Messines Ridge (New Zealand) Memorial
Encyclopedia
The Messines Ridge Memorial is a World War I
memorial
, located in Messines Ridge British Cemetery, near the town of Mesen
, Belgium
. The memorial lists 827 officers and men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force
with no known grave who died in or near Messines in 1917 and 1918. This period included the Battle of Messines
.
The memorial, designed by the English architect Charles Holden
, is one of seven such memorials on the Western Front
to the missing dead from New Zealand. The others are located at Buttes New British Cemetery
, Caterpillar Valley (Longueval), Grevillers, Tyne Cot, Cite Bonjean, and Marfaux.
The land on which the cemetery and memorial were constructed had been the site of a mill (the Moulin d'Hospice) belonging to the Institute Royal de Messines (a Belgian orphanage and school, itself formerly a Benedictine abbey). The mill dated from 1445, but was destroyed during the war, with the memorial erected where the mill once stood.
Other memorials in the Mesen area to the forces of New Zealand include a white stone obelisk a short distance to the south. This obelisk, one of several National Memorials erected by New Zealand, was unveiled by King Albert I of Belgium on 1 August 1924. This obelisk is now part of the New Zealand Memorial Park. Annual remembrance services take place at the memorials in and around Mesen on Anzac Day
.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
, located in Messines Ridge British Cemetery, near the town of Mesen
Mesen
Mesen is a city located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality only comprises the town of Mesen proper. On January 1, 2006, Mesen had a total population of 988. The total area is 3.58 km² which gives a population density of 276 inhabitants per km².Mesen is the smallest city in...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. The memorial lists 827 officers and men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force
New Zealand Expeditionary Force
The New Zealand Expeditionary Force was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight for Britain during World War I and World War II. Ultimately, the NZEF of World War I was known as the First New Zealand Expeditionary Force...
with no known grave who died in or near Messines in 1917 and 1918. This period included the Battle of Messines
Battle of Messines
The Battle of Messines was a battle of the Western front of the First World War. It began on 7 June 1917 when the British Second Army under the command of General Herbert Plumer launched an offensive near the village of Mesen in West Flanders, Belgium...
.
The memorial, designed by the English architect Charles Holden
Charles Holden
Charles Henry Holden, Litt. D., FRIBA, MRTPI, RDI was a Bolton-born English architect best known for designing many London Underground stations during the 1920s and 1930s, for Bristol Central Library, the Underground Electric Railways Company of London's headquarters at 55 Broadway and for the...
, is one of seven such memorials on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
to the missing dead from New Zealand. The others are located at Buttes New British Cemetery
Buttes New British Cemetery (New Zealand) Memorial
The Buttes New British Cemetery Memorial is a World War I memorial, located in Buttes New British Cemetery, near the town of Zonnebeke, Belgium...
, Caterpillar Valley (Longueval), Grevillers, Tyne Cot, Cite Bonjean, and Marfaux.
The land on which the cemetery and memorial were constructed had been the site of a mill (the Moulin d'Hospice) belonging to the Institute Royal de Messines (a Belgian orphanage and school, itself formerly a Benedictine abbey). The mill dated from 1445, but was destroyed during the war, with the memorial erected where the mill once stood.
Other memorials in the Mesen area to the forces of New Zealand include a white stone obelisk a short distance to the south. This obelisk, one of several National Memorials erected by New Zealand, was unveiled by King Albert I of Belgium on 1 August 1924. This obelisk is now part of the New Zealand Memorial Park. Annual remembrance services take place at the memorials in and around Mesen on Anzac Day
ANZAC Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all...
.
External links
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission details of the Memorial
- Messines Ridge (New Zealand) Memorial (Belgian heritage register)
- Catalogue entry for the Memorial register (National Library of Australia)
- Photograph of the memorial (CWGC)
Further reading
- From the Uttermost Ends: A Guide to Sites of New Zealand Interest on the Western Front in Belgium and France (Ian McGibbon, OUP Australia and New Zealand, Dec 2001)
- 'Het New Zealand Memorial to the Missing in Mesen', P. Colson, in: Mesen. Kleine Stad op de Heuvel, Mesen, 1995, pp. 83-89.