Who plays the Last Post at the Menin Gate?
The buglers
The buglers from the local fire brigade still play the Last Post during the ceremony. There are 3 or 4 of them each night.
Why is the Last Post played at the Menin Gate?
The Last Post, the traditional final salute to the fallen, is played by the buglers of the Last Post Association in honour of the memory of the soldiers of the former British Empire and its allies, who died in the Ypres Salient during the First World War (1914-1918).
How long has the last post been played at the Menin Gate?
From 1 May 1929 the Last Post has been sounded at the Menin Gate Memorial every night and in all weathers. The only exception to this was during the four years of the German occupation of Ypres from 20 May 1940 to 6 September 1944.
Is the last post still being played in Ypres?
Every evening, at 8pm on the dot, a group of buglers sound the last post under Menin Gate at Ypres in Belgium.
Is there a list of names on Menin Gate?
The vast, white, Portland-stone walls of the Menin Gate are engraved with the names of nearly 55,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers lost on the field of battle but with no known graves; a son, a father, a brother.
What happened at Menin Gate?
It was through this gate that allied soldiers, including Australians, marched to the battlefields of the Ypres salient between 1914 and 1918. After the war, the Menin Gate was chosen as the site for a memorial to the thousands of allied soldiers who were killed in the area but had no known grave.
What happens every evening at the Menin Gate?
Following the Menin Gate Memorial opening in 1927, the citizens of Ypres wanted to express their gratitude towards those who had given their lives for Belgium’s freedom. Hence every evening at 20:00, buglers from the Last Post Association close the road which passes under the memorial and sound the “Last Post”.
What happens every evening at the Menin Gate in Ypres?
What is carved on the Menin Gate?
The memorial consists of an imposing archway surmounted by a recumbent lion and it is inscribed with the names of 54,900 dead from Britain and Commonwealth countries.
Why is Ypres called wipers?
The task was to defend the town and to block the route for the German Army through Ypres to the ports on the French and Belgian coast. Soldiers in the British Army quickly turned the French name of Ypres into a much easier word to pronounce. They called it “Wipers”.
Do they speak French in Ypres?
Now the town is formally known by the Flemish name of Ieper and Flemish is the local spoken language. Being close to the French border, nevertheless, like many places in this locality the town is known by both names and visitors will find it signposted in both Flemish and French.
How many names are there on the Menin Gate?
The Menin Gate at Ypres records the names of 55,000 of the missing in Belgium and a similar number are recorded elsewhere; there are 35,000 names on the Tyne Cot memorial. The names of Australia’s 6,000 missing in Belgium are engraved on the walls of the Menin Gate.
What happens under the Menin Gate?
Silent crowds wait for the stroke of eight o’clock underneath the Menin Gate. Then the volunteer buglers from the Last Post Association raise their instruments to play the Last Post. Nothing quite prepares you for the powerful emotion of experiencing this moving ceremony at first hand.
Where does the last post ceremony take place at Ypres?
The Last Post Ceremony takes place every evening under the Menin Gate Memorial. Built as a memorial to the missing, Menin Gate is dedicated to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient and whose graves are unknown, many of whom died at the Battle of Passchendaele.
Is there an entrance fee to the Menin Gate?
There is no entrance fee and no need for prior reservation. On busy days, crowds begin to assemble at the Menin Gate at least 30 minutes before the event begins. It is possible to request a special extended version of the ceremony.
How many people are there at the last post ceremony?
In the summer, the number of those present can even reach 1,000. The Last Post ceremony takes place at 8 pm every day of the year. There is no entrance fee and no need for prior reservation. On busy days, crowds begin to assemble at the Menin Gate at least 30 minutes before the event begins.