The Menin Gate, pictured above, was constructed after World War One to record the names of nearly 55,000 soldiers who died during the conflict and have no known grave. A further memorial at Tyne Cot commemorates 34,000 other soldiers that were lost in the latter stages of the war, also with no known grave.

Click on the thumbnails above to view larger versions of the Tyne Cot memorial

The names of those missing line the internal walls of The Menin Gate and the outside colonnades in large panels. At the inauguration of the gate in July 1927, after seven years of construction, the ceremony ended with the playing of The Last Post by a lone piper.

This simple but moving ceremony so impressed the local community that it was suggested that The Last Post should form the basis of a continuing ceremony marking the sacrifice of those who lost their lives defending the town and fighting for the liberty of the Belgian people.

At this time of great hardship the act of finding a small number of buglers and bugles fell to members of the local fire brigade and the first ceremony took place on 1 July 1928.

It has continued every day since at eight o’clock in the evening beneath the gate’s heavy arches. The only exception being the four years of enforced occupation during the Second World War. On the day German forces left the town in 1945 the bugles were dusted off and the act of remembrance took place once again.

This astonishing act of dedication by the people of the town, the local fire brigade and other members of The Last Post Association is the basis for our continuing visit, to recognise this commitment and to thank those people.

It also allows serving fire fighters, support staff and retired members the opportunity to visit and take part in the act of remembrance on 11 November at 11am.

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