点评:The Brothers In Arms Memorial at Zonnebeke is jaw-dropping.
We were taken here by our fantastic Flanders Fields tour guide, Jonas Debaeke (@jonasdebaeke@gmail.com), and what a truly special and humbling experience it was.
We were also privileged to meet (and share a beer with) Johan Vandewalle, the custodian of the adjacent pub, who was pivotal to the excavation to release the Zonnebeke 5 (aka Aussie 5) from their wartime battlefield tomb, which included John and Jim Hunter who are immortalised in the monument.
Johan is an incredible person, and his passion for this project and remembering all those who were tragically lost in the Great War and WWII is truly something to behold. There are so many great stories to hear from Johan, so we will have to come back again to have lunch and hear many more incredible tales.
This memorial is a must-see for anyone visiting Belgium with even a slight interest in Aussie history. People from all countries with similar interests would also get much out of this incredible experience.
翻译:佐内贝克的兄弟连纪念碑令人叹为观止。
我们由出色的法兰德斯战场导游乔纳斯·德拜克(Jonas Debaeke,@jonasdebaeke@gmail.com)带我们来到了这里,这真是一次特别而又令人谦卑的体验。
我们也很荣幸地见到了附近酒吧的管理员约翰·范德瓦勒(Johan Vandewalle),并和他一起喝了杯啤酒。范德瓦勒在挖掘佐内贝克五兄弟(又名澳大利亚五兄弟)的战时墓穴中起到了至关重要的作用,其中包括约翰和吉姆·亨特,他们也永远地安葬在纪念碑中。
约翰是一位了不起的人,他对这个项目的热情以及对所有在第一次世界大战和第二次世界大战中不幸牺牲的人们的缅怀,实在令人叹为观止。约翰讲了很多精彩的故事,所以我们一定会再来吃午饭,听更多精彩的故事。
对于任何到访比利时、哪怕对澳大利亚历史稍有兴趣的人来说,这座纪念碑都是必看的。来自不同国家、有着相似兴趣的人们,也能从这段难忘的体验中获益良多。