Commemoration Battle of Mount Kemmel (Kemmelberg)

The Battle of Mount Kemmel reached its terrible climax between 25 and 29 April 1918. The French arrived to close the breach in the front line, but at a cost of more than 10,000 dead. Some regiments almost ceased to exist. About half of these victims were later interred in the French ossuary, and this is where their memory will now be honoured in the presence of international, national and local dignitaries. Especially for the occasion, a flame will be transported from the Arc du Triomphe in Paris. The national anthems will be sung by school children from Heuvelland and the French village of Saint-Jans-Cappel, just across the nearby border. The ceremony is open to the general public.