Menin Gate Lions, Australian War Memorial
Posted by: 
Tealby
S 35° 16.864 E 149° 08.916
55H E 695405 N 6093670
These medieval stone lions once stood on either side of the Menin Gate in the walls of the town of Ypres in Belgium.
Waymark Code: WM1K39
Location: Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Date Posted: 05/24/2007
Views: 101
Ypres was destroyed in the war, and these lions were recovered from the ruins of Menin Gate. During the first world war allied soldiers passed through the Gate to the battlefields around Ypres, where over 38,000 Australian soldiers were killed or wounded. The Gate became the site of a memorial to the British empire soldiers, including over 6,000 Australians, killed around Ypres and who have no known graves.
In 1936 the Burgomaster of Ypres presented the lions to the Australian Government as a gesture of friendship between that town and the people of Australia. They commemorate the service of the Australian soldiers who helped to defend Ypres in 1917.
(From the plaque next to the lions in the Australian War Memorial)
Physical Address:
Australian War Memorial
Canberra, ACT Australia
2600
Web Site: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
Take a photo of the lion.