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The Flanders Fields Memorial Garden 1914 - 2014

www.memorial2014.com

Gala Dinner
September 2014, The Tower of London

The Flanders Fields Memorial Garden - Gala Dinner, The Tower of London, Sept 2014

The Flanders Fields Memorial Garden - Gala Dinner, The Tower of London, Sept 2014   The Flanders Fields Memorial Garden - Gala Dinner, The Tower of London, Sept 2014

The Flanders Fields Memorial Garden - Gala Dinner, The Tower of London, Sept 2014   The Flanders Fields Memorial Garden - Gala Dinner, The Tower of London, Sept 2014   The Flanders Fields Memorial Garden - Gala Dinner, The Tower of London, Sept 2014

The Flanders Fields Memorial Garden - Gala Dinner, The Tower of London, Sept 2014   The Flanders Fields Memorial Garden - Gala Dinner, The Tower of London, Sept 2014   The Flanders Fields Memorial Garden - Gala Dinner, The Tower of London, Sept 2014

The Flanders Fields Memorial Garden - Gala Dinner, The Tower of London, Sept 2014   The Flanders Fields Memorial Garden - Gala Dinner, The Tower of London, Sept 2014   The Flanders Fields Memorial Garden - Gala Dinner, The Tower of London, Sept 2014

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Introduction

All seven regiments of the Household Division fought in Flanders during The First World War, and this hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of that war is being commemorated by the construction of a new garden beside the Guards Chapel. Designed by the Flemish landscape architect, Piet Blanckaert and two thirds funded by the Flemish Government, this auction aims to contribute to the remaining third of the funds required to complete the new feature.

The Household Division very much appreciates the generosity of all the artists who have contributed work for this auction and is grateful to all those who succeed in purchasing them.

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The Project

The Guards Museum, along with some of our wonderful friends in Belgium, is creating a memorial to all the soldiers of the Guards regiments who died in The Great War. It is being built in the spiritual home of the Guards, namely Wellington Barracks by Buckingham Palace.

The garden contains soil brought back from every battlefield in Flanders where Guardsmen died in that awful conflict. This is a unique project in that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has never allowed soil to leave the battlefield cemeteries before.

The front Portland stone wall of the garden carries the regimental badges of the seven regiments of The Guards Division and the central circular bed that hold the sacred soil has the words of John McCrae's poem In Flanders Fields carved around it. The garden features a bench made from Flemish Bluestone and four specimen trees indigenous to the battlefields of Flanders. The soil was gathered by British and Belgian schoolchildren last summer and we are delighted that well over one thousand children were involved in that process.

We were equally delighted that HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and HRH Prince Laurent of the Belgians were able to attend the 'Gathering of the Soil' ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres on 11th November, 2013 when the bags of soil were brought together for the journey to England.

This £700,000 project is close to completion and Her Majesty is coming to officially open it on Thursday 6th November. Please help us complete the funding by either bidding in the auction or buying one of the project related items shown in this brochure... tonight! We very much appreciate your help.

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The Guards Museum

The museum is a superb facility where both young and old can discover the exciting, entertaining and interesting world of the young men who were, and still are, the soldiers of the Five Regiments of Foot Guards.

The artefacts are displayed in chronological order to tell our story and a special effort has been made to provide an exciting, low level learning experience for younger and smaller visitors. Here you can find everything from the glory days of scarlet and gold to the mud and blood of two devastating world wars tracing the dangerous role of present day soldiering in an increasingly volatile world.

Following the redevelopment of Wellington Barracks it was decided the Guards deserved to have somewhere to illustrate their proud heritage and this museum was opened in 1988. Over the years the regiments have amassed substantial collections of military ephemera, many items of which had never been displayed. Pictures and regimental silver will usually find a home in the Officers' or Sergeants' Mess but what could be done with the rest? The museum was the obvious solution.

You will find thousands of artefacts that regiments considered to be of value and interest displayed for your education and enjoyment. The cornucopia of weapons, paintings, uniforms and memorabilia includes personal items, not only of the Dukes of Marlborough and Wellington, but also of the equally heroic men who served them. See the tattered Colours earned at Waterloo, blood-stained uniforms worn in The Crimea, together with superb collections of regimental silver by masters such as Paul Storr and Benjamin Smith. Of particular note are the Orders and Decorations of the two Dukes of Cambridge designed by the world's greatest craftsmen.

There is also an inspiring display of Victoria Crosses won by Guardsmen since it was first awarded over 150 years ago as well as numerous other gallantry awards. The museum is a hidden gem and can be enjoyed privately by corporate or private groups wishing to entertain their guests for receptions, lunches, dinners or book launches. Website: www.theguardsmuseum.com

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The Sandbags

As has been mentioned already, our friends in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission have never allowed soil to leave the battlefield before. Therefore their kind co-operation makes this project truly unique and the 70 sandbags used to transport the soil equally rare.

We are offering these bags for sale to individuals and institutions who wish to be part of this centenary commemoration by buying 'a piece of history'. All the proceeds are going directly to finishing the Memorial Garden project.

The bags have been made by the same Flemish company that made sandbags to reinforce the walls of the trenches 100 years ago. Each bag carries the name of the battlefield cemetery from whence the sacred soil was brought. The bags are beautifully mounted and framed with an inscribed plate showing the purchaser's name.

These are being offered at g2,000 each and the names of every buyer will go into the two Golden Books being produced recording the project. One will be handed to the British Sovereign and one to the Belgian Sovereign. Please complete one of the forms on the dinner table or ask one of the girls from the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry who are assisting with the evening.

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Sale of Artwork

Limited edition lithograph by Paul Day (2013)
A limited edition lithograph by Paul Day especially commissioned for the Flanders Field Memorial Garden 1914-2014 in London. The original version is also for sale.
Paul Day (born 1967) is a British sculptor. His high-relief sculptures in terracotta, resin, and bronze have been exhibited widely in Europe and his work is known for its unusual approach to perspective. He executed the Battle of Britain memorial on the Embankment by the Houses of Parliament and the Queen Mother memorial, amongst other prominent works scattered around London.

Cattle under Poplars at Dawn by Eddie Goodridge
Born in the East End of London in 1949, Eddie first started drawing and making models of topographical features from air photographs, whilst serving in the Parachute Regiment.

Drawing of "Jardin de M. Morel - Rue de Mont Parnass"

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