New Zealand Remembrance Trail Colophon: Chief & managing editor: Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 Texts: Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917, Freddy Declerck Photography: MMP1917, Tourist Information Centre Zonnebeke, Freddy Lattré, Westtoer, Tourism Office Messines, Henk Deleu and Freddy Declerck Maps: Passchendaele Research Centre Zonnebeke Design & prepress: Impressionant Print | Impression: Lowyck & Pluspoint Website: www.passchendaele.be © - Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917, Berten Pilstraat 5/A, BE-8980 Zonnebeke. All the information dates from December 2016. A BRIEF HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND IN WORLD WAR I IN FLANDERS On 25 April 1915, ANZAC troops land on During October 1917 four ANZAC Divisions On 12 October 1917 the New Zealand Of all the nations involved in World War I, the Turkish peninsula, Gallipoli. After eight are at the centre of the major thrust in the Division launches an attack through deep New Zealand made the most significant months of stalemate the military operation at Battle of Passchendaele. One of these, the mud, heavy rain and strong winds to take the sacrifice in terms of population: over Gallipoli fails but the legend of the ANZACs New Zealand Division, is to provide central village of Passchendaele. Concrete pillboxes, 40,000 soldiers were wounded and more as soldiers of great courage, loyalty, sacrifice flanking support by seizing ‘s Graventafel machine guns and deep belts of barbed wire than 18,000 killed. But it was not entirely and comradeship is born. The New Zealand Spur on 4 October. It is a formidable task protect the German positions. The result is meaningless. The First World War spurred a Division is created in Egypt and moves to requiring the men to advance up open 2,700 casualties, including 846 dead in less greater awareness among New Zealanders of the Western Front. During the Battle of the slopes, all of which are comprehensively than four hours. 12 October 1917 remains what it meant to be a ‘New Zealander’ and Somme the New Zealanders lose 1,560 men covered by a mixture of mutually supporting the most tragic day in New Zealand history. brought greater recognition of New Zealand and a further 5,440 are wounded. Then they German pillboxes as well as isolated machine- as a united entity. move to the front in Flanders. gun groups posted in shell holes and In the winter of 1917-1918 the New Zealand protected by barbed wire. The New Zealand Division occupies a sector in and around The Messines Offensive aims to straighten the attack advances the line by more than 3,000 Polygon Wood, near Zonnebeke. Many of southern part of the Ypres area and secures metres. The Division suffers 1,653 casualties the casualties during this time are caused by the flank for the Passchendaele Offensive. including 330 fatalities. gas attacks. When the Division is relieved on The New Zealand Division is responsible 24 February 1918, its three “quiet” months for attacking and pushing through the town have resulted in 3,000 casualties, including of Messines itself. Messines is a success: the more than 470 dead. allied forces gain strategic high ground and a significant morale boost. Nearly half (3,600) of the 8,000 New Zealanders who take part in the battle are killed or wounded. PASSENDALE On 27 July 1917 the New Zealand Division launches an attack on La Basseville, a village NZ Div. a few kilometres to the southwest of Messines. The idea is to convince the Germans that NZ Div. CWGC TYNE COT the Allies are planning an advance in a CEMETERY different direction – towards Lille. The New Zealanders capture and occupy the village before launching a raid on enemy positions to the northeast and establishing a defence ZONNEBEKE line. But they are driven out again the next morning. Shortly before 4:00h on 31 July, coinciding with the actual start of the Battle of Passchendaele, the New Zealanders mount a renewed attack on the German defences. NZ Div. They retake the village and establish positions there, but their success comes at a significant BESELARE cost. 1,329 members of the NZ Division are 20/09/1917 POLDER- 12/10/1917 killed or wounded. 0 0,5 1 2 HOEK Km 4 5 MEMORIAL MUSEUM PASSCHENDAELE 1917 The MMP 1917 presents the historic story original shelters have been replicated. of the First World War, with a particular An intense visit that will only enrich your emphasis on the Battle of Passchendaele. knowledge of the battle sites in the area. With more than half a million casualties for a frontline movement of only eight kilometres, ‘Passchendaele’ became a symbol of the great futility of the violence of war in Location: all its horror. The MMP 1917 combines the Berten Pilstraat 5A B-8980 Zonnebeke interactive design of a modern museum with the exceptional aspect of experiencing the T 0032 (0)51 77 04 41 Dugouts & Trenches. E [email protected] The museum section provides an overview [email protected] of the five battles of Ypres, with historical W www.passchendaele.be objects, authentic letters, posters and other www.passchendaele2017.org documents, uniforms of the various armies Open daily from 09:00h to 18:00h. and video clips etc. The tour continues THE NEW ZEALAND artist, Helen Pollock ‘Falls the Shadow’. Last entry 16:30h. through the unique Dugout Experience and EXHIBITION: AN ENTRY This remarkable and touching art work Annually closed from concludes at the faithful reconstruction of 16 December to 31 January. POINT FOR NEW ZEALAND of remembrance was originally installed German and British trenches, along which VISITORS in 2008 at the Auckland War Memorial Museum to mark the 90th anniversary Zonnebeke was the centre of New of the end of WWI. In 2009 it was shown Zealand operations in Flanders during in the MMP1917 temporary exhibition the First World War. Today the village ‘From the uttermost ends of the earth and the surrounding area still include New Zealand in Flanders 1917’ and it a number of historical sites of interest also saw a reinstallation at the Carriere to New Zealand. The Memorial Wellington Memorial Museum, Arras, Museum Passchendaele 1917 plays an France, from April 4th 2010 to July 2011. important role in the valorization of Now this unique work has a permanent several of these sites. Because of the place in the MMP1917. strong affiliation between the MMP1917 and New Zealand, the New Zealand exhibition in the museum doubles as an entry point to the historical battlefields. In this part there is a strong focus towards New Zealand and their heritage in Flanders. Beside historical facts, New Zealand-related objects and panels, the visitors are linked to other heritage sites and points of interest on the Western Front. In the Hall of Reflection, there Location: is a sculpture from the New Zealand Berten Pilstraat 5/A, B-8980 Zonnebeke 6 7 ZONNEBEKE CHATEAU RESEARCH CENTER ‘Exhumation Companies’ collected 12,000 GROUNDS dead from the surrounding battlefields. Of The research centre is housed in the former these, only 3,800 bodies could be identified. The historic chateau grounds of Zonnebeke rectory at Zonnebeke, a modernistic building The wall behind the cemetery contains the are the ideal departure point for an by Huib Hoste. It is a place where researchers, names of 35,000 soldiers with no known exploratory route along the battlefields students and interested individuals can ask grave. They include British, Irish and New of 1917. The well-known Polygon Wood their questions about the region’s battlefields Zealanders who perished in the region after and CWGC Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest and heritage. 16 August 1917. Many tens and even hundreds Commonwealth cemetery in the world, are of thousands of visitors come each year to pay located less than three kilometres away. You PASSCHENDAELE ARCHIVES their respects to the men – some still only can completely relax in the chateau grounds, boys – who lost their lives in the surrounding read a book on a bench in the park, stroll No matter how impressive a visit to CWGC battlefields. A visit that leaves no one unmoved. hand-in-hand by the lake or take a moment Tyne Cot Cemetery, the German cemetery The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert to stop and think about the history of WWI in Langemark, or other cemeteries and Baker and inaugurated in 1927. Nowadays, in the ‘Poppy gardens’, themed gardens memorials is, one can only find names the Commonwealth War Graves Commission dedicated to the various nations that fought there, with the scantiest of details. With the is responsible for maintaining the cemetery. in the Battle of Passchendaele. ‘Passchendaele Archives’, the Memorial The visitors’ centre, which the British Queen Museum Passchendaele intends to put a face Elizabeth II and the former Belgian Queen and a story to those names. Paola inaugurated in 2007, provides more Contact: The ‘Passchendaele Archives’ are a collection information about the cemetery itself and Ieperstraat 1, B-8980 Zonnebeke of personal files of soldiers who fell between offers a panoramic view over the battlefields T 051 77 04 41 12 July and 15 November 1917 of whom a [email protected] of 1917. A 3 km walking route, with thematic photograph is available. The files contain information panels, takes you from the photographs, family and military information. Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 to Nonetheless, the MMP1917 also builds up CWGC TYNE COT CWGC Tyne Cot Cemetery. an archive even when there is no picture CEMETERY The visitors’ centre is open daily from PASSCHENDAELE available. Anyone who has information 10:00h to 18:00h. Closed from 1 December MEMORIAL GARDENS on a soldier who fell during the Battle of CWGC Tyne Cot Cemetery is an impressive to 31 January.