Lohengrin and The St George's Day Raid 1918

A week full of activity after Palermo to get the system working again. Super luncheon party chez Magda, irreverent member of my Thursday evening group, followed by the arrival of three of the much-loved Cologne Mafia on Wednesday with the immediate purpose of taking me to the Brussels Opera to see Wagner’s Lohengrin, my first Wagner opera. The occasion was splendid in the lovely

Enjoying the interval at tbe Brussels Opera House

19th century Opera House with a theatre full of people apparently all drinking champagne [and beer!] in the interval. I loved the way the stage was managed, chiefly by a huge rotating rotunda which was multi-purpose in incorporating a large choir when needed; gave space for other characters and scenes to be introduced, thus adding depth and movement to several interludes; and finally provided a half-hidden landscape for secret or overheard conversations. A brilliant device. The music was, well, Wagner; imperious, tempestuous, gracious, soul-searing; not easy, not straightforward; often, not comfortable but wildly varied and vividly emotional. The whole concept came together harmoniously with superb musicianship
[large and excellent orchestra; wonderful singers]and for me, after my apprehension about attending a Wagnerian opera, it was a spectacular success. A night to be remembered.

NOT the bougainvillea but the resident rhododendron
in full floral mode.

Between outings and naps for refreshment purposes, I repaired to the terrace, shameful under the sun in its winter neglect. But solo efforts, greatly enhanced by sterling work from the Boyz, soon enhanced the initial shabby appearance of my little estate. It is still not finished but a work well in progress with the addition today, Wednesday, of a tall Bougainvillea in bright pink. A little South of France ambitious perhaps but hopeful!

Colossal defensive U-boat bunker, Brugge harbour

Roger and June who pass through Bruges every year or so, entertained me to a fab lunch at de Belegde Boterham on Tuesday when we took the opportunity to ‘catch up!’ while enjoying creative and delicious food.

I took their advice later to go round the exhibition, The Battle for the North Sea, in the Provinciaal Hof in the Markt, which had started, unsung, on St George’s Day, April 23. The Provinciaal Hof is the 19^th century Gothic Revival building in the Markt and was from where the Admiral of the Marinekorps Flandern, Ludwig von Schroder, co-ordinated and organised the German defence of the Belgian Coast during the First World War. The Provinciaal Hof was, in effect, the HQ of the Imperial German Navy in occupied Flanders. Brugge was occupied on 14 October 1914 and the Admiralty in Berlin realised at once that the harbours of Zeebrugge, Ostende and especially Brugge, were potentially ideal U-boat bases. Located twelve kilometres inland, Brugge harbour offered protection to the small yet formidable submarine units which used the canals leading to Ostende and Zeebrugge to reach the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Eventually, a colossal concrete bunker holding 8 U-boats was constructed in Brugge harbour.

The U-boats achieved increasingly spectacular results during 1914/15; indeed by May 1 1918,

Some of the 16 British soldiers captured during the Zeebrugge 

Raid. Here, awaiting certain death, they thought,  but when the

Germans arrived to capture them, they only took photographs 

before imprisoning them!

German U-boats had sunk 2,50100 tonnes of Allied shipping, totalling 2554 vessels. It was in response to this overwhelming destruction, all other defensive attempts to protect British ships having failed, that a plan was formed to disable the sea lock in Zeebrugge through which all German shipping had to pass. Simultaneous attacks on Zeebrugge and Ostende harbours would scuttle British ships filled with concrete to block the entrance to both harbours. The exhibition tells the U-boat history in Flanders, and of the highly risky and ambitious St George’s Day Raid on April 23rd 1918 which ended in only partial success for the Allies, enabling both sides to claim victory.

Torpedo hoisted aboard in Brugge harbour.

There are splendid contemporary photographs, charts and memorabilia in the exhibition, both of the history of U-boats and of the Raid itself, and, in Room 1, most poignantly, there are photographs and details of the eleven British men awarded Victoria Crosses that day, one hundred years ago. The number awarded from one battle on one day was historically unprecedented and this is the first time in 100 years that the eleven VC medals have been gathered together. Rather sadly, for the 'other ranks' there was actually a ballot of names for the V.C. awards, there being up to 100 men who were considered to have acted sufficiently bravely to merit one. There is a letter to one man whose name did not feature in the eleven, informing him that he was being considered.

Last photo of UB-29, missing 13 Dec 1916.

Discovered Aug 2017 off Ostende, the best-preserved U-boat relic.

22 men remained on board; now respected as a war grave.