Pilkem
Pilkem (in English Pilckem ) is a hamlet in the Boezinge district of the Belgian city of Ypres . It is located a little over 2 kilometers east of the center of Boezinge, from which it is separated by the Ieper-IJzer Canal , 3 kilometers southwest of Langemark and north of Ypres at the intersection of the Langemarkseweg and the Pilkemseweg .
During the First World War , the area belonged to the front line of the Ypres arch . The first major use of poison gas on the Western Front took place nearby during the Second Battle of Flanders in April 1915. Pilkem is best known for the Battle of Pilkem Ridge , which started the Third Battle of Flanders at the end of July 1917 . Numerous memorials can be found in the area, including the Welsh National Memorial Park and Artillery Wood Cemetery, as well as a memorial to the Irish poet Francis Ledwidge . Like the Welsh poet Hedd Wyn , he died at Pilkem on July 31, 1917.
Web links
- De Boezingenaar - Pilkem on the boezingenaar.be website
- De Pilkem on onroerenderfgoed.be
- 7 facts about the Battle of Pilckem Ridge on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
Coordinates: 50 ° 54 ' N , 2 ° 53' E