In May 1940, the Belgian army hid 36 emblems in St Andrew's Abbey in Zevenkerken near Bruges. This kept those emblems out of the hands of the Germans. This historical fact is commemorated every year at the beginning of September, together with the liberation on 8 September 1944. The commemoration is followed by a solemn moment in the special cemetery of Zevenkerken in the woods next to the abbey. This cemetery now contains 26 graves of Belgian soldiers killed in World War II.
At the foot of the calvary cross located between their graves, the floral tribute keeps alive the memory of those who fell at this place.
Link to the cemetery
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Attention: the War Dead Register only lists Belgian fallen soldiers.
The War Dead Register provides basic personal information (name, first name, date and place of birth, etc.) and does not contain military files (giving a complete overview of the military career). According to date of birth the files are kept either by the Royal Military Museum or by the Defence archives service. The files safeguarded at the Military Museum can be consulted on site (Parc du Cinquantenaire in Brussels). The files kept up till now by Defence are currently transferred to the General State Archives.
The date on which they will be once again available has not yet been determined.
Archives of the Royal Military Museum
Documentation Centre
Parc du Cinquantenaire 3
1000 Brussels
E-mail : cdoc.klm-mra@warheritage.be
Website: www.warheritage.be