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The first two images are of Hill 60. The guide assured me contours of the ground remain as they were in 1918. A lot of tunneling and mining went on around Hill 60. There are many miners still down there where they perished in counter-mining operations. It was an eerie feeling to realize that.
Not far away were these preserved German bunkers. The guide claimed Adolf Hitler was billeted in one of these. I quickly noticed how many German bunkers were on high ground. That Commonwealth forces would assault uphill against reinforced concrete bunkers and machineguns with interlocking fields of fire is nearly incomprehensible to me.
Artifacts from WW1 abound in the region. Farmers commonly use WW1 wire hangers in their fields as well as pieces of light rail from the many supply train lines.
The last pic is of the largest Commonwealth Cemetery around Ypres. The guide told me the elevated portion is for Commonwealth casualties from Dunkirk in WW2. Oddly, German forces brought the deceased here for burial.
I spent most of two days around Ypres and came away with a feeling of profound waste. War of attrition, indeed.
Let me emphatically state I am not psychic and am not sure to what extent I even believe in the concept, but there was just a feeling around Hill 60. I wouldn't care to camp overnight there.
I hope to visit Verdun/Ft. Douamont on my next trip to Europe. SW
Not far away were these preserved German bunkers. The guide claimed Adolf Hitler was billeted in one of these. I quickly noticed how many German bunkers were on high ground. That Commonwealth forces would assault uphill against reinforced concrete bunkers and machineguns with interlocking fields of fire is nearly incomprehensible to me.
Artifacts from WW1 abound in the region. Farmers commonly use WW1 wire hangers in their fields as well as pieces of light rail from the many supply train lines.
The last pic is of the largest Commonwealth Cemetery around Ypres. The guide told me the elevated portion is for Commonwealth casualties from Dunkirk in WW2. Oddly, German forces brought the deceased here for burial.
I spent most of two days around Ypres and came away with a feeling of profound waste. War of attrition, indeed.
Let me emphatically state I am not psychic and am not sure to what extent I even believe in the concept, but there was just a feeling around Hill 60. I wouldn't care to camp overnight there.
I hope to visit Verdun/Ft. Douamont on my next trip to Europe. SW
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