The “disgraceful and pointless” vandalism of more than 140 grave markers in West Flanders last month is being put right, slowly but surely, as solutions are being sought to replace the bronze nameplates
The more than 140 gravestones of Belgian soldiers that were vandalised last month in Houthulst are slowly being repaired. “We tackled the six most heavily damaged headstones first,” says Adjutant Major Ronald Lagae of the War Heritage Institute. “These could no longer be repaired and had to be replaced.”
In the night from 18 to 19 May, vandals destroyed or stole bronze name plates off of more than 140 grave markers in the First World War cemetery in the town, some 15 kilometres north of Ypres. Some of the name plates where found in a heap nearby following the discovery of vandalism.
“This is absolutely disgraceful,” said Houthulst mayor Jeroen Vandromme (CD&V) at the time. “It’s not only pointless vandalism, it’s also utterly disrespectful to the people who found their final resting place here and to their families.”
The Belgian Military Cemetery in Houthulst is on the edge of the Vrijbos forest. It was established in 1925 and contains 1,907 graves. Nearly all of the graves belong to Belgian soldiers who were killed during the First World War, although there are also some 80 Italian grave markers. The cemetery is laid out in the shape of a star, covers just over five hectares, and has been a protected historic monument since 2008.
Mayor Vandromme has “seen for myself what a beautiful green haven of peace and reflection this is, and how often people come here to just walk around.” He concluded that “these acts are deeply regrettable and must not go unpunished.”
So far there are no reports of suspects being identified, but the painstaking work of repairing and replacing the damaged grave markers is in full swing. More than 140 of the bronze nameplates need to be restored.
“For 102 headstones, we can reuse the existing nameplates,” says Lagae. “However, there is still no solution for the remaining ones. We need to consult with a number of authorities and organizations about those.”
The War Heritage Institute itself said it was hard to understand why thieves would target the plates because the scrap value of the varnished bronze is relatively low. They also noted replacing a single commemorative plaque can cost €1,000 or more, far exceeding its scrap value.
It will take months to repair and restore all of the damage, says Lagae, but he expects that their work will be done by Armistice Day on 11 November.