The Menin Gate Memorial is one of the most famous structures in the Belgian city of Ieper (Ypres) and it is acknowledged as the major contribution made by Britain to the reconstruction of the city after the Great War. Inscribed with the names of over 53,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth who lost their lives in the Ypres Salient and who have no known grave, it is also one of the best-known war memorials in the world. Some also consider it to be a ‘living’ memorial because of the moving and evocative Last Post ceremony that is held at the memorial at 8 p.m. each evening throughout the year.
While many people may know of the existence of the Menin Gate Memorial or may have visited it, relatively few are aware of its history. In his presentation, Gerry White will examine that that history in some detail. He will also look at the story of Last Post Ceremony and of the famous painting, ‘The Menin Gate at Midnight.’
Gerry White is the Island of Ireland Trustee and chair of the Cork Branch of the Western Front Association. He is also a former member of the Irish Defence Forces and has published a number of books and articles on different aspects of Irish history during the period 1913 to 1923.