(DAY 3 and 4)

The Last Post Association commemorates the fallen soldiers of the First World War every evening at Menin Gate. The gate itself is a memorial to the British Commonwealth soldiers who died in Ypres Salient, but have no grave site.

From the Association website:

The Last Post ceremony seeks to express, day after day, the lasting debt of gratitude which we all owe to the men who fought and fell for the restoration of peace and the independence of Belgium.

With the passage of time, the meaning of the ceremony has become broader and deeper. When the bugles now blow, we no longer remember simply the fallen of the British Commonwealth, but also their comrades-in-arms from Belgium, France and many other allied nations, who willingly made the supreme sacrifice.

We remember, too, that many died on the other side of No Man’s Land: enemies then, but partners now in a united Europe. In this sense, the Last Post is not only a mirror reflecting Europe’s troubled past, but also a beacon of hope for all our futures.