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A
tour of Flanders and the Somme in Nov .1999 by 12 people from Bandon they
were Con Ahern, Jerry Crowley, Ann O’Conner
Crowley, George Duke, Albert Duke, Peggie Ellis,
Barry Ellis, Philip Fullam, Tom & Olive
Fullam, Marion Gandy, Ann Madden of which 7 are
members of the Bandon War Memorial Committee.
The group laid a wreath at the Munster
Memorial at the rear of the church in Ypres
prior to having the honour of leading the Poppy
Day Parade to the Menen Gate ceremonies on the
morning of 11th Nov. They laid
wreaths on behalf of the Munster Fusiliers,
Dublin Fusiliers and one for the Bandon War Mem.
Comm.
In the afternoon a visit was taken to the
Peace Park at Messines where wreaths were laid
at the Bandon Celtic Cross, which is enclosed by
a ring or fairy fort, an old Irish rock
formation and the Munster and Dublin Fusiliers
stones in the park.
On that trip they stayed in the Hotel
Belfort in Poperinge as all the hotels and
guesthouses are booked out for the best part of
a year in Ypres [Ieper], which is the favoured
place to make your base camp. The Hotel Ariane
in Ieper is recommended.
Other places of interest that were taken
in on the tour were The Execution Post in the
courtyard of the Town Hall in Poperinge, Talbot
House also there, the German Cemetary at
Langemark where a wreath was laid, Hodge Crater
Museum, Sanctury Wood Museum and Trench system
still there. Down the road is Sanctury Wood
Cemetary where a granduncle of Philip Fullam and
our present P.R.O. Margaret Desmond is buried.
Also White House Cemetery where their
grandfather is buried. Tyne Cot is another large
cemetery. George Duke our Hon. President also on
the tour visited Dud’s Corner Cemetery where
his uncle’s name is inscribed on a plaque in
the wall who has no known grave. A memorial to
Major Willie Redmond is erected at Locre
Hospice. Sergeant James Ellis is buried in
Mazingrabe Communal Cemetery Extension uncle to
Barry, Peggie and Marion on the tour. Also at
the Somme, Thiepval Memorial, where Con
Ahern’s father fought at the Battle of
Festubert, Kemmel Chateau Cemetery is where the
youngest man from Bandon to killed in W.W.1. Pte
John O’Donough is buried. Vlamerting Mil.
Cemetary is the resting place of Gunner L. Troy,
Uncle of Ann Williams nee Downey. 2/ Lt. Samual
Trinder an uncle of Bandon man Stanley Bolster
is buried in Bandholk New Mil. Cemetary. Jerry
Crowley laid a wreath on the grave of Capt.R.W.
Sutton Royal Dublin Fusiliers in Auchonvillers
Mil. Cemetery Wreaths were laid by George Duke
at the Ulster Tower, Ann Madden at Thiepval and
Barry Ellis at his uncle’s in Mazingarbe.
On the 14th Nov., the tour had
a special mass in the Cathedral in Poperinge,
here on the alter Philip Fullam read out the
names of all the men from Bandon who died in the
First World War.
The other places of interest are, In
Flanders Fields Museum, in the Cloth Hall in
Ieper, St George’s Memorial Church there you
can see a stained glass window to the South
Irish Horse Regt. St Martin‘s Cathedral Ypres,
at the side of which is the Munster Memorial
erected by the people of Munster and Cork its
capitol city. The Shell Hole in Ypres is where
you may purchase books, maps, and collectables
from W.W.1.
(Click here fer
printable version)
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