Service honours thousands who died at Passchendaele
A SERVICE to remember the thousands of Welsh soldiers who died or were injured at the bloody Battle of Passchendaele a century ago was held on Monday.
Held at Langemark, Belgium, the Welsh National Service of Remembrance honoured the 3,000 servicemen, with First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones opening the proceedings.
The Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) was one of the most horrific episodes of the First World War, remembered as a remorseless slog through the mud and rain, and was fought in Belgium from July 31 to November 10, 1917, lasting a total of 103 days.
The 38th (Welsh) Division played a central role in the battle, capturing key positions on the ridge at Pilkem, but suffered a huge number of casualties.
Mr Jones stood alongside Alain Wyffels, Mayor of Langemark-Poelkapelle, and Geert Bourgeois, Minister-President of Flanders.
During his address, the First Minister paid tribute to all those who took part in the battle and read a passage from the Bible in Welsh.
He spoke in front of the Welsh National Memorial – the 9ft dragon sculpture, which honours the Welshmen who fought bravely in the conflict.
He said: “It is a great privilege to be back in Langemark for this important occasion. It has been three years since the memorial was unveiled and it offers us a fitting place to pay tribute and reflect on the sacrifices of all those who took part in the Third Battle of Ypres 100 years ago.
“In this peaceful spot today, it is hard to imagine the horrors of war faced by our soldiers and the agonising wait of families back home who might not know the fate of loved ones for many months.
“Some of those who lost their lives are remembered for their contribution to Welsh culture – such as poetry and sport – but, it is important we remember all those Welshmen who died during battle. Today we honour them all, for their bravery and courage.”
Monday’s service, which was attended by the Prince of Wales, formed part of the events for 2017 in Cymru’n Cofio Wales Remembers 1914-1918 – the official programme for First World War centenary commemorations in Wales.
Before that, the First Minister represented Wales at the UK Government Service of Remembrance at Tyne Cot Cemetery.
A number of other projects have been launched in Wales to remember the conflict and those who died.
They include a play by the Ceridwen Theatre Company, commissioned by the National Museum Cardiff, depicting the fight to survive of three soldiers who have been cut off from their allies and cornered by enemies.