Bandon War Memorial Committee
Flanders and the Somme 1999
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.