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News from around the Zonnebeke & Passchendale Area -

21 October

Burial of Private John R. Thomson, 2nd Btn Gordon Highlanders, Killed in Action near Molenarest-Zonnebeke on 4 October 1917, found on 9 September 1998 in a private garden with the remains of two other men. A cap badge and pocket knife with the intitals 'J.R.T.' identified him as Pte Thomson and comparative research with relatives confirmed this. It goes back to 1999 and Pte Wilkinson that an identified WWI soldier from a Commonwealth-country was buried in Flanders. Because of the large international (press) interest and also for security reasons, the road alongside Polygon Wood Cemetery will be closed off for all traffic. 

Those who wish to attend the burial can park their cars 2 miles further at the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 in Zonnebeke centre, where from 9 a.m. onwards a free shuttle service will bring you up to Polygon Wood. The burial itself starts at 11 a.m. and is organised by the Highlanders, the successive regiment of the Gordon Highlanders. Some members of the family will also be present there.

10 November

08.00 p.m. Classical concert 'In Flanders Fields' by 'Grupetto' in Passchendaele Church - free entrance

11 November

10.15 a.m. Commemoration service in Passchendaele church
10.50 a.m. Ceremony with Canadian delegation from the village square to Crest Farm Memorial
10.00 a.m. - 7.00pm INTERNATIONAL WWI BOOKFAIR with British, Belgian and German book dealers at hotel 'Carolus' in the centre of Passchendaele
13.00 p.m. Guided walks through Passchendaele village
13.30 p.m. Visit to the battlefields of 1917, 1918 and 1940
15.30 p.m.
16.30 p.m.

For more information please contact the following:

Tourist Information Centre
Ieperstraat 5
8980 Zonnebeke
tel ++32 (0) 51 77 04 41
fax ++32 (0) 51 78 07 50
e-mail: toerisme@zonnebeke.be 

Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917
Gemeente Zonnebeke
tel. ++32 (0) 51 77 23 57
e-mail: franky.bostyn@zonnebeke.be

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