Mesen – On Flanders Fields

Dec 28, 2023 | The Great War | 2 comments

These are sites of Great War interest, located around the small hamlet of Mesen, located at the southern end of the Messines Ridge, in Flanders, Belgium. They are some of the most picturesque and stunning locations in the Western Front – Lest We Forget.

Mesen – Island of Ireland Peace Park


The memorial site is dedicated to the soldiers of Ireland, of all political and religious beliefs, who died, were wounded or missing in the Great War of 1914-1918. As part of the design the inside of the tower is lit up by the sun only on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. This is the time at which the Armistice was declared and the guns fell silent on the Western Front after four years of fighting.

Island of Ireland Peace Park

The tower is an aspiring symbol of reconciliation for only for the past but for the present and future. During the Battle of Messines on 7th June 1917, the Catholic and Protestant Irish Divisions (the 36th Ulster and the 16th Irish) fought side by side to gain the villages of Wijtschate and Mesen.

There are nine stone tablets. These stone tablets on which are engraved some haunting poetry from the soldiers of these divisions including Francis Ledwidge, an Irish Poet who is buried at Artillery Wood cemetery north of Ypres.

Poem by Francis Ledwidge 5th Inniskilling Fusiliers
Poem by Charles Miller, 2nd Inniskilling Fusiliers
Casualty totals of the three Irish Divisions
Peace and Love message left in the tower by a school pupil

The Island of Ireland Peace Park was officially opened at 11:00 hours on 11th November 1998 by the then President of Ireland Mary McAleese in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth II and King Albert II of Belgium. Each year a commemorative Remembrance Day service is held at the Tower at 11.00 hours on 11th November.

Mesen – St Nicholas Church

The 11th Century St Nicholas church was destroyed during the Great War but was restored to its pre-war state in 19128. It domed tower is very distinct and can be seen for miles around.

The church has an 11th century roman crypt which is the only monument in Messines that is officially classified and protected. The Germans installed their headquarters in the crypt during the war. There was also a first aid post in the crypt and it is thought that Adolf Hitler was treated here after being wounded.

St Nicholas’s Church Belltower

The Peace Peal of Bells, located in the tower of the St. Nicholas’ Church, was inaugurated in June 1986. The first Peace Bell, weighing more than 280 pounds, was blessed by Pope John Paul II in Ieper on 17 May 1985. They ring out hymns from all the nations.

Sam Frickleton VC

Samuel Frickleton, New Zealand Victoria Cross recipient, was born in Scotland in 1891. When his father died, he emigrated with his mother to New Zealand when he was 12. He went to work as a miner in Blackball, on the South Island.

Sam Frickleton, VC

When war broke out he joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force with his four brothers and fought at Gallipoli. He was invalided home but after recovering he re-enlisted as a non-commissioned officer in the 3rd Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade and was sent to the Western Front in 1917.

On 7th June 1917, the opening day of the great mine offensive, the Battle of Messines Ridge, Samuel was wounded. However, he was still able to carry out the actions which the Victoria Cross merited.

His citation reads that at

Messines, Belgium, although slightly wounded, Lance Corporal Frickleton dashed forward at the head of his section, rushed through a barrage and personally destroyed with bombs an enemy machine gun and crew, which were causing heavy casualties. He then attacked the second gun, killing the whole of the crew of twelve. By the destruction of these two guns he undoubtedly saved his own and other units from very severe casualties and his magnificent courage and gallantry ensured the capture of the objective.”

He was wounded again later in the war and evacuated to England. When the war ended, he remained in the Army, retiring with the rank of Captain in 1917.

Sam Frickleton’s medal can still be seen at the QE11 Army Memorial Museum, in Waiouru, New Zealand.

Mesen – Messines Ridge Cemetery and New Zealand Memorial to Missing

This memorial is located in the Messines Ridge British Cemetery near Mesen. It lists 827 officers and men of the New Zealand Expeditionary force who have no known grave and who have died in Messines during 1917 and 1918.

Messines Ridge British Cemetery

It was designed by the English architect Charles Holden and is one of the seven memorials on the Western Front to the missing of New Zealand. These memorials are all in cemeteries chosen as appropriate to the fighting in which the men died.

Memorial to the Missing

Messines was a very strong strategic position, not just because of its height above the plain below, but because the Germans used the extensive system of cellars under the convent known as the ‘Institution Royale’.

The village of Messines (now Mesen) was captured from the 1st Cavalry Division by the Germans on 1st November 1914. The French attached on the 6th and 7th November 1914 but were unsuccessful. It was not until the Battle of Messines on 7th June 1917 that the village was retaken by the New Zealand Division.

However, like so much ground captured it was lost again during the German Spring Offensive in 1918. On the 10th and 11th April 1918, Mesen was recaptured by the German hands once more. It was finally retaken for the final time on the 28th and 29th September 1918.

Messines Ridge – Pool of Peace

The Pool of Peace, ‘Spanbroekmolen’ is sometimes also known as the Lone Tree Crater. It is now a peaceful reminder of the Battle of Messines Ridge in 1917. On the 7th June 1917, the British attempted to capture the higher, strategic ground of Messines Ridge which was part of the German Salient bulging south of Ypres, like an inverted ‘S’.

Pool of Peace

The British offensive opened with the detonation of 19 deep mines under the German trenches between Ploegsteert further south and Hill 60 to the north. These explosions formed enormous craters in the landscape which are still evident today. They were so loud they could be heard as far as London.

Information stone at the crater

The largest and most impressive crater is the Pool of Peace which is 12 metres deep and has a diameter of 129 metres. It was formed by 91,000lbs of ammonal, a heavy lifting explosive, and set off under one of the highest German positions on Messines Ridge. All the mines were due to be blown at 03.10 but this mine was late by 15 seconds and some infantry were killed who were advancing.

The offensive was a great success and the Allies made a lot of gains during the first day along a nine mile front.

Lone Tree Cemetery

Across the road from the Spanbroekmolen ‘Pool of Peace’ crater, is Lone Tree Cemetery. Like so many of the smaller cemeteries throughout the Western Front, this one is very picturesque with the path leading past a duck pond to it.

There are 56 soldiers of the Royal Irish Rifles buried here, all but one were killed on the first day of the Battle of Messines Ridge. Most of them were killed when the Spanbroekmolen mine exploded 15 seconds late when the soldiers were advancing.

Nearly all the graves in the cemetery are those of soldiers who fell on the first day of the battle of Messines Ridge on 7th June 1917.

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