The lions of Ypres

[Pickelhaube]

Last weekend i went to Ypres and i was surprised to see these lions at the menin gate. In 1822 they were placed at the entrance of the cloth hall in Ypres and in the mid 19th century these lions were moved to the place where the menin gate is located now. All the soldiers who left Ypres on their way to the frontlines passed these lions.
The lions were damaged during ww1, but they survived. In 1936 the Belgian gouvernement gave the lions to Australia. There they got restored and normally they guard the Australian war Memorial in Canberra with the grave of the unknown soldier.

The lions are lended to Ypres by the Australian gouvernement and in november they will go back to Canberra.

Sorry about the bad pictures, but next time i'll go to Ypres i'll do my best to take better and more pictures.

Greetings

Pickelhaube

 

[festwagner]

A very interesting story I didn't know.

Thanks

 

[Pickelhaube]

The next photo shows the lions garding one of the city gates of Ypres, it's the gate where most soldiers left the city of Ypres when they went to the front. Later they build the meninggate on that spot.

One of the lions after the war, the other was damaged badly and the Australians did a good job restoring it.

War memorial in Canberra, where the lions guard the restingplace of the unknown soldier

Greetings

Pickelhaube

 

[coert65]

A picture I found about the lions at the Menin-gate, pre-war.





Summer 1914.

 

[strathdene]

Its nice to see the Lions guarding the gate to Menin.

They normally stand as sentinels seen by everyone entering the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/menin/lions" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Ypres lions

https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/the-ypres-lions" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Menin Gate at Midnight"

https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/menin" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's remarkable that they survived.

We will welcome them back as the sentinels of the Australian War Memorial

Kind Regards

Steve

 

[joerookery]

Thanks to Australia for saving these! I don't know what it is about Australia. When I went to the museum in Canberra you are struck by the sheer size of this stuff that the Australians took to the other side of the globe. For goodness sakes – Mephisto. Most people would be happy with a bayonet or a medal. Not the Australians – they took a whole tank.