The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) Association
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Remembrance Ledegem
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The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) Association
Remembrance Ledegem |
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Ledegem in West Flanders and some 20 minutes drive east of Ypres, is the present name for Ledeghem, a town that many WW1 soldiers of the 29 Division of the II Army will have known in 1918. On October 14th 1918 in a fierce engagement resulting in the award of two Victoria Crosses to Leinster Soldiers, 2 battalion of the Leinster Regiment led the advance into Ledegem on the first day of what is now known as the Battle of Courtrai. In that advance the Leinsters, supported by the 4/Worcesters, cleared the town of enemy forces and in doing so ended the four year occupation of a community that had become a major supply depot for the German occupation in West Flanders. Today, Ledegem is a quiet suburban town, with the rebuilt houses much as they were in 1918. The railway line is long gone but the old station house still carries the marks of war. The Church of St Pieter, used by the Germans as a hospital, still stands and traces of the hospital wards can still be seen in the roof space above the church. One of the best preserved bunkers from WW1 can still be seen just a few hundred metres outside Ledegem. It is possible to take an old trench map and walk around the town clearly identifying the important features of the occupation that lasted from 1914 to 1918. The Leinster Regiment Association has a special relationship with the community of Ledegem and on the 12th October 2008, some ninety years after its liberation, the community of Ledegem awarded the Association, as the heirs of the Regiment, the Freedom of Ledegem in a special day of commemoration and celebration. This special relationship between Ledegem and the Regimental Association has led to the development of a new Remembrance Ledegem web site dedicated to our continued friendship, so please take time to visit the Remembrance Ledegem web site where you can keep in touch with future planned events and occasions. You can visit the Remembrance Ledegem photo gallery, purchase mementos or even book a personal tour of the WW1 advance through the town. See the photographs of the 2012 commemoration at the 40/10 Memorial (not on this web site) |
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