75 replies to this topic

[Mark Hone]

Some years ago at Talbot House Jacques Rykebosch mentioned to me in passing that he had seen a photo of Hitler standing under the Menin Gate peering up at the names during his 1940 visit to the area. The only picture I've ever seen is a rather blurred one of Adolf's departure from the Gate. Has anyone else seen the ironic, not to say sinister one that Jacques was referring to?

[Jacky Platteeuw]

Mark,

If my memory serves me correct (which sometimes I very much doubt:-) there is even footage of it. I recall it has been shown in a documentary some time ago on Belgian Tv.

Jacky

[Aurel Sercu]

Here he is.
1 June 1940.
Walking back to his car in the Kauwekijnstraat. (The street on the left of the Menin Gate when looking at it standing with your back to Ypres Centre.)

A.H. dropped in at the Menin Gate twice. First time on 1 June 1940, a few days after Ypres was taken. He inspected the damaged monument. After that he travelled on the German Cemetery at Langemark.
He was back on 26 June, and in the afternoon made a short walk with Hermann Goering.
It seems that A.H. was impressed by Ypres. Two years after his visit he (allegedly) said : "I will send the architects who are assigned with the rebuilding of Lübeck, to Ypres. Fifty different colours of the roof tiles, from salmon to golden and violet. This new Ypres is a fairy town."
Apparently Ypres had not made the same impression on the Kaiser 28 years before.
(Information from Dominiek Dendooven's book "Menin Gate & Last Post" (2001)
Dominiek of the Ypres In Flanders fields  Documentation Centre that is.)

Aurel

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[Annie]

An other photo
Annie

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[Mark Hone]

Thanks Aurel and Annie. I'm trying to work out where Hitler is standing in the second photo-is that a ruined building behind him?

[andigger]

This is a fascinating set of pictures!  Just on question/observation.  I realize the weather in Belgium (and EUrope for that matter) is highly variable, but aren't the subjects in this picture wearing very heavy jackets for 1 June?  Possibly, isn't that snow in the first picture??????

[Paul Reed]

After the Battle magazine (WW2 Then & Now) ran a whole article on this a while back, packed with photos like this. You can probably order a copy from their website:

http://www.afterthebattle.com/home.htm

[George Armstrong Custer]

Any chance of anyone involved restoring the pics to this thread? I missed it first time round!

ciao,
GAC

[Aurel Sercu]

That could be the one I posted, but I'm not 100% sure.

Aurel

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[Aurel Sercu]

I also find this one in my digital archives, but I don't remembver where I got it from.  ;-(
I may have downloaded it from Annie's posting.

Aurel

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[George Armstrong Custer]

Aurel - thanks so much for responding so quickly, it's much appreciated. I haven't seen those pics before. The first one does look, as someone posted earlier, as if it is a still from a newsreel of the event. The second pic, of Hitler gazing up at the memorial is certainly thought-provoking - what was going through his mind as a former Great War soldier himself, I wonder, given his current staus as the conqueror of France?

ciao,
GAC

[Aurel Sercu]

The first one does look, as someone posted earlier, as if it is a still from a newsreel of the event.

GAC,

I think it is. And yes, Jacky P. mentioned that.
Recently I saw the new DVD of the Menin Gate, and there was footage of Hitler at the Menin Gate (IIRC). But I'm not sure if the pic I posted was taken from that newsreel. (And I don't have the DVD with me here right now.)

Aurel

[Alan Tucker]

Hitler at Langemarck June 1st 1940. On the same visit he did the Menin Gate, Kemmel and Vimy Ridge.

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[inishowen]

Do any of you have the picture of Hitler at Langemark where he is standing at the memorial to his own old regiment. It is up beside the bunker on the right hand side? I remember seeing it a couple of years ago and would like to show it to a group.

[redorchestra]

Fascinating pictures.  I wonder if Hitler visited the graves of any of his old comrades.

I wonder how he felt about the way the Great War is/was commemorated in the area.

[CROONAERT]

Do any of you have the picture of Hitler at Langemark where he is standing at the memorial to his own old regiment. It is up beside the bunker on the right hand side? I remember seeing it a couple of years ago and would like to show it to a group.

Do you mean this one?

dave....

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[redorchestra]

I wonder what the dead would have thought about being 'honoured' in that way!

[CROONAERT]

Another couple of shots from the tour - Kemmel belvedere...

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[Heid the Ba']

I wonder what the dead would have thought about being 'honoured' in that way!

The majority of the living German population approved, I don't see why the dead would have thought differently.

[CROONAERT]

Kemmel Belvedere 2...

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[George Armstrong Custer]

Croonaert, many thanks for posting these additional images of Hitler's tour of the area - with our benefit of hindsight, it's fascinating and strangely thought-provoking stuff!

ciao,
GAC

[redorchestra]

The majority of the living German population approved, I don't see why the dead would have thought differently.

What I meant is that there were probably Jewish soldiers in that regiment, as well as socialists etc..

Considering that none of those dead soldiers lived through the defeat, revolution, depression, hyperinflation or fighting and killing in the streets that led to the Nazis taking power I think some of them would've been pretty shocked about what had happened to Germany.

[Heid the Ba']

Fair points redorchestra, I misunderstood what you meant.

[CROONAERT]

A few more from the tour. ... Vimy

...

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[MartinBennitt]

Odd to see the SS driver smoking at the wheel, especially as I gather the Fuhrer did not like people smoking in his presence.

cheers Martin B