After five years of discussing the possibility of the Ypres 2016 Cenotaph, work has finally begun to create this monumental work; a monument in memory of all those who suffered during WW1; those who survived, to live with the consequences, the loss of loved ones, the grief, the long term suffering caused by physical injury, the horrors of mental scarring, and the hardship that followed such a cruel and destructive four years.
In early February 2015, one of our sponsors, the German company SIGMA, donated the steel plate for the main vertical element of the cenotaph and also cut the poppy shape into the side of the plate. This has now been transported to Belgium and can be seen in the photographs, where it awaits the next stages of construction at the LVD workshop. LVD will be dressing the edges of the plate and welding the projecting half poppy into place.
The cenotaph plate is 7m tall, 2 metres wide, 100mm thick and weighs 12,500kg. Terrence Clark and Luc Vandecasteele have been to see it at the workshop of LVD in Belgium. – “It was very impressive to see the 7 metre chunk of steel lying on the ground. We are looking forward to seeing it standing up.”
While work progresses on the plate at LVD, another sponsor Geldof are commencing the fabrication of the temporary base frame. The base, designed by sponsor Vangheluwe, will enable the plate to be erected in its vertical position in the Market square amongst the temporary blacksmithing workshops, in front of the impressive Cloth Hall. The poppy plate will remain here for the duration of the week long event, after which it will be erected on its permanent base at Langemark Poelkapelle, Belgium, next to the beautiful German War Cemetery.
