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Politicians and royalty joined relatives of the
dead for the centenary of the 103-day battle in western Belgium
in which more than half a million Allied and German troops were
killed or wounded.
The brutal clash, which became a symbol of the horrors of the
war, began on July 31, 1917 when Britain launched an assault
against German forces who were holding the plateau overlooking
the Belgium city of Ypres.
Hit by heavy rain, the campaign transformed the Flanders
lowlands into a mud-churned swamp rendering tanks immobile and
virtually paralyzing the infantry.
Some 4,000 relatives of the soldiers who fought there gathered
at the Tyne Cot Cemetery near Ypres, where nearly 12,000
Commonwealth dead are buried.
They were joined by Britain's Prince Charles, Prince William,
his wife Kate, Prime Minister Theresa May, and Belgian King and
Queen Philippe and Mathilde.
At the service, Prince Charles honored the "courage and bravery"
of those killed and said the gathering was "to promise we will
never forget."
Military personnel and descendants read out letters and diary
excerpts penned by many of those who died. The ceremony
concluded with a fly-past by the Belgian air force in a "missing
man" formation.
Prince William paid tribute on Sunday at the Menin Gate Memorial
in Ypres to those "who sacrificed everything for the lives we
live today."
As he spoke, thousands of paper poppies were dropped from the
roof of the gate, which is engraved with the names of 54,391
British soldiers who have no known grave.
(Writing by Fanny Potkin; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
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