War Memorial Herzele

The war memorial in the cemetery in Herzele commemorates the military and civilian victims of the First and Second World Wars.

A tragic incident occurred in December 1918, just after the Armistice, when a freight train exploded at Herzele station , resulting in the deaths of eight British soldiers . Their graves are in Herzele churchyard and are maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The local history society De Hellebaard has been committed to documenting the history of Herzele during both world wars. In 2018, they published the book De Groote Oorlog in Herzele 1914–1918 , which describes the experiences of the eight sub-municipalities during the First World War. In 2024, the book De Tweede Wereldoorlog in Herzele 1940–1945 followed, based on forty interviews with residents who experienced the war or shared stories of their family members.

Both publications are richly illustrated with photographs and documents and provide an in-depth insight into local history during these turbulent periods

Willem Vandenameele