Have you ever considered the weight of a name etched in stone? The Messines Ridge New Zealand Memorial is a poignant reminder. It commemorates those lost in the battles here.
This memorial stands within Messines Ridge British Cemetery. It marks a site with a deep history. The cemetery is located a few miles south of Ieper town centre. You can find it on the Nieuwkerkestraat. This road connects Ieper to other towns.
Messines itself was a strategic point. Its height offered a commanding view. An extensive network of cellars lay beneath the Institution Royale. The village changed hands multiple times during the war.
The New Zealand Division retook Messines in June 1917. However the Germans seized it again in April 1918. Allied forces finally reclaimed it in September 1918.
The Messines Ridge New Zealand Memorial commemorates over 800 soldiers. These soldiers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force died nearby. They have no known grave.
Charles Holden designed both the cemetery and memorial. This memorial is one of seven in France and Belgium. They honor New Zealand soldiers with unknown graves. The sites were chosen for their relevance to the fighting.
The ground beneath us once belonged to the Institution Royale. After the Armistice the British Cemetery was created. Graves were moved from the battlefield. They were also moved from smaller burial grounds nearby.
Dates of death range from 1914 to 1918. Most occurred during the intense fighting of 1917. The cemetery holds over 1500 Commonwealth servicemen. Many remain unidentified. Special memorials honor those believed to be buried here. Others were buried in cemeteries destroyed by shelling.
As you walk these grounds consider the mill that once stood here. It dated back to 1445. The mill was destroyed during the war. The memorial now stands in its place.
Take a moment to reflect on the names etched in stone. Remember the sacrifices made here at the Messines Ridge New Zealand Memorial. Their stories live on in this place of remembrance.