Summer is an ideal time for travelling and exploring, and that is exactly what the Officer Cadets from the City of Edinburgh Universities Officers’ Training Corps (CEUOTC) did with a recent trip to Flanders, Belgium.
Over the course of a fully-packed week, the Officer Cadets took in a wide range of sights as part of their World War One battlefield study. The trip began with tours of the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing and of replica WWI trench systems. The group also took time to visit Spanbroekmolen, a site that saw much violence and destruction during the War. The site is now home to a British Cemetery and Pool of Peace, providing an apt opportunity for reflection and remembrance.
The next stage of the Flanders visit saw the Officer Cadets taking in various other memorial landmarks. These included the Shot at Dawn Memorial, the German war cemetery at Langemarck and the New Zealand war memorial at Polygon Wood. The visiting group also benefited from an opportunity to take part in a ceremony at the Menin Gate, and to meet and take photos with serving members of the German Air Force.
The excursion to Flanders neared its end with a visit to Passchendaele Village, another key campaign site during the First World War. Following this, the Officer Cadets undertook some group research, further reflecting on the impacts of WWI on the civilian population of Flanders.
While a tour of war memorials in Belgium may not be the most conventional of summer holiday getaways, it serves as a welcome opportunity to learn important lessons from the past, as well as remembering and reinforcing connections with friends in the international community.
