You don't have to travel very far in western Belgium to come upon a military cemetery. No real surprise, considering that Belgium "hosted" a huge part of the fighting in World War I. Just outside the city of Mons, now the home of NATO's military headquarters and just north of the French border, you come to St. Symphorien Cemetery, perhaps unique in all of Belgium. For here are buried soldiers believed to be the first and last to die in the Great War. One of the first battles of the war took place near Mons in August 1914 and the final front lines were only miles away, in November 1918. The last British death is believed to be Private George Ellison, killed on what would become Armistice Day, November 11th (1918).
But even more interesting is that this is one of the few "integrated" cemeteries, with German and British soldiers buried in a single location. There is almost an equal number from each nation (about 250 each) and, in one single location, a British captain and a German private are literally side-by-side.
It's a very quiet and thought-provoking place. It might be a good idea for people from all nations to pay this small cemetery a visit...
No comments:
Post a Comment