The
poppy
which
we
so
readily
associate
with
the
act
or
remembrance
is
believed
to
have
its
origins
with
Lt
Col
John
Alexander
McCrae
(left).
McCrae
was
a
Canadian
artilleryman,
as
well
as
being
a
surgeon-doctor
who,
in
1915,
was
engaged
in
attending
to
the
wounded
streaming
back
from
the
Second
Battle
of
Ypres
at
a
first
aid
station
just
behind
the
front
line
to
the
north
of
Ypres
(now
Essex
Farm
Cemetery
).
It
was
here,
following
the
death
of
a
close
friend
Alex
Helmer
,
that
McCrae
penned
his
best
known
poem
‘In
Flanders
Fields’
(click
above
poppy…)
which
is
widely
believed
to
have
played
a
significant
role
in
the
emergence
of
the
poppy
as
a
symbol
of
remembrance.
John
McCrae
died
from
pneumonia
on
28
January
1918
(see
funeral
and
headstone
below/memorial). Click
here
to see an interesting video of McCrae’s early life.
John McCrae is buried at
Wimereux Cemetery, France
Somme Battlefield Tours Ltd Wimborne Dorset BH21 1EJ
Tel: +44 (0) 7776 195773 or +44 (0) 1202 840520
info@battlefield-tours.com
Full menu
Click the poppy to hear a most moving rendition of McCrae’s poem
John McCrae is buried at
Wimereux Cemetery,
France
The
poppy
we
so
readily
associate
with
the
act
or
remembrance
is
believed
to
have
its
origins
with
Lt
Col
John
Alexander
McCrae
(left).
McCrae
was
a
Canadian
artilleryman,
as
well
as
being
a
surgeon-doctor
who,
in
1915,
was
engaged
in
attending
to
the
wounded
streaming
back
from
the
Second
Battle
of
Ypres
at
a
first
aid
station
just
behind
the
front
line
to
the
north
of
Ypres
(now
Essex
Farm
Cemetery
).
It
was
here,
following
the
death
of
a
close
friend
Alex
Helmer
,
that
McCrae
penned
his
best
known
poem
‘In
Flanders
Fields’
(click
above
poppy)
which
is
widely
believed
to
have
played
a
significant
role
in
the
emergence
of
the
poppy
as
a
symbol of remembrance.
John
McCrae
died
from
pneumonia
on
28
January
1918
(see
funeral
and
headstone
below).
Click
here
to
see
an
interesting short video of McCae’s early life.
Click the poppy to hear a most moving
rendition of McCrae’s poem
Somme Battlefield Tours Ltd Wimborne Dorset BH21 1EJ
Tel: +44 (0) 7776 195773 or +44 (0) 1202 840520
info@battlefield-tours.com
Full menu
