Trying to Locate where my Relative served in Belgium

Hi guys, Duckman and Regulus,

You continue to amaze me. Thank you so much for soing this research, not that I haven't been idle myself. I figured the aerodrome was Abele (Abeele) or Peselhoek but now you say Peselhoek was a WWII aerodrome that rules that out.

So you reckon De Panne is where he visited. He went with three mates. THis is what he writes:

Sunday July 22nd weather very warm plenty of guns to be heard Fritz has been sending shrapnell over our camp all afternoon four of us went out to see the King of Belgiums (sic) country residence and it is a lovely place beautiful grounds around it we then went & had a look through the aerodrome and had a look at the flying machines it was worth looking at we spent a nice afternoon Fritz is still firing shrapnel it is a beautiful evening had a very rough night there were taubes over all night they dropped about 17 bombs one dropped about 20 yards away from our camp but no one was hurt.

So they only spent an afternoon and they inspected the grounds. Would a lowly Private be able to see the grounds of the King's Residence while he was there?

You mention three aerodromes: Houthem, Abele and Veurne. Any of these close to De Panne? I know where Abele is - SW of Poperinghe. I'll have to check out the location of the others.

Thanks again guys, I'm getting closer and my Dad is really pleased with the "stuff" I've found out.

Lynda

Ok, I've checked some locations. Veurne is right near De Panne, so they could be visited in the same afternoon. Also, this location is north of Peselhoek by road and also a rail journey from the same place (via Ypres, though. That may or may not be a problem in 1917 - not sure about where the lines were at the time, but I think it would be OK). He was a train man (59th Aust Rail BGOC) so a hitching a ride on a train would be possible.

What do you think?

Lynda

[Regulus]

Hi again Lynda,

What's been puzzling me in the text is that your grandfather doesn't talk about the sea or the beach and also the impression that he gives that the place where the king stays and the aerodrome are not very far from one another.

So I started digging deeper in the Flanders soil

This gives us also another possibility I had not thought of. From the 20th july 1917 on the royal family slept almost daily at Saint-Flora at de Moeren. Saint Flora was a what we call here farmcastle. They remained there till the 1st of August 1918.
Sometimes they stayed during this period also at the villa Maskens at De Panne. Curious detail : on the 22nd July 1917, yes that same day, the French Minister Poincaré was decorated at the Villa Maskens by King Albert I of Belgium. So it would have been impossible to around the villa that day, due to security reasons.
The reason the royal family moved from the Villa Maskens was because of the danger for bombardments.

So now I feel with quite some certitude (99 % ?) that he may have seen the aerodrome of Houthem and the castle Saint-Flora which was very close. As the king was not there, I see no problem in the fact that he may been walking around the castle, not in it. Also your grandfather specifically mentions country residence, which is the more confirmation.

Included, a link to a photo of Albert I at Houthem airfield, which was the main Belgian airfield in WW I last photo, way down the page).

Best from the Flanders Fields,

Johan

[Regulus]

Hi Duckman !

Here's more to find on the 4 Days of the Yser :

http://www.mil.be/vierdaagse/index.asp?LAN=E

They are at the end of August this year. Dangerous as always... lots of miles and Belgian beers !

Back to the subject...
I think we were able to crack the mystery this time ! We're a great team !

Just found also that the Belgian military HQ was from 1915 on at the preacher's house at Houthem, which was also very close to the airfield. So anyway, if Lynda's grandfather didn't see the Saint Flora he saw this place.
Only two possibilities left. More certain we will never be I suppose.

Here's a link to the pictures of the airfield :

http://www.baha.be/Webpages/Navigator/Photos/MilltaryPics/airfields/houtem.htm

There where also some British unit's over there !

Best from Johan

[duckman]

Thanks for the links, Johan (although I think we should call you "Sherlock" now!)

My post of 18/4/05 makes reference to the family moving to Ste Flora in July. I just didn't understand what they were on about until you latest post. Is this this same as "Kasteel De Moeren" referred to earlier, or is that a different building?

I originally envisaged a day-trip, but, now seeing the actual text, he clearly knocked it off in afternoon. They must be quite close - surely Houthem / Ste Flora is right. But, I'm curious about the reference to the Belgian HQ being in Houthem, everything I've seen says it was based in De Panne (near the Villa Maskens) or in Veurne. Odd...

Does anyone know of the raid that he mentions (which sounds pretty small)? 22/7/17 - wasn't that the date of the air raid on Britain you were asking about, Johan? A busy day for a lot of people.

This has been a hoot!

[Regulus]

To much credit !

I am a local after all, so I should be able to find a few things on the history of my own province !

Yes it seems that kasteel de moeren is the same place, although this namegiving is a wrong interpretation by someone in the past which started to live it's own life.

Checked a bit further on the Villa Maskens being the last house on Belgian soil before the French border, and this actually was correct indeed ! There was another villa next to it, later named Albert I, where the guests of the king stayed during their visit. However it seems indeed that the place was to dangerous and I even found a photo (in my own collection - yes I know, unbelievable ) with damage to the Villa Maskens after a bombardment.

The military HQ was indeed for some time at Veurne also, but there was decided that this was not a good situation for the city with all these security measures and military in the center of the town, after all it was on the central market place, and there was decided that in order to make life as normal as possible during the war to move the military HQ to Houthem in this 17th century building.

I'm learning more and more on Belgian WW I history myself !

Thanks, best from Johan

Hi guys,

You fervour for solving this mystery is wonderful and totally unexpected. Your info about Houthem is interesting and about where the King was on that day. You are amazing how you do that.

I suppose we will never know for sure where he went unless a mate who also went wrote a diary that still exists that we see.

Thanks again and I will pass this infor on to my Dad (who is revelling in all this research) and check out where Houthem is and so on.

Lynda