CWGC attends 100th anniversary of St. Julien Canadian Memorial

On 8th July 2023, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission attended a ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the unveiling of the St. Julien Canadian Memorial.

Commonwealth War Graves were represented at the ceremony, which took place in St. Julien, Belgium, by Area Director for South and Central Europe Geert Bekaert. 

Commonwealth War Graves were represented at the ceremony, which took place in St. Julien, Belgium, by Area Director for South and Central Europe Geert Bekaert. 

As well as Geert, the ceremony was attended by various dignitaries and VIPs, including Canadian Ambassador to Belgium Alain Gendron.

The event was organised by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) and the Municipality of Langemark-Poelkapelle.

The St. Julien Canadian Memorial is also known as The Brooding Soldier. 

It stands as a tribute to 18,000 Canadian soldiers who took part in the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915. The Canadians were holding the left flank of the British lines and came under heavy gas attack.
 
Over 2,000 Canadian servicemen died during the battle and are commemorated in nearby Commonwealth War Graves cemeteries.

The memorial was designed by F.C. Clemshaw and was unveiled on Sunday 8th July 1923. 

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission maintains the St. Julien Canadian Memorial on behalf of the Canadian Government as part of our agency services offering.