Belgium will this weekend mark the 80th anniversary of its liberation in the Second World War with several events, including in Ypres, the town forever associated with conflict.
Ieper, also known as Ypres in West Flanders, is an area that saw intense fighting throughout the First World War. Known to the British troops based there during the war as “Wipers”, the town is intrinsically linked with the war.
However, celebrations to mark this week’s WW2 anniversary will also take place in and around the Flemish town. This includes the local British Soldiers’ Club, which celebrates the landmark with a garden party, drama tour and music from a British Grenadier Guards band. Today, 80 years after Belgium’s liberation, the band of the British Grenadier Guards performs in the garden of Talbot House at 3:00 pm.
@talbot.house We welcomed the Grenadier Guards in Talbot House! #fyp #fypシ #museum #ww1 #grenadierguards #britisharmy #viral #performance #greatwar #medley ♬ original sound – Talbot House
The British War Graves Commission CWGC will also be present with their “Legacy of Liberation Campaign.” It was through Talbot House, a British soldier’s club in Poperinge, a small town 20 minutes west of Ypres, during the First World War, that British gardeners and their families were able to flee the German invasion. Their “Torch of Commemoration” will be on display during the garden party. In the evening, there will be another performance with 1940’s music by The Jacquelines.
On Saturday, 7 September, there will be a grand public event where actors will dress as their predecessors and bring their stories back to life during a theatrical walk through Talbot House. A supporting cast of living historians and performances aims to ensure plenty of fun in the garden.
The Liberation Festival is guaranteed to be a memorable party that touches the heart of all who join us.
Simon Louagie, manager of Talbot House
Among the stories being recounted are those from Frank Gillard, a former BBC journalist and Talbot House warden. He was the penultimate British volunteer until April 1939 who returned on Liberation Day.
“We pulled up outside the front door of the Old House. A great Union Jack was hanging from an upper window. The place badly needed a coat of paint, but otherwise, externally, it was in excellent condition. Not even a pane of glass was broken,” Frank recalls the day. “The big front door swung open, and there, in the entrance hall, stood a reception committee – armed members of the Belgian Resistance Movement who were standing guard over this piece of British property.
“Finally the big moment had arrived. A little after noon on Wednesday 6 September 1944, Talbotousians heard the roar of engines. Belgian flags waved in the streets and the first Polish tank stopped at the door. Talbot House had been liberated.”
Simon Louagie, manager of Talbot House, added, “Being liberated by the BBC is something few can say I think. 80 years later, we bring the stories of Talbot House during World War II to life. There may not be a tank involved, but the band of the Grenadier Guards, along with our Talbotousians, will certainly celebrate a memorable ‘Liberation Festival’.”
Throughout the weekend artefacts hidden by volunteers during the war will be displayed, along with photos, films and interviews of the people helping to protect the House so it could welcome back British servicemen almost immediately almost immediately after the liberation.
Meanwhile, a new Commonwealth War Graves visitor centre has opened in Ypres, described as “a vital part of any trip to the Belgian battlefields.” The centre stands at the heart of commemorations in Belgium, directly across from the Menin Gate where The Last Post is sounded every night at 8:00 pm, every day of the year.
Visitors to the newly opened centre can discover more about cemeteries and memorials in Ypres and the work of CWG teams in Belgium and around the world. Guests also have the chance to undertake research on the CWGC database.
