"In Flanders Fields..." so begins the poem that was to make John McCrae world-famous. This doctor-soldier poet was born in Guelph, Canada. From his father, a lieutenant-colonel of Scottish descent, he inherited this interest for the military, while his mother instilled in him a love for literature.

His deep conviction to fight for what he believed to be a just cause compelled him to join up as a volunteer with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1914. He was appointed as brigade-surgeon to the First Brigade of the Canadian Field Artillery, and from 22 April to 8 May 1915 he found himself on the front between Ieper and Boezinge. This was the period of the Second Battle of Ypres, when the Germans used poison gas for the first time. John McCrae treated wounded at the Advanced Dressing Station near Essex farm, a simple earthen dug-out in the bank of the canal.
The concrete construction that one sees today was only built later during the war, in 1916 or 1917.

On 3 May 1915, during a quiet spell in the fierce fighting, McCrae wrote out his poem in his diary, as he sat overlooking the cemetary next to this dressing station, where the poppies were blowing between the ever increasing rows of crosses.
Frustrated by his inability to save those who had died, he sought to give them a voice through the words of his poem.These verses carried a message for all soldiers and soon grew to become the literary symbol of the First World War. McCrae died of pneumonia in January 1918.

Next time you are in Belgium, take out one day to visit the "Westhoek", that small part in Southern West Flanders where WW I was fought. As a beer lover you will be surprised by the many occasions you have to switch your attention back and forth between historical sights and exceptional good beers. Start your day in Diksmuide, end in Ieper. Make a stop at the smallest Trappist brewery in West Fleteren, at the microbrewery in Alveringem, or at the 3 breweries in Watou. For more information and suggestions, check out our website.

Thanks to Ludwig Vandenbussche for the information about John McCrae.

(Newsletter April 1998)