94 replies to this topic

[flintwich]

The latest image shows just how accurate the YpresSalientTanks project is.

Al

[stijn]

Yes indead!

[JVB]

well, indeed it was a small test to find out if our tankframe was correct, but I did not doubt about this, but always interesting to do.
Splendid idea of Dirk Vinck my righthand.
But also to show the Butaye family what they really have been finding. They were amazed to see the pieces on the huge framework and
seeing what and where  these pieces are exactly on such  tank.

But for us of YpresSalientTanks it was most of all thrilling to decorate the nowadays framework with original pieces found in our neighbourhood.
It makes us realize more what we are trying to do and gives us the power and motivation to go on.
Not to speak of reading the accounts out of the archives of the tankcommander of which this pieces might be part of, while seeing this
pieces live with our own eyes. Someone said : if they could only speak.

We are sometimes confronted with people not liking we are trying to reconstruct such a tank, by lack of a real one.
Well, you see, we keep on looking for one, but making one is easier, or let's say more chance upon success.
We also are active about tanks in the whole Salient and not a very local organisation about a very local tank, as someone once told.
When Stijn asked about his first found tanktracks, I immediately suspected of which tank this might have been ..., we are
working on different other cases too ! It was David Fletcher himself once stating about the Gorczynskis of the Salient.

But when putting this pieces together : fake and real, new and old, the real, old pieces their meaning was very much more enhanced for everyone attending.
It convinces me that making such a replica is nevertheless another meaningfull way of commemoration.
Someone told me recently seeing our plane-replica and our tank in construction : you are bringing the past to life. He might be very right.
But I do know you can not satisfy everyone and there will be always negative comments.
One advice : do something yourself and let it be more than following forums, twitter, facebook and think twice before you criticize.
Perhaps I should have done it myself also now, but I don't bother anymore. I like what we are doing, incredible friendships are emerging out of it
and in the end the purpose was to put our village Poelkapelle back again on the battlefield touristical map, mostly ignored up to now.
We see subtle changes, but the original purpose is evoluted to much more than that.
Do convince yourself and come over and visit Stijns museum or Poelkapelle. Do however make an appointment before so we can treat you with
a special visit. Not convinced :ask others who have been here. But not everyone now at the same time. Still have a tank to make and take care
you do not get involved ;-)

[chrislock]

Hi Stijn.

Please thank your Mother for receiving us over the weekend. Much was discussed reference our organisations visit to your farm, Gallipoli farm and the tank action battlefields which will take place next Saturday. General David and the other RTR representatives are delighted that they will get the chance to see the tank relics recently discovered on your farm. These tank parts have raised much discussion within RTR circles from which tank they originate from.
One G Battalion tank stands out as a possible candidate however, many if not all of the wrecks were blown to pieces by either artillery of by the tank brigade demolition teams later on or even after the war. I have personally been involved in tank demolition at Lulworth and I can confirm that when a tank wreck is blown up, wreckage from the size of a small car to remnants the size of what you have discovered can and are often blown hundreds of yards and sometimes even further so confirming which tank these parts came from will never be 100% known.
We can have a guess however and I guess that will have to do.

Keep up the excellent work you do so well Stijn and I look forward to introducing you to General David and to the other RTR representatives at your farm or during the ceremony on the day.

Fear Naught

Chris

[stijn]

Thx i look forward to meeting you all tomorrow.

grtz,

stijn

[stijn]

Grtz,

stijn

[chrislock]

From left to right:

Lt Col (Hon) Rene Declercq- Belgian Army, Royal Corps of Transport Association rep, Audrey - wife to Eric Smallwood, RCTA rep, Friend of the Tank Memorial Ypres Salient member Graham Morley, Ypres Surrey Pipes and Drums, Last Post Association and Tank Memorial Ypres Salient Piper Eric Remy, Lt General David Leakey CMG CBE and current Gentleman Usher Black Rod in the House of Lords, TMYS/FotTMYS Chairman Chris Lock, Capt (Ret) David Williams TD, Lt Eric Smallwood RTR *Eric being a sprightly 90 or so suffered terribly in the 37deg heat but soldiered on. Hardly surprising: this man commanded a troop of 8 Cromwell tanks and 2 Firely tanks during WW2. He not only fought in several fierce engagements against the SS, but against the much vaunted Tiger tanks of the day. He was commanding the first British tank into Hamburg and sat at the capitulation meetings alongside no other than the Russian General Georgie Zhukov in Berlin. FotTMYS member and owner of the Cherry Blossom Guest House in Brandhoek Liz Milward, Milena Kolarikova- amongst much more, wife to Chris. Last but not least, Stijn who made the visit possible.

Thank you Stijn. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and your for attendance at the days annual Tank Memorial Ypres Salient ceremony.

Fear Naught

Chris

[WhiteStarLine]

My wife and I have returned to Canberra now and thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Pondfarm.  I strongly recommend that any GWF member in the area arranges to visit Pondfarm, says hello to Stijn, encourages his enthusiasm and makes a donation to help Stijn continue his work.

Pondfarm was one of the highlights of our trip to Belgium and France.  The opportunity to visit a working farm where the artefacts on display came from the nearby fields, where recently sourced WW1 ammunition sits in a locked cage awaiting disposal, where photos of the farm tractor ploughing up a phosphorous bomb can be seen and where the building material came from Germany as WW1 reparations, all made an impression on us.  Not to mention the bunker still sitting in the fields and the cracks in the house where previous generations tried to blow it up.

Stijn was very informative and generous with his time.  All the artefacts were right in front of you, not behind a glass case and that gave the visit an informal atmosphere that cannot be experienced in the larger museums, for obvious reasons.  Well done Stijn!

 deleteme.jpg   53.01K   0 downloads    deleteme1.jpg   90.43K   0 downloads

[Tony Ring]

Really enjoy reading these posts.   So far away from down under but very informative.

Keep up the good work stijn !!!!!

Tony

[stijn]

Great!!! Thx! Nice pictures!!

[stijn]

Im searching areal photographs of st-julien since august 17 or later, somebody who can help me?

Greetings,

Stijn

[trooper4]

Hi Stijn.  Have been reading your posts with great interest. Also your excellent web site, very interesting.  I hope to visit you next year.

The Oct.2012 issue of the magazine 'Britain at War' has an article about the tank 'fray bentos'. In that article is a half page vertical photo of the area at the time of Aug 17.  This shows Pond farm right at the top with some trenches and Gallipoli and Somme farms enlarged. The ground is heavily shell cratered.
I cannot post the scan of this picture as the file is too large.  PM me with an address and i will send you a hard copy of my scan.
The web site for the magazine is  www.britainatwar.com  for back issues.

Best regards Ken

[stijn]

Hi Ken,

i will pm you thx!

Grtz,

Stijn

[stijn]

Some new finds:
















Greetings,

Stijn

[flintwich]

After discovering this thread last year and also the Pondfarm website, I am glad to say that I will be visiting Pond Farm later this month as part of Podge's Beer and Battlefields tour. This will be one of the highlights of the tour for me. Al

[stijn]

Thank you al, its great for me to hear this! il see you soon!

Grtz,

stijn

[stijn]

Our new finds:












Grtz,

Stijn

[stijn]

It was nice to meet you al!

[flintwich]

Nice to meet you too, Stijn. You and your mother made us feel very welcome and the tours were excellent. There is so much history on your farm and the surrounding area. Thank you again. Al

[stijn]

Great al, and thx for the pin!!

Grtz,

stijn