BOOK REVIEWS
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Menin Gate & Last Post |
To begin with, let me say that I enjoyed reading this book more than any I have read for a long time. Dominiek Dendooven is a member of the staff of the "In Flanders Fields" Museum in Ypres, and his employers certainly ought to be proud of him for having written this book. It gives a very detailed account of the historical background to what must be one of the most famous War memorials in the world - the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing. The story is well told, and is illustrated with at least a hundred photographs. It must be the most complete written history of the memorial ever written. It is certainly the most complete history that I have ever read.
Immediately after the end of the war, it was obvious that there would have to be some kind of British memorial in Ypres, and although the Menin Gate seems so naturally perfect today, in terms of its location and in terms of the Spirit of Remembrance which it has come to signify, the original plans for a memorial in Ypres could not have been more different from what we see today. Today Ypres contains a Memorial to the Dead in the midst of a vibrant, living city. The earliest plans involved taking the ruined Ypres and freezing it in time, making a it a giant cemetery, a memorial to the Dead, but dead in itself. What a loss that would have been.
Dominiek Dendooven's careful research and excellent written style, take us through all the stages of the development of post-war Ypres. He describes how the energy of the Ieperlings in reclaiming their town often came into conflict with the wishes of British Establishment figures (including the King) who thought that the city should not be rebuilt at all. In fact, some very delicate negotiating had to be done before even the basic task of choosing a site for a proposed British memorial could be undertaken. Having described the preliminary problems and discussions, Dominiek Dendooven takes us through the history of the memorial's design and building and there are interesting sections on the designer, Sir Reginald Blomfield and the chief sculptor, William Reid Dick.
The history of how the memorial came to be there is an interesting story in its own right, but the book moves on to cover the history of the Menin Gate itself; its part in the Second World War, and its part in the daily life of Ypres which is, of course, where the story of "Last Post comes in." This is where most people's knowledge of the Menin Gate begins, the simple, daily ceremony of remembrance. But people who only see "Last Post" must often go away with questions in their mind and this book answers them all. It tells us who the buglers are, where their instruments came from, and how the Last Post Committee (now the Last Post Association) has had to face many difficulties in ensuring that the City's daily tribute could continue. The future seems secure now, but that has not always been the case. To the casual visitor, this book will explain a lot. To those who know and love the city of Ypres itself, it explains and illuminates a lot more.
But most important of all, to my mind, is the fact that Dominiek Dendooven's book re-states some things which many people seem to have forgotten. It reminds us that the Menin Gate is a memorial to dead "British" soldiers - something which can be overlooked in these days so long after the end of the war. It also reminds us of what the "Last Post" ceremony is for and what it is not for. And it reminds us of whose ceremony it is. Those who would try to tell the citizens of Ypres who they "ought" to remember, and how, should read this excellent book and take note.
Menin Gate & Last Post
is published by:
De Klaproos Editions
Soft Covers
160 pages, plans and many photographs
ISBN: 9-789055-0805-19
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