chrislock Posted 3 July , 2010 Share Posted 3 July , 2010 Hi all. I have just finished reading " The Children who fought Hitler. A British outpost in Europe" by Sue Elliot and James Fox and now the Menin Gate lion will never be the same again! I often walk my collie along the moat side on the outside of the town and walk past the Menin Gate Memorial frontage. My vision always seems drawn to the great stone lion and the WW2 battle scarred frontage and wonder at the events which have taken place around me at this point. Well after finishing this fantastic book, that lion will never look the same to me again. In fact I need to suppress the most gigantic smile that insists on breaking out and no doubt, the ghosts of the tommies commemorated on that memorial are doing the same likewise. If true, below is the reason why; On page 265 I repeat; Before long, local craftsmen set about repairing the battle scarred memorial. The massive stone lion looking out over the Menin Road towards the old battlefields of the Salient had suffered battle damage to his rear end. The three stonemasons in charge of his restoration couldn't resist their own bid for posterity: they put their names on a cloth, placed it in a bottle and inserted it into the lions new backside!! If this being the case then it most probably will still be in situ. I have such a vivid imagination and now all I see when I walk past is a grimacing lion because it has a bottle inserted up it's back end! Incredible! Now that is what I call flemish humour! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinBattle Posted 3 July , 2010 Share Posted 3 July , 2010 Ah! The Lion lay down with the Lambic!! Obviously a Trappist bottle (hopefully not a crown cap!) that he "Satan", roared "Kriek" as the bottle went into the "Kwak" at a Malheurous time, but it could be worse:- A notable example is the 5% abv De Koninck brand, with its distinctive spherical glasses, called 'bollekes' That would be a "Duvel" to remove! Sorry for the "duppel" entendre, it must be the "Delirium Tremens" to blame! Sorry, being a bit Scotch de Silly or a half Watou's Wit!! Should try to be a bit Weisse!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithmroberts Posted 3 July , 2010 Share Posted 3 July , 2010 Of course it could be one of the 75cl bottles with the living ale in it. Might explode one hot day. Don't stand behind the beast. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john jerome mcmanus Posted 4 July , 2010 Share Posted 4 July , 2010 G'day all, I need some help here. Which Lions are being referred to? At the entrance to the Australian War Memorial stand two Lions that once graced the Menin Gate. Are these the lions in question or were there others? Regards Pop (Sean McManus) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Foster Posted 4 July , 2010 Share Posted 4 July , 2010 Interesting story Chris. You could say the Lion's got a lot of bottle Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 4 July , 2010 Share Posted 4 July , 2010 G'day all, I need some help here. Which Lions are being referred to? At the entrance to the Australian War Memorial stand two Lions that once graced the Menin Gate. Are these the lions in question or were there others? Regards Pop (Sean McManus) The 'new' (1927) Lions that are still on it. (The lions in Australia are the ones that graced the 'gap in the ramparts' (there hadn't actually been a construction or 'gate' as such there since the 'cover' to the gap was demolished in 1862) pre-WW1.) Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tootrock Posted 4 July , 2010 Share Posted 4 July , 2010 The lions referred to are located on top of the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing. The battle damage was caused by fighting during WW2. Martin (Edit - must type faster!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrislock Posted 4 July , 2010 Author Share Posted 4 July , 2010 Just look at their faces. It's the grimacing lion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil andrade Posted 4 July , 2010 Share Posted 4 July , 2010 Now that Lion really knows what it means to "have a lot of bottle" Nothing like a bit of cockney humour, is there ? Apologies, Chris, you got there before me ! Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 4 July , 2010 Share Posted 4 July , 2010 This is the damaged Lion in question; 1940 damage photographed in 1944. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john jerome mcmanus Posted 5 July , 2010 Share Posted 5 July , 2010 The 'new' (1927) Lions that are still on it. (The lions in Australia are the ones that graced the 'gap in the ramparts' (there hadn't actually been a construction or 'gate' as such there since the 'cover' to the gap was demolished in 1862) pre-WW1.) Dave G'Dave, Thanks for your response. I now understand! Many thanks Regards Pop (Sean McManus) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrislock Posted 5 July , 2010 Author Share Posted 5 July , 2010 This is the damaged Lion in question; 1940 damage photographed in 1944. Nice Pic Paul. If you look just down from the lions rear end, you can see the entire corner of the memorial is blown away. I guess this was the arty strike which would eventually bring much flemish humour to our British Commonwealth lion!! Great date pic though. PJA. No appologies required mate, I totally agree with you! Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 28 July , 2010 Share Posted 28 July , 2010 I'll shin up the monument Sunday evening when in Ieper, taking a large pair of forceps, a bucket, and a loo roll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 29 July , 2010 Share Posted 29 July , 2010 my dear lady wife wonders if the news item was dated 1st April. The Menin Gate will never be the same now we have heard the story ..... not sure whether to laugh or cry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 29 July , 2010 Share Posted 29 July , 2010 The story is mentioned in Dominiek Dendooven's book 'Menenpoort & Last Post' (2001) too. (Translated - I don't have the English version - from p. 105) it goes : "All stonework reparations were done by the Ypres company De Plancke. One of the workmen was Maurice Baratto. (...) A couple of years ago Maurice Baratto made public that he and his workmates who had done the restoration, had bricked in a bottle somewhere near the statue of the lion on the Menin Gate [ ... een fles ingemetseld hebben ergens bij het beeld van de leeuw op de Menenpoort ; note : no anatomical details being given]. In the bottle there is a note with the names of the workmen in 1948. The bottle is waiting there to be discovered in a next restoration." (Source : a talk with Mauric Baratto in August 2001.) Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creafield Posted 3 August , 2010 Share Posted 3 August , 2010 Greetings All By 10th June 2009 the Lion was 'acclimatised' to his addition ... perhaps. As a Veterinarian I would ONLY do this procedure to a 'stone' lion!! Will definitely have a read of the book that Chris mentions, however I'm with Grumpy on this one .. next trip to Ieper will be June 2011 .. the lion will not be the same Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 5 August , 2010 Share Posted 5 August , 2010 judging by the look on the old boy's face, the bottle was still there last Sunday. Superb ceremony, marvellous silver band ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dycer Posted 5 August , 2010 Share Posted 5 August , 2010 If his "bum" ever erupts the "sugar" will fly.no wonder "He" has a contented smile. Walked under and behind "Him" a couple of times a few weeks ago and did check which way the wind was blowing. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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