“On the Road to Passchendaele”

Johan R. Ryheul · Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 7:47 pm Post subject: The Moderators

Erwin Ureel is a co-founder of this Forum.

Erwin initiated the William Redmond commemoration in 1997and the Scottish Memorial In Flanders Campaign that culminated in the unveiling of a Celtic Cross in Zonnebeke in 2007. He developed the educational project “The Platoon Experience” for the Memorial Museum Passchendaele in 2007. Every year he organises the Passchendaele ceremony held on 10th November

In addition, he has created a number of remembrance concerts, including “From Tipperary to Passchendaele” (2005) about the Irish and their involvement in the Great War and “William’s Journey” (2007), about Flemish emigrants who went to Canada and returned to fight in Flanders.

Erwin is a serving soldier in the Belgian Army. For many years he has conducted battlefield tours, both as part of his official duties and as a private guide.

Together with his wife Mia he designed and registered the Passchendaele Tartan, a remembrance tartan in which the colours red and brown symbolise the blood and mud associated with the Salient.

Johan Ryheul is the other co-founder of this Forum.

Johan is the author of several WW I books including Marinekorps Flandern, The German Air Service at the Western Front I and II and The German 38 cm guns in Flanders. He is currently working on books about the WW I cemeteries in West-Flanders and the pillboxes in the same region. Also participated at documentaries for BBC and History Channel.

He was co-founder and curator of the Long Max museum at Koekelare. He is co-cordinator of the Jabbeke Remembers weekend and is currently working on a museum project for Jabbeke as well as other WW I Remembrance and educational events with a special focus on 2014-2018 .

Johan has had a special interest in aerial warfare in WW I and in the Zeebrugge Raid for over 20 years. Using his knowledge of these topics, he has identified 3 unknown British war graves, one at Bovekerke (Sgt. Roebuck RFC) and two at Zeebrugge Churchyard (Wing Commander Brock and Lt. Commander Harrison).

In his day job Johan is a manager for the Gamma DIY chain.