Black Watch Corner

Opposite the southwest corner of the Polygon Forest is an impressive bronze statue of a Highlander, a Scottish soldier. It stands on almost the same place where the first Battle of Ypres ended on 10 and 11 November 1914. At this 'Black Watch Corner', the British and French prevented the Germans from crossing to Ypres. Both sides dug in on the ridge. The monument not only pays permanent tribute to the steadfastness of the legendary Black Watch Regiment, but also recalls the determination of the British 'Old Contemptibles' - the German mocking name for the British professional army. The regiment lost more than eight thousand soldiers on the western front.

Annemie Verlinde