Kitchener's Wood Memorial

 memorial, monument, forest, First World War 1914-1918, interesting place

A small monument near the place where the Canadian Corps saw their first frontline action during the First World War on April 22nd 1915.

Erected in 1997 by the schoolchildren of the Vrije Basisschool of nearby St-Juliaan.

Jozef Dekeyser designed and created the memorial. Ignace Bentein assisted to realize this project.

The approximately 7ft high memorial is situated very close to the place where Kitchener's Wood used to be, in the Wijngaardstraat near the house of Ignace Bentein.
On the polished pedestal is a board claryfying the historical context.
Waisted stones are rising from the pedstal and symbolize the oak trees cut short to pieces.
On top, the memorial has a roughly cut stone that represents the crown of the trees and the clouds of gas.
In the stone "KITCHENER'S WOOD 22 APRIL 1915" is carved in a bow around an acorn on oakleaf.
This 'acorn on oakleaf' is the symbol of the 10th and 16th Canadian regiment. They are the only ones in the Canadian army who are allowed to wear this very special shoulder-badge on their uniform to remind the battle of Kitchener's Wood.