The Last Post in the landscape

The buglers of the Last Post Association leave the Menin Gate and discover, together with you, the landscape of In Flanders Fields. The evocations zoom in on one or more stories of soldiers of the Great War and are accompanied by music and lyrics.

Saturday 8 June 2024 - 20h30

EVOCATION III

Caterpillar Crater Zillebeke

General Sir Charles Harington: ‘I don’t know whether we are going to make history tomorrow, but at any rate we shall change geography‘.

The movement war of early war soon became trench warfare. But failing to succeed above ground, the war went quietly underground throughout the Ypres Salient as early as 1915.

During the evocation, we tell the story of Australian mining engineer Oliver Holmes Woodward and his fellow engineers Captain Wilfred Percival Avery, DSO and Lieutenant Arthur Elton Tandy, MiD. From 1916, with the 1st Australian Tunnel Company, they were responsible for mines at Hill 60 and Caterpillar.

A total of 19 depth mines were detonated on 7 June 1917.

The evocation takes place on Saturday 8 June 2024 at 20h30 at Caterpillar Crater, Zillebeke.

– Free access
– Registration required; the entry ticket which is valid for all those you registered for
– Language: Dutch (documentation in English available)
– Parking Hill 60 (Zwarteleenstraat, Zillebeke)

The evocation will take place at …. in case of bad wheater,

Registration evocation 08/06/2024 - Zillebeke

Registration Evocation III

Please use the form below to register for the third evocation on Saturday 8 June 2024 at 20h30 at Caterpillar Crater, Zillebeke. Registration in advance is necesssary. Bring your ticket with you on June 8 2024 and show it at the entrance.

Sunday 18 August 2024 at 15h00

EVOCATION IV

Tyne cot cemetery - passendale

We tell the story of Canadian soldier Guy Melfort Drummond. His mother, Lady Drummond, is considered one of the “12 Greatest Canadian Women” for her charitable work during the war, among others for the Red Cross. Some believed Guy would one day become prime minister of Canada, but of course the war changed everything.

At the start of the 2nd Battle of Ypres, the first gas attack in World War I also took place. Guy died on 22 April 1915 in St Julian and after the war he was buried at Tyne Cot Cemetery in Passchendaele.

The evocation takes place on Sunday 18 August 2024 at 15h00 on Tyne Cot Cemetery at Passendale.

– Free access
– Registration required
– Language: Dutch (documentation in English available)
– Parking: parking at Tyne Cot Cemetery

In case of bad wheater, the evocation will take place …

Previous evocations

Saturday 17 June 2023 - 20h30

EVOCATION I

New Zealand Memorial Park Mesen

George and Herman Bollinger were born in New Zealand and grew up in the small place of Omata, just outside of New Plymouth. During the Great War the two brothers were engaged in the area of Messines / Ypres and they were both fatally wounded.

The Great War centenary inspired four students of Omata School (where the brothers studied before WWI) to research their history and the fact why their names had not been mentioned on the local war memorial.

We paid tribute to the fallen by sharing their intriguing stories. An Pierlé sung and De Brasserie provided the musical accompaniment. WXII made music and got the public in the right atmosphere. The New Zealand Ambassador addressed the public at the end of the evocation.

Please click here for an impression of the evocation.

The evocation took place place on Saturday, June 17, 2023 at 20:30 in New Zealand memorial park in Mesen.

– Free access
– Registration was required
– Language: Dutch (documentation in English available)
– Parking in the Church and New Zealandersstraat
– Afterwards, the Last Post Association invited the public for a drink

In case of bad wheather, the evocation would have taken place at the Peace Village in Mesen.

Zondag / Sunday 01/10/2023 - 15h00

EVOCATION II

Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery Poperinge

On Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery Poperinge many soldiers from the British West Indies are commemorated. One such soldier was Douglas Roy Manley, buried nearby. Together with his brother Norman he faught for their freedom. As ‘coloured’ West-Indian (Jamaica) they were disgusted about the way they were treated by the British Army. Norman later became Prime Minister of Jamaica and leaded his country towards independence. Or how painful experiences during the war can grow into great and hopeful deeds.

Herbert Morris is one of the youngest executed soldiers of the Great War. Barely 17 years old, he drags ammunition to the battlefield. But he can’t stand the overwhelming noise of war and flees. This is considered desertion. The young intelligent Jamaican is set as an example a few days later…

The Lady Linn Trio and the Chorus Youth Choir provided music and singing. Rien Deleu & Baptiste Cobbe told the story of the soldiers.

The evocation took place on Sunday 1 October 2023 at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery at Poperinge.

– Free access
– Registration was required through the registration form; you will receive one ticket which is valid for all registered persons
– Language: Dutch (documentation in English available)
– Parking in the Boescheepseweg
– In the week of 25 September 2023, all registered people received an email with the latest information.

The evocation will take place at the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Church of our Lady) in Poperinge (Casselstraat) in case of bad wheater,

Last Post Association, Ieper

In collaboration with

With LANDSCAPES | Feel Flanders Fields, a new WWI theme, Visit Flanders, Westtoer and numerous public and private partners are putting the unique commemorative landscape of Flanders Fields in the spotlight.

With a broad programme of exhibitions and events, landscape art and AR experiences, numerous cycling, walking and sailing routes the history and stories of the the landscape of the Flanders Fields region can com to life.  The focus will not only be on the region’s rich war history, LANDSCAPES | Feel Flanders Fields also looks ahead to the future and asks how we will leave the countryside for the future.