, Bruno Thiry, Subaru Impreza 555, Ypres Rally 1997 2025 DirtFish https://dirtfish-editorial.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/2025/04/V3n6CQyp-Girardo_Co._Archive_58641-780x522.jpg April 12 Sign up today and be the first to know about special offers Legal Picanol Group officially opened its new headquarters in Ieper on Friday in the presence of Belgium’s Prime Minister sustainable work and meeting place has an impressive floor area of 20,000 square meters providing the necessary space for the further growth of Picanol The new headquarters was built on the existing company site in Ieper and is connected to the production departments located on the site CEO Luc Tack stressed that this investment not only marks the sustainable anchoring of the company in Ieper but also confirms the company’s belief in the future of manufacturing while the Belgian Prime Minister underlined the importance of the country’s industry for the prosperity and growth of Belgian society “Our new headquarters provide a work and meeting place for our employees that is pleasant and open – as well as a stylish customer reception area This investment is necessary for the further growth of our companies – Picanol It also confirms our belief in the future of the Belgian manufacturing industry global role as a weaving machine manufacturer and as a supplier of electronic controllers and cast iron parts,” explains CEO Luc Tack “In times of international economic turbulence it is more important than ever that our country and its social fabric are supported by a robust economy An economy like that of West Flanders is formed of strong locally-anchored businesses with a long history This investment by Picanol Group shows that it shares my belief in the future of manufacturing in our country and puts its shoulder to the wheel,” says Prime Minister Bart De Wever the new building has been constructed in the shape of a weaving shuttle – which is architecturally consistent with Picanol’s history as a weaving machine manufacturer two-story structure that includes a spacious lobby The three upper oval floors contain offices and a company restaurant with a roof terrace that offers spectacular views of Ieper and the surrounding hills transparent architecture promotes interaction between the various departments Vehicular access to the new headquarters is via newly constructed access and exit ramps on the nearby Zuiderring (ring road) Bicycle traffic from the Zuiderring will access the new headquarters via a new bicycle tunnel passing under the vehicular access and exit ramps The new building will accommodate 450 Picanol Group employees Picanol Group also provides significant employment via its local suppliers Construction work began in September 2022 and took some two and a half years to complete The building incorporates state-of-the-art technology and materials to make it as sustainable and energy-friendly as possible This includes using ground heat (via geothermal energy) to heat and cool the building Rainwater recovery has been maximized and there is also a green roof area The design of the environment surrounding the building will follow the latest insights into soft nature management The stylish new office building incorporates a range of meeting facilities and several outdoor areas – all in a beautiful setting with spectacular views This makes Picanol Group even more attractive as a leading employer in the Westhoek region “The new headquarters offers our people every opportunity to optimize the way we work together It will also work to our advantage in regard to the recruitment of new talent,” said Luc Tack To facilitate access to different languages and provide more information on our site we have opted for automatic translation.Despite our vigilance please bear with the sometimes literal translation of contents The history of computing is one of constant growth that data explosion means we keep expecting more of our computer systems as well The City of Ypres is no exception to this rule we could tell our storage needs were evolving faster than our storage systems," says Dieter Bulcke "The result was longer wait times for end users such as our colleagues at various municipal departments but also for residents and businesses who make use of our services by increasingly digital means." The existing storage structure dated from a time when the Flemish Government was enforcing the implementation of an integrated municipal and PCSW administration At the same time as this administrative reform, the City of Ypres moved many of its administrative and public services to a new administration center on the outskirts of the city all municipal services were concentrated in the city center such as in the Lakenhalle for instance," recollects Dieter Bulcke "That's where our IT department was set up originally we still maintain a data center there."  The City of Ypres also made various significant changes to its internal organization and service provision at the time of the move As the IT department needed to be able to support all these changes they invested heavily in a short time frame for example. A second data center was established at several kilometers' distance from the first which of course benefited operational continuity.  "We try to make things redundant wherever we can," emphasizes Dieter Bulcke "While our former storage infrastructure already allowed for redundancy between the two data centers that hasn't kept us from aiming for redundancy within the individual data centers as well." Before the municipality relied on asynchronous data replication between the two sites manual intervention was still needed to restart things requiring more time and a greater deployment of people and resources That's why we wanted to strive for synchronous replication." While the new storage structure was intended primarily to improve performance and thereby enable people to work faster and more efficiently, storage capacity certainly played a role as well "Even though capacity wasn't really a problem when selecting a new storage system you do keep an eye out for adequate scalability in that respect," remarks Dieter Bulcke "We've been transitioning towards more of a hybrid environment for a while now the City of Ypres' new storage system also needed to offer sufficient scalability to allow for a move to the hybrid cloud Dieter Bulcke and his team decided to research the possibilities themselves a bit first and then search for a suitable technology supplier and integration partner we considered the possibility of a hyperconverged infrastructure as a solution as it would also force us to update all the other elements of our infrastructure Ypres focused on three familiar IT partners with a NetApp solution that guarantees continuous availability and optimal data redundancy." Dieter Bulcke | Head of IT @ City of Ypres the City of Ypres decided to limit itself to renewing its infrastructure with a NetApp solution that guarantees continuous availability and optimal data redundancy: MetroCluster IP NetApp's own ONTAP system manager is used to manage the solution Instead of traditional hard disks (HDD), MetroCluster IP relies on an all-flash array (AFA) with flash storage (SSD) only Moreover, no power is required for data preservation "That means power failures have less of an impact," Dieter Bulcke points out "This is another important advantage in historic buildings such as the Lakenhalle  While previously manual intervention was required in such cases we now get an instant failover thanks to the synchronous replication and the NetApp cluster's automatic features too. A simple click is also enough to trigger an instant failback and restore normal operations.That offers myself and my colleagues enormous peace of mind." Thanks to built-in compression and deduplication techniques NetApp solutions also provide for highly efficient storage "NetApp generally works with a 3:1 efficiency rate they only have to supply a third of the required capacity in practice," Dieter Bulcke explains Inetum and NetApp estimated the required amount of storage."  As the icing on the cake, NetApp guarantees additional drives free of charge if the capacity proves insufficient. "What makes NetApp special is that they're so much more than a storage system supplier," Dieter Bulcke concludes "NetApp supplies intelligent data management solutions. They made us a promise you bring your organization in a positive digital flow Inetum helps you with your IT challenges of today and tomorrow For more information contact us at +32 2 801 55 55 or info.belgium@inetum.com you'll have the opportunity every day to grow your expertise and create digital impact quickly Parc Casanearshore Shore 28 Sidi Maârouf 20190 Ways We Remember War: The Battle of Second Ypres and Canada’s Memory memorials and pilgrimage shape our understanding of Canada’s first battle of the First World War along with artwork from the Canada War Museum Doors open at 6:30 pm and the 70-minute film starts at 7:00 pm The lecture will take place IN-PERSON ONLY at the Guelph Civic Museum. Space is limited so pre-registration via Eventbrite is required. The Military Lecture series is presented in partnership with the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada and Guelph Civic Museum Dr. Geoffrey Bird is a Professor in the School of Communication and Culture at Royal Roads University, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He is also the Project Lead of the War Heritage Research Initiative that has involved the production of over 30 short documentaries and various commemorative projects His research also includes poverty alleviation Bird has over 30 years of experience in education in tourism He has held various positions with the provincial and federal governments and as a heritage interpreter at the Canadian National Memorial at Vimy Ridge He has lived and worked in a number of countries in Southeast Asia His primary research interest involves film-making involving war heritage The Tri-University Graduate History Program acknowledges its debt to the many Indigenous peoples who have inhabited and continue to inhabit the lands these three universities stand on and we humbly accept the work of reconciliation We are also on Bluesky Contact Faculty and Staff Jos Verstappen and navigator Renaud Jamoul were at the start of the Ypres Rally part of the Belgium Rally Championship (BRC) but a flat tyre in the fourth special stage set them back far Stéphane Lafebvre is leading the general classification with Jos in P8 The rally continues Saturday with ten more stages to go The Verstappen-Jamoul duo drove the second fastest time in their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 car on Thursday during the Qualifying Stage (in which the starting order for the Friday would be determined) the starting order can play a decisive role During the press conference ahead of the first round of stages we have to see how quickly we can master the stages Starting second on a dry course may not be perfect It would be better to start fourth or fifth Published on 21 June 2024 by Misha van der Kroon The tyres that all the pairs chose will be used during the first four stages Stéphane Lefebvre wins the first stage The Dutchman had a 0.6 second lead to Niels Reynvoet who finishes the first stage in third place I’m pleased with that,” Jos said after the first stage Westouter is the second stage The Limburger ends the stage in P3 but is still second in the general standings The gap to the Frenchmen who is leading the general standings increases to 3.3 seconds for Jos The fourth stage on the Friday is Zonnebeke and during this stage Jos encounters his first setback which means that he will have a tough time catching up during the rest of the rally “I hit a big rock on the inside of a fast left turn along a hedge We drove for more than eight kilometres on the rim but the rally is still long,” is Jos’ down-to-earth comment after the stage Jos has regained the speed he already showed in the first three stages and ends the fifth stage in P1 but the differences in the times are again very small Jos climbs from P15 to P12 in the general standings but the gap to Lefebvre is only gradually shrinking The Frenchman remains the leader of the rally his competitors show disbelief and appreciation about the speed that Jos showed He climbs to P10 in the general classification and sees the gap to the leader shrink to a little under 50 seconds The second round of Zonnebeke is the eighth and last stage of the first day in Ypres Jos finishes the 10.18-kilometer-long stage second Follow Max on social media and keep informed How does visual art shape—or unsettle—national memory when photographs and film are absent To what extent is cultural memory shaped by memorialization and the landscape itself These questions are at the heart of Ways We Remember War: The Second Battle of Ypres and Canada’s Memory This 70-minute documentary invites viewers to explore the legacy of Canada’s first major battle in the First World War through visual art the documentary uses arts-based inquiry to examine how war is remembered and interpreted Contemporary landscape artists engage with and reimagine these sites following in the footsteps of Mary Riter Hamilton who painted the devastated fields of Flanders between 1919 and 1921 The film also highlights works by Richard Jack who memorialized the Second Battle of Ypres in its aftermath veterans from the Canadian Scottish Regiment and The Calgary Highlanders Modern Literature and Culture Research Centre TMU)—the documentary reflects on the power of place and battlefield pilgrimage in shaping memory and imagining reconciliation This event is presented by the Embassy of Belgium in Canada as part of “Belgian Days in Toronto,” promoting Belgian Canadian friendship and cultural exchange and the Modern Literature and Culture Research Centre A light lunch will be served at 12:00 PM. Free admission and free lunch 416-979-5000 ext. 554040 Department Directory the remains of 22 soldiers who fought during World War I have quietly been exhumed Their bodies have been handed over to the police and will be entrusted to the War Heritage Institute (WHI) Once the victims are identified in their country of origin they will be given a final resting place at a military cemetery in Flanders a Flemish archaeological research team carried out a preliminary survey on a field next to the Palingbeek golf club in Ieper (West Flanders) Besides the remains of 22 Allied and German soldiers the archaeologists found bunkers and trenches as well as personal and military items It was here that the front line ran during the First World War both the Allies and Germans hid in trenches here the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) was contacted It decided to start a joint excavation together with the co-operation of the Flemish minister of immovable heritage Ben Weyts (nationalist/N-VA) the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge and the French Direction de la mémoire "It is almost unheard of since the Second World War for such an international group to carry out excavations together and thus keep the memory of war victims alive we want to ensure that the dead soldiers get an honourable burial after all." All the remains and objects found have been handed over to the police who will entrust them to the War Heritage Institute (WHI) Researchers will establish the nationality of each victim so that their remains can be identified in their country of origin they are likely to be given a final resting place at a military cemetery in Flanders The excavations were quite complex and were led by Flemish archaeologists from Monument Vandekerckhove "Researching World War I archaeology can be quite intense with traces of fierce fighting and poor living conditions just below the surface," says leading archaeologist Bert Heyvaert of Monument Vandekerckhove The remains were found just below the topsoil The topsoil consists of about 30 to 40 centimetres of earth that is regularly ploughed up by agricultural activities and with a large excavator can therefore be dug away in one go great care is needed as the archaeological traces start to appear You can recognise these by the discoloured earth around them Archaeologists then proceed more carefully either manually with a trowel and brush or with a smaller excavator "In any excavation of remains you need specialists physical anthropologists who specialise in the examination of human bones we mainly found the severely mutilated remains of German soldiers The soldiers had no choice but to put the remains together as best they could and bury them together," Heyvaert explains A tract of Flanders that forever bears witness Archaeological excavations like these are very informative for the archaeologists "We learn about life and death on the battlefield It seems that in the chaos of the fighting there was no or hardly any time to bury the dead This grave proves that once again," Heyvaert says There’s a misconception that fallen soldiers were removed from the front line and buried behind it "They often remained on the surface or received a shallow grave The living took precedence over the dead in the heat of battle It would be no different in a conflict today." That is why the parties involved want to give the deceased soldiers an honourable final resting place ‘More than ever the landscape in Ieper and the Westhoek District of West Flanders is the last witness to the Great War,’ says Ieper mayor Katrien Desomer "These excavations contribute to historical awareness and remembrance of the fallen They not only provide insight into the past but also give relatives the opportunity to remember their loved ones and visit their final resting place On Sunday afternoon hundreds of local people from Ieper (West Flanders) visited a site where archaeologists carried out important excavations The archaeologists discovered the remains of a medieval estate that served as one of the residences of the counts of Flanders until the 12th century The excavations confirm that in the Middle Ages Ieper was the most important city in Flanders after Bruges and Ghent and one of the largest economic centres in Europe The excavations uncovered part of the moat and the motte Archaeologists opened up the site to the public ‘When I heard that the site would be open to the public I immediately dropped everything and came here I grew up in the area and knew there were archaeological finds I knew that Ieper was very important in the Middle Ages but that it also boasted a castle of the counts ‘I think it's brilliant that what’s been excavated is not just for archaeologists but that the general public can see too ‘Every time there are excavations in Ieper we always go and have a look,’ explains Koen ‘It's interesting to learn more about the city's history Sign In Subscribe Now The skyrocketing costs of construction have led to the cancellation of plans to build two five-storey residential buildings at 365 Ypres St The project by WestUrban Developments proposed to have 91 rental housing units including studio and one and two bedroom apartments But Duncan CAO Peter de Verteuil said at the last council meeting on Dec 16 that the developer has advised city staff that they are no longer proceeding with the development due to construction costs “They are looking at options for a different development design,” de Verteuil told council WestUrban had first proposed a single six-storey building containing 96 units at the site but the project was sent back to the city’s advisory design panel for further review in 2022 after concerns were raised by neighbours of the proposal and some council members Many of those who were opposed at the time raised concerns about the building’s proposed height and size and some council members took issue with the fact that the proposed project didn’t contain an affordable housing component and there were no guarantees that the units would remain rentals the city issued WestUrban a development permit for the reconfigured 91-unit project in two five-storey buildings after a company spokesman told council that by having two smaller buildings and reducing their height by one floor it would significantly decrease and break up the structure’s mass to help deal with height and size concerns An affordable housing component had also been added to the project which would have seen 14 of the units having rents set at 30 per cent or less of the mean renter income for the City of Duncan Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines Military veterans have undertaken an 18-hour pilgrimage to Belgium to unveil a plaque honouring the 15,600 West Indian soldiers who served during the First World War no mention had been made of the service of thousands of soldiers from the British West Indies Regiment at St George's Memorial Church in Ypres – on the land where so many fought and 1,500 members of the regiment lost their lives during the conflict Almost 100 soldiers, veterans, musicians, faith leaders and community champions travelled to the church to unveil the plaque in honour of their sacrifice, including the British Army's highest-ranking black officer, Brigadier Karl Harris, and the first black colonel, Andy Allen a former lance corporal in the Women's Royal Army Corps "What we're doing is we're going to be there on behalf of these veterans' family members who couldn't be here It's such a privilege and an honour to be able to do that." Former staff sergeant Elaine Osborne said: "For me personally I think it's the sense of identifying with people who look like me that served like I did." The British West India Regiments Heritage Trust unveiled the plaque It reads: "In memory of the West Indian men who served and sacrificed their lives on the Western Front in World War One "The British West Indies Regiment 1915-1921 black soldiers were prevented from joining the British Army King George V ordered the War Office to begin enlisting black recruits from the Caribbean They eventually became the British West Indies Regiment Colonel (Ret'd) Allen said: "I spent 30 years in the British Army and I never realised the heritage that is there at Ypres "We're talking about soldiers who came from the Caribbean to fight for the King who actually didn't even know about Great Britain "But they are a part of the British Empire and wanted to do their bit." We’re proud to announce that on 5th October, we will be unveiling the first-ever plaque at the historic St George’s Memorial Church in Ypres, Belgium commemorating the 15,600 West Indian heroes who valiantly served in World War I 🌹 pic.twitter.com/tWCCgzcvGA Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe to: This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem AtlanticSponsored'It is the most special place': Remembrance Day ceremony held in YpresBy Derek Haggett Published: November 11, 2024 at 9:30AM EST Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved for the straightforward path had been lost I looked down at my iPod to see what band was playing next It was a band I had yet to hear as I had just bought the album Woods 4: The Green Album began to play and my life changed From the second I heard the incredibly heartfelt vocals I knew that I had happened upon a band that was truly special How do you begin an examination of one of your favorite bands I figured I’d let the music speak for itself Here is a playlist I compiled of what I consider to be Woods of Ypres greatest hits in order of their release: Before we head into the depths of a frosty Canadian forest I think it is important for you to know how to pronounce the word “Ypres” as I had been pronouncing it “Yee-press” for a while It’s actually pronounced “ee-pray” and is rooted in French Woods of Ypres started out as a fairly run-of-the-mill black metal band Their EP and first album didn’t do much to differentiate them from other good black metal bands but they did hint at some of the key elements that would help them achieve legendary status in the coming years Planted as a mere seedling in the first full-length Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth was the promise of something great By the second album Woods III: The Deepest Roots and Darkest Blues WoY established a sound that combined the sub-genres of black and dark metal to create a sound that has yet to be replicated the people who I shove in lockers) dislike the sound of the later albums – at least that’s been my experience – because they sound noticeably less black metal and lean more to a smoother doom-type sound though less raw and blast beat laden than the first few are incredible pieces of music that I would call fine art The true heart and soul of WoY is David Gold He has been the only member to have appeared on all the albums and he wrote all the lyrics and almost all of the music Woods of Ypres created albums with overarching themes that repeat themselves throughout the albums while dealing with smaller subjects that bleed into the primary vein there are overarching themes in all of the albums I tend to end up ignoring most lyrics because they’re total rubbish; this is not the case with Woods of Ypres Gold’s lyrics explore realms that the average peasant brain can’t meaningfully understand: depression the destruction of the world due to man’s negligence the question of whether or not a god really exists (From “Modern Life Architecture”) (From “Finality”) (From “Wet Leather”) Life is the comfort of a good friend’s advice Who says it’s all your fault and your standards are too high.” Against the Seasons: Cold Winter Songs from the Dead Summer Heat: Palmer sounds very similar to Gold; I thought Gold sang on this EP until I finally read the booklet The vocals here remind me of the cleans that can be found in some of the newer doom metal bands such as Pallbearer and Pilgrim Tremolo and blast beats propound themselves endlessly here and passage of time which are conveyed through similes and metaphors involving nature A trademark of WoY emerges here: catchy lyrical patterns Many of the choruses and verses will get stuck in your head This comes from Gold’s ability to actually write music with memorable song-structure – a skill that many of his peers lack Gold would begin to show his true potential on the next release when his songwriting takes a leap forward Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth: Let’s emerge from the wonderful wintry cold for just a moment to enter the next piece of music Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth is their first full-length and features the arrival of Gold on vocals A few interesting facts about this record: the album booklet refers to this album as being titled Against the Seasons II: Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth It wouldn’t be till the next album that the records would be referred to as Woods this album could be titled Woods II: Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth and the EP as Woods I: Against the Seasons Another thing to note is that Connor Sharpe played bass and Steve Jones played guitars for most of the recording but quit before finishing Gold finished the guitar and bass and then recorded vocals and drums Sharpe and Jones are not credited in the album booklet for their contribution More clean vocals are used in this album though the harsh vocals are still abundant One technique utilized in all their music from here on out is the layering of vocals Gold will record portions of songs while singing in a low register and then record the vocals again while singing in a higher register The resulting combination yields a pleasant amalgamation of highs and lows to keep the ‘ole ears dancing this album presents more melodic black metal There is a bit more acoustic guitar this time around Elements of doom and gothic metal are mixed in for a slightly more emotional tinge I really find the artwork for this album to be stunning Though it doesn’t depict anything in particular it manages to capture the feeling of the album with just a splotch of green and gold paint Shiny golden paint spells the album’s and band’s name The album booklet contains several pictures of nature lavished in gold The next album is where Woods of Ypres began to fully realize their trademark sound Woods III: The Deepest Roots and the Darkest Blues: Woods III: The Deepest Roots and the Darkest Blues is a defining album This album is where Gold begins to craft truly beautiful and emotion driven songs that caress the soul The album title alone conjures up images of the origins of nature The great title is complemented by equally great cover art It manages to encapsulate the feeling of the album perfectly by giving images depicting the death of things and even a small glimmer of hope in the form of a plant growing at the base of the tombstone This album is the transition from frosty black metal to a warming soul-seeking journey to the deepest fathoms of the inner heart Dan Hulse joined and recorded bass and has credits for vocals though I couldn’t tell you where they appeared on the album It contains of my favorite lyrics from this album: “Modern life can drive us to scream for the trees…(in harmony) For those of us who can’t find peace It is the transition from pure black metal to the sound which dominates Woods 4 and Woods 5 It has the catchy nature of pop but doesn’t lose all depth and meaning The next release would display a new sound that would cement Woods of Ypres status as legends The black metal purists have annihilated this albums rating on Encyclopaedia Metallum the black metal screams are all but gone at this point and replaced by a low growl much of the vocals on this album are clean The album cover depicts a square of green of different hues with a single dot of faded red which dribbled down the front (blood The lineup changes yet again with Bryan Belleau on lead guitar Gold takes command of vocals as well as guitars and piano I’ll cover only the most standout tracks leave the others for you to discover on your own There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t sing It has that dark and depressed feeling that emanates throughout the entire album this is a good album to listen to when you want to ponder the nature of life Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Lights: “We were nothing…for a billion years before our time The concept of this song is something that I believe should be taken to heart Gold suggests that we need to stop worshiping the dead (guess I failed that part) and love the people who are alive and well concepts for the album are repeated throughout the whole album in this song it used the the following lyrics: Under grey skies and electric light.” Continuing with the theme of the bleakness of modern life Gold sings about how we plan our lives around things and concepts We try desperately to enact our dream and continue to fail until we give up or die “Kiss My Ashes (Goodbye)” signifies the ever nearing end of this masterpiece This mighty ten-minute piece tells the listener to not cry and mourn his death while their own life wastes away This is one of the more doom-y songs on the album and the chorus is undeniably mournful Gold excels at putting emotion into his singing it is easy to feel the emotion he is attempting to convey This album is a perfect example of how track placement can affect the listener “Finality” is a song about dying and longing for the one you love to be with you in the afterlife. This has been the only song in existence that has ever made me cry. It is a song that definitely seems to resonate with people. A YouTube video of this song has nearly 62,000 views and only one thumbs down. That speaks volumes of the quality of music if it can appease the toxic community on YouTube. The song ends with the line: This album ends there. It leaves the narrator continuing to wait in the silence of eternity. “Back on the highway, under the moon, my final moments.” Woods of Ypres was an incredible band that has created some of my favorite music of all time. From their humble beginnings as a fairly average black metal band to a truly unique sounding amalgamation of different genres to create music that appeals to a larger market while still being distinctly metal, David Gold and the rotating cast of musicians have crafted one of the most solid discographies to ever be released by a band. In memory of David Gold, 1980-2011. To the music he played, the music he wrote, and the music he would have. Beater of posers, crucifier of shitcore. From the swamps I rise. The basement dweller cometh. In Ieper (West Flanders) volunteers have restored Atilla, a 1960s tank that will go on show in the new tank museum planned for the former army barracks in the city. On Saturday, they took the vehicle, which can do up to 40 km/h, for a drive. ‘The steering wheel resembles that of a moped,’ one of the enthusiasts told VRT. The gun, Atilla, was named 55 years ago after the legendary 5th-century conqueror. ‘It was a solid statement meant to impress: it is among the heaviest conventional artillery guns from the Cold War,’ says Franky Bostyn, who runs the complex where the new ‘tank museum’ will soon open. ‘The mobile gun was all rusty and the engine was no longer working,’ explains Ine Charles. On her weekends she is part of the volunteer Panzer Crew team, the enthusiasts restoring old tanks. ‘Together with a lot of us, we sanded down the whole vehicle, till we drew blood. A lot of parts had to be taken out for repairs. The tank was given a new coat of paint and the engine works again.  It’s as good as new. It’s quite powerful.’ ‘The gun can’t shoot anymore,’ explains Pieter Gouwy from Nieuwpoort. ‘I worked on it for about 10 weekends, mainly on the mechanics and the electrics. I have some experience through my garage. There I work on Japanese sports cars from the 1990s. Being self-employed, my time is limited, but I enjoy the voluntary work.’ Pieter demonstrated his driving skills on Saturday.  ‘It is quite simple to drive, but everything rattles and makes a lot of noise. You can accelerate and brake, the automatic gearbox does the rest. The steering wheel looks like one from a moped.’ Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account BELGIUM – The Remembrance Day ceremony at Menin Gate is absolutely unforgettable – it’s a special way to end a sombre week in a truly sacred place Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience Don't have an account? Create Account We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentMore than 5,000 people lined the streets of Ypres on Monday to honour the million or so soldiers from more than 50 countries who were wounded went missing or were killed in Flanders Fields between 1914 and 1918 And in the hearts and minds of a delegation of Indigenous leaders representatives and family members of First World War soldiers visiting from Canada were the 30,000 Canadians killed in Belgium during what was at the time dubbed “the war to end all wars.” “I found myself thinking of the veterans who fought in these lands those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and are buried here,” Honorary Capt a Royal Canadian Navy veteran and Elder of the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre in Halifax said of attending the Menin Gate ceremony for the first time “But also I was thinking about our Afghanistan veterans and our Cold War veterans She said some of those military members have struggled in the wake of deployments and some have died this is a time when we have to remember and celebrate the short amount of time that some of them were here with us on Mother Earth,” Eisan added She said the Remembrance Day ceremony was similar to the many she has attended back home “I just feel so honoured to have been a part of it.” Marching among the massive procession of military police and fires services through the town square and beneath Menin Gate – where the names of 54,896 British and Commonwealth soldiers are engraved on the walls – was a memorable way to cap off a week of events honouring highly decorated Indigenous Canadian soldiers Alex Decoteau and Sam Glode while also making stops at various war cemeteries to perform ceremonies at other Indigenous soldiers’ graves Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Eisan said it has been “a journey of a lifetime.” and to see how the government here treats our veterans and our fallen soldiers The Menin Gate was constructed at the entrance to the city after the war to honour the soldiers who liberated Belgium from the Germans The Last Post ceremony has been held every day at 8 p.m since the memorial opened in 1928 – except between 1939 to 1945 when the city was taken over by the Nazis and the Belgian people moved it to London Hundreds of people gather nightly to watch the ceremony that begins with buglers playing the Last Post followed by a moment of silence and wreath-laying and ending with the sounding of the Reveille bugle call the Canadian delegation was granted the honour of join the Last Post ceremony More than 500 spectators gathered as Mi’kmaw singer Aaron Prosper performed ceremonial songs with his drum while Denise John and Jessie Benjamin astonished the crowd with their dancing The Remembrance Day ceremony on Monday – held just outside Menin Gate instead of beneath it because the memorial is undergoing a restoration until next summer – had an extra somber tone with mentions of the ongoing conflict in Europe and the Middle East and the threat of weapons of mass destruction being deployed And the “poppy drop,” which normally sees tens of thousands of paper poppy petals rain down inside Menin Gate during the ceremony was done from the belfry in the town square because of the construction project But it was still a powerful way for the Canadian delegation to end a memorable week in Belgium where Remembrance Day is a national holiday “This whole experience has been overwhelming,” Jeff Purdy a councillor with Wasoqopa’q-Acadia First Nation and great-great-grandson of Indigenous First World War Sgt I’m just feeling overwhelmed with emotions.” Purdy said he has always attended Remembrance Day ceremonies back home in Nova Scotia “but this was on a whole other level of remembrance.” “It’s something that I’ll remember forever,” he added the great-nephew of Indigenous First World War soldier Alex Decoteau said he now feels “more connected” to veterans their families and those who have lost loved ones who served in the military “It’s just been a great coming here to Belgium and experiencing everything in a different manner,” he said Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Andrea Paul said she is “walking away” after her time in Flanders Fields “feeling empowered to do more” when she returns home to Nova Scotia “I take part in a lot of different ceremonies and being here has a totally different feel from we do them at home because the respect and the admiration and the support here for the veterans and their families has just been incredible,” she said we typically carry on with our lives after Remembrance Day until the next Nov explaining she feels “a bit guilty that I should be doing a lot more.” when I go back and I meet with the chiefs in my region and I meet with the regional chiefs and talk to them about the experiences I’ve had here my hope is that I can bring a delegation of youth here so that they can also experience what I’ve experienced,” she said “It’s so important that we bring our youth here so that they get to experience this,” Paul said “They’re the ones who are going to be continuing the legacy of honouring our veterans.” a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces who served in the Royal Canadian Regiment is in Belgium and will be visiting memorial sites and attending ceremonies leading up to Remembrance Day cdoucette@postmedia.com transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account Sunday was a day of two extremes for the Verstappens with Jos Verstappen’s attempt at the Ypres Rally ending prematurely due to a crash While Max Verstappen romped his way to victory in Barcelona to solidify his lead in the F1 drivers’ championship his father Jos had a frustrating end to his weekend at the Ypres Rally as he and his co-driver escaped injury in a sudden crash Taking part in the Belgian Rally Championship round at Ypres Verstappen and his co-driver Renaud Jamoul got off to a good start on Friday before a flat tyre during the fourth stage sent them tumbling down the order the former F1 driver was consolidating that position when he suffered a flat tyre to lose almost a minute as a result of a rock strike during the fourth stage “I hit a big rock on the inside of a fast left turn along a hedge,” he told Verstappen.com “We drove for more than eight kilometres on the rim Fighting to climb back up the order on Sunday morning Verstappen had a hard crash in the forest stage at Kemmelberg with images and video circulating on social media showing the crash 👉 Max Verstappen makes major Red Bull declaration with McLaren ‘concern’ raised 👉 Spanish GP data: How Max Verstappen cooked against a quicker McLaren in Barcelona he and his co-driver climbed out to survey the damage and walk away from their frustrating weekend Verstappen takes part in select rallying events to whet his appetite for motorsport and has shown plenty of the speed that helped him stand out during his time in F1 Verstappen and Jamoul took an easy win in the Rally of Wervik – a preparation event for Ypres – with the Dutch driver bringing his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 car home almost a minute clear of the rest great,” said Jos after claiming the win “The car felt very good and we easily achieved fast times Verstappen senior is set to take part in the Legends Parade – a regular event at the track in the Styrian Mountains during the Grand Prix weekend While son Max will be fighting for the F1 victory Jos will be driving the Red Bull RB8 from 2012 – the car with which Sebastian Vettel won his third world title Read Next: Mick Schumacher’s F1 return plan reignites with Paul Ricard test confirmed © Planet Sport Limited 2025 • All Rights Reserved The atmosphere and the passion of the fans brings the rally alive for the drivers Words by Luke Barry Ypres Rally Belgium winner Ott Tänak says there is “no question” the World Rally Championship needs events like Ypres Rally Belgium “where rallying is loved” Ypres featured as part of the WRC calendar for the second time this season following its debut in 2021 There isn’t understood to be a deal between WRC Promoter and the Rally Ypres organizer for the event to remain in the championship but it would be a shame if the WRC never returned according to Tänak “I mean there is no question that WRC needs these kinds of events where the people have this kind of passion with the rally,” he said seeing these huge crowds it means it is the place that rally needs to be and where the rallying is loved also the manufacturers love that people are here and it is great to be here.” Ypres is a unique challenge for drivers with its deep cuts and menacing ditches and has proved a tough nut to crack where previous experience pays real dividends Elfyn Evans explained: “I agree with what Ott said it is not the most exciting prospect to come to the stages on one hand because they are quite specialist they start to be a bit less new and a bit more familiar the atmosphere all weekend and a proper itinerary as well where there is a chance to get sleep on a night is not so bad!” The rally’s more condensed itinerary – influenced by the stages being so close to service in the center of Ypres – particularly appealed to Esapekka Lappi “It feels like a historic rally,” he said It was really nice to wake up in the morning and you realized you recovered from the previous day “It is a very unique event in terms of the roads,” Lappi added “I would not say I am a fan of it but maybe I should be now [after finishing on the podium] “It is about junctions and a lot cuts It is a very unique event so let’s keep it in the calendar if I can do results like this!” Tags: Elfyn Evans, Ott Tanak, Rally Ypres, Rally Ypres 2022 2022 DirtFish https://dirtfish-editorial.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/2022/08/2022BELGIUM_RT_129.jpg August 23 The World War I battle sites of Flanders Fields in Belgium are some of the most thought-provoking and inspirational war landscapes in the world – and in 2025 a series of exhibitions events and tours are exploring the significance of the devastating conflict on this landscape In Flanders Fields.” Forever immortalised in the words of soldier-poet John McCrae the battle sites of Flanders Fields in Belgium are synonymous with the horrors of the Great War – and the inspiration for the use of the poppy as an enduring global symbol of remembrance Flanders Fields was a major battle theatre on the Western Front during the First World War A million soldiers from more than 50 different countries were wounded their population scattered across Europe and beyond The destruction of the city of Ypres and the brutal conditions endured during the Battle of Passchendaele (Third Battle of Ypres) became worldwide symbols for the senselessness of war and the remainder of the military cemeteries that dot the region serve as a poignant place for visitors across the world to pay their respects to the tragic cost of what was hoped to be a “war to end all wars” Today the peaceful region still bears witness to this history through its monuments cemeteries and the countless individual stories that link it with the world Remembrance of the First World War will always live on in Flanders where the Last Postsounds every evening; Tyne Cot Memorial and Cemetery (the largest Commonwealth military cemetery in the world); and the many many memorials dedicated to the fallen and the missing including 27 which have been recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site From April 2023 to August 2024, VISITFLANDERS – the area’s tourist board – is hosting a series of new exhibitions events and tours under the thematic year of Landscapes To showcase to visitors the significance of World War I on Flanders’ topography and how its legacy will shape the landscape for future generations The opening of new permanent experiential memorials specifically curated exhibitions and other events will dominate the calendar – and there’s still time to be part of these unique experiences this summer with a compact footprint the size of Yorkshire Transport links by air or EuroStar to Brussels are superb while travelling around once you’re in-country is straightforward by car Here are 9 amazing new events and exhibitions you can experience this summer Attend the daily Last Post ceremony in Ypres and you’ll also be able to visit the “Witnesses in the Landscape” exhibition The scaled installation with stories and facts about 25 cemeteries including immersive drawings and interactive activities The Hooge Crater Museum’s “Front Eye” viewpoint offers a unique new vista-point over the historic front’s Ypres Salient this listed building boasts a large rose window providing a bird’s eye view over several battlefields Talbot House in Poperinge was a haven of peace visited by over half a million soldiers (referred to as Talbotousians) during WWI This exhibition tells the story of the support offered to many bereaved families A number of walks and cycling routes have been specially created for the Landscapes thematic year is an accessible walk with viewing boxes to discover what would have been visible at those exact places in wartime “The Yellow Ribbon Trail” experiential route weaves a path along German-occupied territory are brought to life with photographs and audio content via a QR code linked to a heritage site The Yser Tower will host the “Traces in the Landscape” exhibition High up in the panoramic room of Yser Tower visitors will be able to relive the construction of the first tower and the deliberate flooding of Yser during World War I will transport visitors to a train station during wartime: trains arrive and depart wounded are taken away and bombs fall in the night.. A series of impressive art installations will bring faded battlefield sites back to life The land art trail marks places where the fallen were buried tram tracks ran carrying supplies to the soldiers a new permanent “Peace Bridge” will create a harmonious memorial combining art monument and architecture that will invite visitors to walk and reflect the guard rail is embellished with the word ‘peace’ in 86 languages Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited Company number: 1394141; Registered office: Media House Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No: 845898) it was a particularly low scoring round across the board in Belgium Words by Colin Clark This year’s World Rally Championship titles may be headed the way of Kalle Rovanperä and Toyota this season – barring any spectacular capitulation – but it’s Ott Tänak and Hyundai that are on top of the world just now But there were plenty of others who had a far rougher time of it on the notorious Flanders stages Here are Colin Clark’s driver ratings from round nine of the season: This was a performance that reminded me very much of Croatia in 2021 he barely made it five kilometers into that event before he was caught out by a slippery corner but to be honest he was actually quite lucky to get past the five kilometer marker on the opening stage in this one How he avoided destroying his front-right suspension is a mystery to anyone who’s seen the footage Are we perhaps seeing a bit of a weakness emerging here in the Boy Wonder but what we can say is that his Tarmac form perhaps has room for improvement I think this was perhaps Elfyn’s strongest event of the season so far Take out that unfortunate penalty and the puncture on Friday and Evans would have more than likely won this one I think Evans is already preparing himself for an assault on the 2023 championship and is using his time wisely this year to build his pace and confidence to a level that will allow him to compete with his flying team-mate Evans’ ultimate strength for me is his patience He won’t push beyond what he knows he can do no matter how much it might be tempting to do so Find some consistency and a fraction more speed before the end of the season and 2023 will be a year to look forward to An unexpected second podium in a row for the ever likeable Lappi Another driver who started with a very definite strategy and stuck to it religiously He knew he wouldn’t have the speed here but was also fully aware of the jeopardy that this event presents and went about ticking off stage after stage in a remarkably unspectacular fashion And he kept on doing that all the way to the podium Firmly setting out his credentials for perhaps a more complete season in the Toyota factory team next season The remarkable points scoring run that Katsuta is on is still very much alive After a horrendously difficult second half of last season Taka-san needed to dial back the speed and dial in the reliability And that’s what he did once again here in Ypres Measured pace and very limited risk were good enough for another top five finish here After Estonia you’d have got very long odds against Ott Tänak winning the next two events on the bounce but that’s exactly what he’s gone and done Finland was one of the bravest performances I’ve ever seen but this one was different even although it was perhaps still a little twitchy seemed way more drivable and Tänak was able to measure his push in an intelligent and controlled manner Two wins in a row is enormously encouraging for Hyundai But what I find even more encouraging is that Tänak seems to have rediscovered his swagger – that intimidating presence is back there are glimpses of that aura of invincibility that seemed to resonate from every inch of his being back in 2019 Hyundai needs a rejuvenated Tänak and so does the championship King Kalle is threatening years of domination and Tänak at his best is perhaps the only one who can stop that I really was enjoying watching a very much on form Thierry Neuville mastering the testing Ypres stages for the best part of the opening two days – and then the unthinkable happened Neuville putting his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 off on a relatively innocuous corner on Saturday’s penultimate stage was so far off-script that for a second or two the media room descended into an almost ecclesiastical silence And then it erupted into an almost football rabble like cacophony of indignation I think it was more than the pressure of his home event that ultimately got to Neuville I think the emergence of Tänak as perhaps the team’s dominant voice was at the back of his mind and played a bigger part in this disastrous off than anyone would care to admit Just the most remarkably gutsy performance from young Solberg didn’t that vile cesspit depths of social media occupied by the thankfully few keyboard warriors let him know He had to endure more abuse on various social platforms than to be honest I’ve ever seen in rallying Maybe only Adamo has had to put up with more but he’s a grown man with skin as thick as a crocodile’s the scrutiny and the expectation with maturity that was beyond his years and drove an almost faultless event to bring home his best ever finish in the championship I can’t bring myself to give him zero points but there are plenty of folk out there who would argue that’s what the out of form Breen deserves A lackluster opening day was followed by a disastrous off on the second stage of day two What is going in in the Breen camp right now are completely at a loss to explain how the championship’s most consistent performer has plummeted to the point where he is now the championship’s most consistent crasher It’s bewildering and worrying in equal measures These last three events are without any question Breen’s strongest on the calendar – and he’s crashed out of all three It’s easy to say a reset is needed but I suspect it’s way more complex than that Breen has a fantastically strong support network behind him and he desperately needs that support network to come up with solutions and come up with those solutions in a very timely manner How long will Malcolm Wilson’s patience last is perhaps the more pertinent question Wilson has a car that he knows can win rallies and his drivers rather than presenting him with silverware are constantly presenting him with smashed cars and increasingly costly repair bills one biggish mistake but no car destroying exploits from the battling Greensmith Gus is in a bit of a difficult place right now and knows that he needs to find improvements if he is to return to the level that we saw glimpses of at the start of the year But that elusive last bit of performance and reliability seems to be frustratingly eluding him right now An absolutely unforgivable error on the final day from the massively likeable massively talented but ultimately massively silly Fourmaux Fourmaux has very much been on his final warning for a few rallies now and what was building into a very commendable result was destroyed by a crazy lack of judgement on that fat left hander of SS19 The instructions could not have been clearer – forget the fight with Solberg and bring that car back in one piece It ultimately came back in a thousand pieces accompanied by yet another enormous repair bill and a driver with a massive question mark pinned large to the middle of his back The inevitability of death can be a crippling influence on the human experience in good health or plagued by chronic illness – death will come for all of us one day although much more tragically for some than for others who manage to seize the creative potential within this joyless truth turning it into harrowing or even reassuring tales of humanity’s frailty when faced with this ultimate when sudden death takes such individuals from our midst who were able to instill both fear and a sense of awe in us by discussing their own takes on death through art Not only did they bravely face down this dark reality while alive they also gave comfort to those among their audience who recogized their own struggles with mortality in what was being presented to them taken too early by that same mysterious force they devoted (at least part of) their craft to One such creative spirit was Canadian songwriter David Gold who was the mastermind behind black/doom metal band Woods of Ypres He was killed in a car crash on this exact day eight years ago this happened not two months before his greatest accomplishment as a musician was set to be released: Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light This episode of A Scene In Retrospect is thus dedicated to his memory; in it and Scott give praise to the aforementioned masterpiece I hope we were able to do his legacy justice Woods 5 is a haunting listen coming back to it years later The matter of fact ways David Gold talks about death and the subsequent events prior to the albums release is surreal To say this is an eerie album would be a massive understatement Woods 5 is just an incredible listening experience Woods of Ypres take something familiar to all of us and mashes it all together until it is completely unrecognizable and unique this is all part of what makes Woods 5 such a masterpiece “Travelling Alone” is a standout track for me I’m not even sure I could logically explain why other than it just connects with me I believe it’s an oboe that kicks in just before the vocals and that just amplifies the heartbreak of the song It’s sad to know that we’ll never hear anything new from these our Canadian brethren and sistren But we should all be grateful for the gifts that they have bestowed upon us Woods 5 is one of my favorite albums of all time It’s also the album that got me invested in black metal when it first came out in 2012 I was familiar with the band just a bit because of a friend I checked out Woods 5 shortly after release when I saw all the praise it was getting The monumental shift in my music taste this album alone caused is staggering This was a time when I was mostly into deathcore and tech-death just dabbling with some prog here and there I would have told you I didn’t really like black metal if you asked me before this album Woods 5 is so damn good that it made me a fan of the genre There’s something about the cathartic and anguished vocals of David Gold that I will never be able to get past He had one of the most amazing voices to ever sing in this genre and his lyricism is something I hold dearly to this day “Travelling Alone” is a track that lyrically I can relate to more than almost any other music I’ve heard He was like an emotional conduit for the voices of the lost and downtrodden Woods of Ypres was a clarion call to the depressed and this group changed my musical perspective and truly Unfortunately I became the fan I am of this group after the passing of Gold must forsake his message in “Adora Vivos”- ‘Love me in the flesh/ Don’t wait till death to sing my praise.’ depending on the day my #1 spot could go to a variety of albums The evolution that Woods Of Ypres underwent from Woods 4 to this one is nothing short of astounding and every aspect is polished to perfection David Gold’s passionate vocals that range from black metal to Peter Steele-esque gothic doom are magnificent the philosophical lyrics demand answers to some of the toughest questions posed by humanity “Travelling Alone” is one of the most earnest expressions of doubt in the existence of a higher power that I have ever heard In stark contrast to this uncertainty comes perhaps one of my favorite songs ever ‘A moment of silence/but not one moment more/the dead are to be forgotten/we are here to be adored’ Lyrics such as these would just come off as edgy and adolescent if the band hadn’t already established such an earnest foundation there is genuine emotion and gravitas behind these words Given the vocal delivery being mostly clean that gives the lyrics a bit more punch and it’s in this aspect where Woods 5 where this album draws its power and decay of happiness are pervasive and Gold’s baleful wail give it the weight needed to feel genuine Woods 5 was a watershed moment for my personal journey through heavy music and remains steadfast as one of my favorite records regardless of genre Given that David Gold passed away before its release colors every listen with a tinge of genuine sadness I think it’s very important to know that I had never listened to Woods of Ypres before writing for this feature This should hopefully contextualize what I’m going to say better along with the explanations I provide naturally Diving into Woods 5 was quite the experience one that I paralleled to my days of listening to HIM and other gaudy gothic rock and metal I’m sure it’s quite obvious that Woods 5 is a lot more sophisticated than many of those other bands I went in expecting a lot heavier experience but what I got served the themes of the album better than any blast beats and showy soloing could have provided sounding both functional and ornate in the bigger picture The diverse vocals are clear and upfront – instrumentation never betrays the message that David Gold sings on each track the music embodies the weeping of those lost and gone Grey Skies & Electric Light is as fitting a subtitle for the album as possible as it captures the beautiful melancholy of a darkened dusk night with flashes of lightning illuminating the way It forges some comfort in the darkness whether traversing to the final restful realm or navigating the painful intricacies of being left behind in life particularly the tragic death of David Gold it’s impossible to not see Woods 5 as a near-prophetic eulogizing of himself Gold’s personal attitude toward death is laid out especially well here with songs like “Kiss My Ashes (Goodbye)” Hopefully you were able to grasp how important this record is to many of us among the EIN staff – hell it might be just as important to some of you I’d like to ask you to share your thoughts on/experiences with this band and album – through our connection to his music David Gold (and by extension Woods of Ypres) will never be forgotten thank you for your continued interest in this feature throughout 2019 I’m sure that the next year will hold just as many dear memories and musical discoveries as this one did and I’m looking forward to sharing these nostalgic retrospects with you for a long time to come Be sure to come back two weeks from now for the first installment of A Scene In Retrospect of 2020 and website in this browser for the next time I comment Everything Is Noise is here to bring you music that you connect with accessible space to discuss this music in a open-minded community of fans and creators The Everything Is Noise-Newsletter is currently in maintenance One of the more special days of the Podium Cafe Flanders trip was cycling the Ypres (Ieper) Peace Route, riding past many World War 1 cemeteries, monuments, and museums. Many thanks to the military historian Jeremy Banning who helped me plan the visit See here for a detailed route map with historic sites labelled. I was with a large contingent of Podium Cafe friends (Jens We would leisurely ride the well-signed 45km route adding another 10 kms or so with various detours to worthwhile sites The route starts and ends in the Ypres Grot Markt – the main square It is signed as the Vredesroute (Peace Route) in a counter-clockwise direction A route map with lots of useful information can be purchased for €2 at the tourist office We began by leaving Ypres through the Menen Gate joining a bike path along the Kastelgracht – the old town moat Much of the route is on dedicated bike paths Endless cemeteries with thousands upon thousands of headstones (far too many with unidentified soldiers or multiple soldiers) It is a depressing testimony to the pointless slaughter of World War 1 Most of the cemeteries along our route were for commonwealth soldiers beautifully maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission We would pass several large groups of Canadian visitors in part due to the numerous Canadian cemeteries/monuments in the area and partly due to the 100 year anniversary of Vimy Ridge Prime Minister Trudeau was in the region yesterday visiting Canadian memorial sites We visited several of the most important and largest sites but we also visited many beautiful and poignant small cemeteries along the way We stopped near the Passchendaele Museum for lunch enjoying yet more excellent Belgium Beer A nice elderly couple from Winnipeg were confused by my Canadian kit and so many American accents so I threw an "eh" or two into a couple of sentences to make us all feel more at home The Tyne Cot Cemetery is depressingly huge but beautiful I somehow missed the giant Brooding Canadian monument but we made a point of visiting the Langemark German Military Cemetery containing over 44,000 soldiers Many of the gravestones contained 15 or so names A Canadian student note of remembrance and respect at German cemetery: The final stretch of the ride includes several kilometres along the Kanal van Ieper – very nice We were unfortunately in a rush to meet other commitments so we had little time to explore Ypres I have no photos of the impressive Grot Markt - perhaps one of the others could post one in the comments there is plenty to see and another visit on bikes may be in the cards My wife and I visited this region 18 years ago with a good friend who had served in the Canadian military cycling is the perfect (and better) way to leisurely explore this historic region On Tuesday the West Flemish municipalities of Ieper and Langemark-Poelkapelle commemorated the first gas attack during WWI It happened exactly 110 years ago in the hamlet of Steenstrate the Germans unleashed chlorine gas for the first time Many relatives of victims attended the commemoration including Dominique This 78-year-old Frenchman is the grandson of one of the soldiers killed Grandson donates letters to In Flanders Fields Dominique donated dozens of letters to the In Flanders Fields Museum in Ieper The museum previously had the digital versions of the letters Angèle and Georges,’ explains Annick Vandenbilcke 'A couple who clearly loved each other The husband signed up for the army and went off to war It is mainly Angèle's letters to her husband that have been preserved.' 'There are fewer letters from her husband But then communication falls silent and Angèle's long search follows she writes to several different agencies hoping to get some news of her husband You sense in her letters that against her better judgement she keeps hoping he will turn up." The museum tries to respond to people's personal stories as much as it can The gas attack was commemorated at several places including at the Cross of Reconciliation in Steenstrate and the Brooding Soldier war memorial in Langemark-Poelkapelle The Last Post at the Menin Gate was also dedicated to this darkest of anniversaries The Prison Service has launched an investigation after prison officers that work at Ieper Prison in West Flanders filmed a prisoner that was lying unconscious in a hospital bed VRT News sources report that the prison officers were at the hospital to guard the prisoners where he had undergone an opperation The incident reportedly took place last November but came to the attention of the Prison’s Department last month 2 prison officers had been sent to the AZ Jan Yperman hospital to guard the prisoner while he underwent an operation While the prisoner was lying in bed before awaking from the aesthetic the guards started to get bored They filmed each other and commented on the “boring” task that they had been given One of the 2 prison officers then went to stand by the man and gives a double thumbs up sign The film was allegedly sent to a third prison officer from the prison the film has come to the attention of the Prison Service The Service’s spokeswoman Kathleen Van de Vijver confirms that a disciplinary investigation is now underway "Both the local and the regional management was informed in March 2025 of the unprofessional behaviour at the hospital Those concerned have already been told to justify their actions Once the investigation has been completed disciplinary measures will be taken by the prison governor” the West Flemish town of Ieper topped the Belgian ranking for the most welcoming destination in the country The international travel booking website Booking.com compiled a Belgian top 10 based on guest reviews made during the past 3 years ‘This is a big reward for hotel and holiday accommodation operators in the city of Ieper,’ says alderman for tourism Diego Desmadryl Booking.com recently presented its 2025 Traveller Review Awards identifying the most welcoming places to stay famous for its Great War tourism and 3-yearly Cats' Parade based on reviews made between 1 December 2021 and 30 November 2024 The West Flemish city was also recognised in 2021 and 2022 ‘This ensures that we are flagged up as a tourist destination ‘It is a token of appreciation for our hotel and holiday accommodation operators day out to make people feel welcome in Ieper.’ Despite the many tourists that visit the major Flemish cities it is once again a smaller town that wins big ‘The big cities are sometimes overrun by tourists the match between tourism and locals is something that works well.’ Three West Flanders municipalities in Top 10 West Flanders occurs thrice in the Belgian top 10 2 other West Flemish destinations feature on the list Bruges is ranked 6th and the seaside resort of Koksijde occurs in 9th position Also in this respect West Flanders outperforms all other Belgian provinces composed to accompany visitors as they make their way through the institution The mood is suitably somber and inward facing with moments of beauty and light scattered throughout It’s largely the work of two members of Tindersticks with help from longterm collaborator Lucy Wilkins who presided over the dense orchestral recordings that give the album its sizeable weight Tindersticks possess the enviable ability to work in big and small spaces combining barely-there minimalist compositions with full-blown orchestral works with silence acting as a key constituent in its makeup The muted tone creates an air of reverence "Gueules cassées"—a title that translates as "broken faces," in reference to injury ravaged combat veterans—contains barely any instrumentation at all other than a solitary wind instrument faintly circling in time It’s easy to imagine such work providing a perfectly unobtrusive accompaniment to a museum visit but it works as a standalone piece as well largely due to the depth and refinement sunk into it the lack of complexity allows for notes to stretch out expansively with the string section interlocking in a way that’s positively hypnotic which was virtually destroyed during the Great War provides clues as to the mindset at work when these pieces were composed it becomes the type of material that’s easy to impinge other thoughts and feelings on Notes seem to stretch on for days in the 20-minute-long "The Third Battle of Ypres" opening up a framework to cloak an existential crisis in containing great sways and sighs of purposefully deadened sound Sometimes "Battle" even feels like it's heading somewhere only for Staples and his cohorts to pull back from the brink retreating into the haltingly rotating figures that make up the rest of the album resembling the more familiar front of this band taking over for a minute or two before they check where they are and sink back into the solemnity A choir from the Island will pay tribute to a Manx solider who went missing in action during World War I when they perform in Belgium next week Thirteen children and nine adults from the Peel Cathedral choir are heading to Ypres to sing at the famous Menin Gate remembrance ceremony The group will also head to the Tyne Cot Cemetery to sing Ellan Vannin in tribute to Manx soldiers including Private Robert Arthur Vick from Peel Director of Music at the Cathedral Dr Peter Litman says the choir will be reliving his journey: AtlanticSponsoredSacred ground: Canadian delegation in Belgium for Remembrance Day ceremoniesBy Derek Haggett Published: November 07, 2024 at 7:08AM EST Woods Of Ypres were set to be the Type O Negative of the 2010s – only for tragedy to cut them down in their prime A qualified teacher with three university degrees Woods Of Ypres mastermind David Gold was an intelligent man struggling to find his niche as he testified on his song Travelling Alone: ‘I have searched and I have tried / To find a place where I can be / I love my homeland dearly but never carved a place in society.’ Woods II is still one of my favourite albums though it’s now difficult to listen to.” Joel got to know David in 2005 when he ordered a copy of Woods II from him. Over the next few years they traded emails, Joel posting David demos for what would become Canada 2010, the first album in his still- active solo folk/black metal project ‘Want me to drum on the record for you?’ I was blown away “One of David’s immense qualities was his ability to get stuff done.” David found a fertile partnership with Joel he didn’t have to concentrate on writing everything himself he and Joel writing half of the music each for Woods 5 giving him more time to focus on the record’s finer details “He used to joke that we were the Lennon and McCartney of Canadian black metal!” says Joel “Type O were a huge influence on David,” he remembers “That they became so popular after Peter died drove him bonkers.” His frustration is clear in the starkly delivered lyrics: ‘We miss them so much / Now that they are gone / Took them for granted / For living Sign up below to get the latest from Metal Hammer David himself was killed in a car accident in December 2011 the reception and interpretation of its lyrics irrevocably altered it is alarmingly foreshadowing – a captivating journey through mournful melody and exhilarating extremity remembers being startled hearing David’s vocals on the tracks for the first time – existential anguish in that funereal baritone; his scathing roar but there’s more to it.’ He would often in songs discuss a problem and then present the solution – there was a messianic feel to it… when David passed it gave a very different feel to the lyrics.” Joel is often the man looked to for insight – a task he’s struggled with I was asked [by a journalist] ‘What’s the future of the band?’ I forget exactly what I said ‘We don’t know what the future for Woods is’ I took a bunch of flak for saying that – clearly you can’t make a Woods Of Ypres album without David Gold but there’s nothing that can be done about it.” Woods 5 deservedly won the 2013 Juno (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys) for Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year That it isn’t spoken of in the same breath as the likes of October Rust David’s heroes Type O Negative’s crowning achievement and something that will hopefully be rectified with time “I feel very fortunate to have contributed to a slice of it,” concludes Joel “This fantastic Canadian legacy that David built with his vision and work ethic a whole cast of characters were involved in realising that vision There’s a lot of people now making music who otherwise wouldn’t be.” Testimony to this lies with Heart Of Gold – a tribute album released in 2013 featuring 19 bands made up of his peers covering their favourite Woods songs That David inspired so many to create is a fitting legacy and reaffirms the message at the core of his masterwork Woods 5 reminds us all to make the most our lives "The universe is not fair like that." Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson tells new bands they'll get nowhere without self-belief “We did get very wild and crazy at points ‘Why aren’t we getting arrested?’”: The violent I’m going to join them”: The man who was asked to replace James Hetfield as singer in Metallica – and turned it down The United Nations Department of Global Communications (DGC) promotes global awareness and understanding of the work of the United Nations through its network of United Nations Information Centres (UNICs) around the world. The UN Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) in Brussels engages with local audiences in 21 countries as well as the Holy Sea and European institutions At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic António Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire to protect the world’s most vulnerable communities from the virus persons with disabilities and displaced persons in conflict zones The Belgian city of Ypres where no fewer than five battles were fought during the First World War has backed the Secretary-General’s appeal “Ypres was completely destroyed during the First World War to continue to raise its voice in the debate about war and peace that is unfortunately still relevant,” said Emmily Talpe Since backing the Secretary-General’s appeal has called upon cities and municipalities across Belgium to join the call over 70 have voiced their support in a show of solidarity for victims of war and violence in cities across the world The Secretary-General’s call for a ceasefire has already gained global support Armed groups and governments in more than 14 countries the Philippines and Colombia steps towards temporary ceasefires and cessations of hostilities have been taken between warring parties Over 170 countries have endorsed support for a ceasefire and reaffirmed the importance of “global unity and solidarity in confronting this scourge” the Moldovan government and the self-proclaimed government of Transnistria have reached an agreement to facilitate the movement of some members of the population we're not doing this work to make ourselves feel better That sort of conventional notion of what a do-gooder is We're doing this work because we are totally convinced that it's not necessary in today's wealthy world for so many people to be experiencing discomfort for so many people to be experiencing hardship for so many people to have their lives and their livelihoods imperiled.” David Nabarro has dedicated his life to global health After a long career that’s taken him from the horrors of war torn Iraq to the devastating aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami he is still spurred to action by the tremendous inequalities in global access to medical care “The thing that keeps me awake most at night is the rampant inequities in our world…We see an awful lot of needless suffering.” returns to the stage after a long absence during the COVID-19 pandemic It counts 250 children and teenagers from the favela as its performers The ballet group provides social support in a community where poverty hunger and teen pregnancy are constant issues The pandemic has put many people to the test Coronavirus has waged war not only against people's lives and well-being but has also spawned countless hoaxes and scientific falsehoods The 180-mile liasion to Spa played a role in the organizer's decision Spa Francorchamps won’t be included in the route for this year’s Ypres Rally meaning all three days of the event will be held in the Flanders region The third day and final four stages of 2021 were held in the Spa region of Belgium including a stage at the famous Grand Prix circuit which resulted in a long 180-mile road section on Sunday morning That and the lack of spectacle at Spa-Francorchamps drew criticism from some drivers and fans which the event organizer Club Superstage has considered for this year “It was not only the long liaison to Spa-Francorchamps that played a role in this decision to stay in Ypres It was practically impossible to finish the WRC round on the circuit of Spa-Francorchamps the preparations for the Formula 1 Grand Prix have already started,” said Club Superstage president Alain Penasse An impressive 40.56% of the route mileage will be competitive with classic tests such as Vleteren Hollebeke and Kemmelberg – the powerstage – all included Ypres will be the ninth round of the 2022 season The WRC leader believes an optimistic pacenote was to blame Kalle Rovanperä has explained that an “optimistic” pacenote was what led to him crashing out the lead of Ypres Rally Belgium Rovanperä ran wide through a quick right-left sequence hit a ditch and rolled a number of times before his Toyota came to rest on its wheels He and co-driver Jonne Halttunen both emerged from the accident unharmed “There were two corners; the second one of them I think I just had a bit too optimistic a note on that,” Rovanperä said but we will see it when the guys can check the car in service.” There had been a bit of commotion at the start of the stage where Rovanperä and Halttunen both looked frustrated by a stage delay and how that was handled but the 21-year-old was quick to quash any suggestions that this caused his concentration to wane 10km in [to a stage] things like that shouldn’t affect anymore,” Rovanperä said Although Ypres is very likely to be the lowest scoring round of Rovanperä’s season to date he will still head home with at the very least a 64-point lead Asked what his mindset was given this still healthy championship lead Rovanperä said: “We just need to continue to work hard HistoryNet Germany botched its last chance to win the upper hand on the Western Front–and its last chance From the middle of October to the middle of November battered the British and French divisions clinging to a narrowing salient once the center of the medieval cloth trade in northern Europe; but beyond lay the last real strategic prizes of the fall with hitherto forgettable names like Bixschoote Time and again the Germans threatened to break through only to lose momentum or to run up against a deter­mined improvised defense at the last mo­ment The “last”: The repetition applies in every sense but one this would not be the “last” Ypres but the “First.” The war in the West had hardened into a trench stalemate How could Germany’s military and politi­cal leaders rationalize the disaster at home How could they put the best heroic gloss–a favorable spin as we might say–on the shambles of their hopes grew one of the enduring legends of the Great War: the massacre of the singing innocents at Ypres Few caught the essence of the story better then a private in the 16th Bavarian Reserve Regiment the “iron salute” he received near Gheluvelt on October 29: With feverish eyes each one of us was drawn forward faster and faster over turnip fields and hedges till suddenly the fight began But  from the distance the sounds of a song met our ears while Death busily plunged his hand into our rows and now we passed it on: “Deutschland By the time Hitler wrote those lines in 1924 while incarcerated for his part in the failed Munich putsch the invention of myth and not the establishment of fact was uppermost in his mind Hitler was busy pushing what would become one of the most persistent semi-fictions of the interwar period and a cornerstone of the Nazi experience a vi­sion of manly young patriots sacrificing their lives for the greater good of the Fa­therland This was the story of Der Kin­dermord bei Ypern–the so-called mas­sacre of the innocents at Ypres The “in­nocents” were the student volunteers  in the German reserve corps who were slaughtered in droves but who went to their deaths singing the word kindermord was also applied to the children Herod killed after the visit of the Magi the connotation of “holy innocents.” the village of Langemarck on the north face of the Salient 1914–in both location and day some distance from Hitler Accord­ing to the next day’s official army bulletin which appeared on the front pages of many German newspapers “West of Langemarck youthful regiments stormed the first lines of the enemy trenches and took them Deutschland liberalles.'” They took ap­proximately 2,000 prisoners notably repeated in accounts published during the Third Reich is basically this: The student vol­unteers called the children’s corps “by mocking veterans,” advance silently in the fog “a wide sea of white air,” as one memoirist puts it There is no prelimi­nary artillery barrage that might tip off the enemy and fire from a source they cannot see chops down their close­ packed rows then another and another takes up “the holy words.” The young soldiers rise up as one and storm for­ ward; they sing as they run With their “burning eyes” they are like “unreal figures from an old saga.” In some versions the vol­unteers sweep over the enemy trenches; in others and silent grey heaps litter the damp fields in front of Langemarck There are all manner of things wrong with the story The singing volunteers took no Allied trenches at Langemarck on November 10 The one incident that comes close to matching the words of the dispatch took place a day earlier It is recorded in the daily diary of the 206th Reserve Infantry Regiment published as part of the history of the regiment in 1931 Regimental histories can be the meat and potatoes of military history, but 17 years had passed since the event some of the more improbable details of the story–including the singing of the most patriotic German song a tune that is not easy to carry under normal circumstances (Imagine American troops under fire trying to mouth the words of “The Star Spangled Banner.”) soldiers with unloaded ri­fles and fixed bayonets leave their lines “almost noiselessly.” But French troops detect their advance and begin to fire It “reaches heaven like a cry for help: first one man Deutschland liberalles!’ Even the wounded sing The words are on the last breaths of the dying.” The at­tack sweeps over the French lines taking 14 officers and 1,154 men prison­er mostly older soldiers from territorial regiments–the equivalent of our Na­tional Guard–but not regulars whose capture by green German troops would have added luster to the exploit the No­vember 9th incident did not occur at Langemarck but three miles away at a vil­lage called Bixschoote turnip-eating name does not lend itself to myth in the same way that the vaguely Teutonic vibrations of Langemarck do As one former student volunteer put it in 1933 “the name sounds like a heroic legend.” That the actual village had both in 1914 and in its postwar resurrection a drably brickbound and distinctly unheroic look seemed beside the point But the single dispatch is only the be­ginning of the confusion that the myth­ makers wrought When we look  at contemporary accounts and regimental histories There seem to have been not just one Langemarck but several both in this sector and in others miles away as early as Oc­tober 21 and as late as November 16 singing at­ tacks were reported everywhere from the Yser to the Langemarck sector to Neuve Chapelle a junior staff officer named Rudolf Binding (who was several miles away from Langemarck at the German-occu­pied village of Passchendaele) laments that against experienced defenders “these young fellows we have particularly when the of­ficers have been killed.” Binding later to become a prominent man of letters goes on to note that a battalion of light in­fantry have suffered terribly from enemy shell-fire.” And then: “In the next division just as vain and just as costly.” Binding gives no date but since the Germans temporarily suspended their attacks in the Langemarck sector on October 24 the episode he refers to must have taken place earlier accounts don’t always agree on chronolo­gy He was even farther from Langemarck than Binding Allied eyewitness reports only add to the confusion The closest to Langemarck that a singing attack comes is in the village of Koekuit–no more than a nar­rowing of the road A battalion of the Glouces­ter Regiment reported it on the 21st and the attack did force the British to retreat toward Langemarck There are military historians who point to that episode one of the “old contemptibles” (as the British regulars called themselves) remembered how German volunteers spilled down the ridge from Passchendaele “singing and waving their rifles in the air.” It was Even when their own artillery barrage caught them by mistake at a place called Kortekeer Caberet (named after a crossroads estaminet ) Einjdhrige–volun­teers of the 46th Reserve Division at­tacked other units of the perilously over ­ stretched Gloucestershires According to the regimental war narratives it was “a particularly fine feat of arms….These lads…advanced with the utmost determination actually succeeded in driving back their seasoned opponents.” (The British would in turn drive the Einjdhrige back to their starting point.) At least one British description–of an action in the same area on October 23–seems to buy into the script for the leg­ end This time the attacking volunteers wear not the regulation spiked Pickelhauben but what appear to be student caps (Did the British confuse them with Feldmützen It is not unlikely.) The de­fenders hear the distant sound of voices raised in song; the volunteers surge for­ward how did they hold their rifles?) In the event as well as the famously disciplined rifles of the British regulars Word of the singing attacks got back to London crowed in the October 24 entry of his diary about yet anoth­er killing extravaganza some miles from Langemarck: “The I Corps really took tea with the Germans .These Germans attacked five times in close formations singing ‘Die Wacht am Rhein’ and the place became a shambles They must have had 6,000 or 7,000 casualties”­ surely a vast overestimation Perhaps the final recorded instances of the singing attacks in Ypres occurred on two days very late in the battle Both were against the French (the badly mauled British were by then being pulled out of the Salient) and both happened near Bixschoote; they are noted in the journal of the comman­der of the French 26th Infantry Regi­ment November 14 began with hailstorms and German as­saults; the fighting continued Reports began to filter back to Colin in his command post of close and shallow impromptu trenches that were already filling with water and blurted out that his company had been almost annihilated He told Colin that his company commander had been killed but not before dispatching a German officer with his revolver Colin’s surviving company commanders would describe an even wilder sight in this “day of terrible distress.” With fanatic elan masses of fresh young German troops had thrown themselves at the thin French line leaving a great number of corpses on the ground.” ghast­ly episode that Colin records two days later as much as the rapidly diminishing ardor of the combatants was about to shut down serious fighting for the next few months The Germans renewed their epic attacks in which the young recruits advanced shoulder to shoulder in a column four men abreast and singing “Deutschland liberalles.” It was crazy Could men have been sent into battle that way The four­ abreast column suggests another scenario this was the marching order German troops adopted when passing through towns or going up to the front become lost in the impenetrable murk and blundered into the waiting guns of  the French­ who must have heard their invisible coming from a long way off it would be hard to find a better example of the “fog” of war recent Ger­man historians deny that they did But their reality is far less exalted and ennobling than the legend would have it none of the singing attacks came closer than a mile from Langemarck–and in Western Front terms that might as well have been five or 50 The Germans did not take the village until the follow­ ing April when the French abandoned it during the opening hours of the first poi­son gas attack Langemarck did become a convenient generic descrip­tion for the battles that raged along the whole northern sector of the Salient that fall the area where most of the reserve divisions On that score­ but on that score alone–it would be wrong to fault the legend too harshly Among poorly trained soldiers–as most of the volun­teers were-singing must have helped to sustain morale and cohesion in the face of unexpected and disconcertingly heavy casualties including the loss of most of their officers Singing performed the function of the defunct battlefield drum allowing units to keep in touch amid the confusion of noise Singing familiar soldier songs may also have lessened the danger of friendly fire that the volunteers sang all that much seems unlikely But the myth does not square with the most important fact of all The majority of men in the reserve regiments were not even students Recent research indicates that only 18 percent were “The number of actual vol­unteers serving in the [reserve] regi­ments was considerable,” George L “but most of those who fell in battle were older conscripts or men who had been in the reserves men settled in their trade or profession.” The volunteers were mostly young men who had mobbed the recruiting depots in August: they had either been exempted from mil­itary service while they finished their studies or had escaped being called up because the peacetime army could only handle about half of those legally obligated to spend two years on active duty The volunteers went into action two months later not just under–but improperly trained Their instructors had been mainly older NCOs who taught the close-order tactics favored at the turn of the century or in squares that would have done justice to a Napoleonic battlefield and the few the reservists did have often led them into battle without maps It was hardly surprising that they occa­sionally blundered into enemy lines the better the reserve regiments were trained–which is to say the small­er the proportion of raw volunteers–the less likely they were to move forward in vulnerable tight-packed skirmish lines or to rely on song under stress One thing is incontrovertible about those attacks a massacre of innocents in the military sense and one that deprived Germany of the human potential that a nation wastes at its peril The violent de­pletion of the six reserve divisions that fought from Gheluvelt to the Yser was particularly cruel They lost an average of 6,800 men per division some 6,000 were killed in the reserve regiments alone according to the military historian Dennis E “one of the great mistakes of the World War.” A disturbing command pattern was taking shape: The willingness of Western Front general staffs to continue an offensive long after the prospect of a reason­able return on the investment of lives and materiel had ceased Germany had suffered its fourth major de­feat since September com­ing on the heels of the Marne and the battles for Nancy and the Yser not only ratified stalemate but ended Germany’s chances for a quick victory in the west Ypres was the only one of the four that assumed mythic proportions The famous army bulletin of November 11–prophetic date– about the youthful regiments at Langemarck must be seen “against the background of the rapidly declining en­thusiasm of the troops themselves and though it could not influence the soldiers in the trench­es it had an impact on the home front and especially after the war was lost.” The bulletin no doubt originated as an attempted cover-up but it succeeded be­yond the wildest expectations of its de­signers Der Kindermord bei Ypern would become the Kosovo of the Third Reich and like the great and terminal de­feat of the Serbs by the Turks in 1389 this debacle would be transformed into a holy memory the Germans first released poi­son gas on the Western Front–and final­ly took the village (By this time singing attacks were already a curiosity of the past.) But as far as the home front was concerned the guilt of a possible war crime would be forever overshadowed by the transfiguring image of a sacrifice raised in song the November 11 press release would be glorified in “novels an NS [National Social­ist] program of advanced studies.” On the first anniversary of the bulletin a time when the affliction of stasis had long since begun to spread to the home front newspapers all over Germany published editorial reflections on the “Day of Lange­marck,” with the inevitable conclusion that November 10 be made a national day of remembrance student and veteran organizations would regular­ly repeat the suggestions although the Weimar Republic never acted on it The hero of Thomas Mann’s 1924 The Magic Moun­tain stumbles across a gunswept Flanders turnip field his voice raised in a song of love and loneliness–a far more likely choice than “Deutschland liberalles.” The Nazis in particular seized on the story and exploited it served as a lure “for the educated youth long­ing for metaphysical shelter and mean­ing in history.” Once Hitler and the Nazis came to power Langemarck was chosen as the day on which the party inducted students every member of the Hitler Youth paid a com­pulsory fee As a party publicist put it,” National Socialism and  Langemarck are one and the same.” There is a place that comes close to being a monument to the student myth–in fact it was specifically created with that in mind It is the huge but eerily compact German military cemetery just north of Langemarck–in military mortuary parlance What remains of almost 45,000 men lies beneath its placid lawns including those who were killed at the First Ypres The designers of the Langemarck cemetery (which was consecrated in a July 1932 ceremony already heavy with Nazi oratory) tried hard to make the place seem user-friendly muffling the lawns in shadow Germans consider the oak “was to serve as a living memorial: The German wood was a fitting setting for the cull of the fallen.” Nature’s rejuvenating powers would re­shape the memory of the war removing the curse of defeat in the process But unnatural things intrude: The reason for this place can’t be denied You feel it in the presence of a pair of blockhouses squatting side by side in the newer northern section of the cemetery which is more related to the later years of the war than to that first autumn Their concrete was probably mixed with high-grade sand imported from  the Rhine–another bit of Ger­many  transplanted–but the heavy weight of permanence has caused them to sink so deep into the alien Belgian clay that today only the top foot or so of their entrances show above ground its inner surface covered with hemlock shrubs You pace it out to be roughly 70 by 40 feet a surprisingly small receptacle for the bones of 24,834 men including no doubt some of the smgers in the mists a calcareous jumble of premature termination dumped there in the 1930s Nine men per square foot: eternity at rush hour You pause for a moment inside the bunker-like redstone gatehouse Behind artwork screens of iron lilybursts is a chapel memorializing the students slain here in 1914 and known to be buried in the Langemarck cemetery The official register notes that there are 6,313 names on the oakwood panels of that somber room how many  of those were actually students Given the percentage of the reserve regiments that Mosse cites–18 with teachers­ there is no way they could all be just over 1,000 would be more like it: bad enough for the future merito­cracy of Germany But if you extend that 6,000–plus figure to in­clude most of the reservists killed at the First Ypres you probably have a pretty fair estimate of their toll but the myth they promoted lives after them   Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earhart’s disappearance The “Greatest Generation” is renowned for military heroism during World War II Reprisals in war have been viewed as a legitimate tactic by many “History is a guide to navigation in perilous times History is who we are and why we are the way we are.” HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the world’s largest publisher of history magazines photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians sign me up!