Passchendaele Memorial Garden United States of America

The United States of America suffered heavy losses during the First World War. In Belgium, the American troops fought during the Final Offensive, which resulted in 2.100 casualties south of Ieper alone. But this garden highlights a lesser known chapter of the First World War in Belgium – the first major international humanitarian relief effort in history. The German invasion of 1914 devastated Belgian industry and trade, and the agricultural sector faced various problems such as an extreme labor shortage and a insufficient supply of seeds and seedlings. The British blockade against occupied Belgium suspended food imports, and the occupying military forces did not provide food for the civilian population. The average Belgian was vulnerable. Widespread stockpiling of supplies led to rampant inflation and food scarcity. City dwellers and workers were the first victims of the catastrophe. In the winter of 1914-1915, almost everyone struggled with hunger and shortages. People could think of nothing but food.

An international network of business leaders, politicians, and private citizens united to launch a relief campaign. The network created the Commission for Relief in Belgium, led by the future President of the United States Herbert Hoover, which brought food aid to Belgium. The aid was then distributed by the National Relief and Food Committee directed by Ernest Solvay and Emile Francqui.

Herbert Hoover appealed directly to the American people and the allied governments of Great Britain and France to raise funds to buy supplies and charter a fleet of ships.

Between January 1914 and December 1918, the Commission for Relief in Belgium shipped 3.2 million tons of food aid to Belgium. In the beginning, this aid sought merely to supplement what was available, but it would soon become the sole source of sustenance for may individuals.

The oak boards upon which are pictures of Belgian citizens receiving food aid represent the crates that protected the relief supplies during shipment to Belgium. Oak is the official tree of Washinton D.C., the capital of the United States of America.

The metal sculpture of the embroidered poppy symbolizes the flour bags that arrived from across the Atlantic brightly decorated with paint and embroidery. These bags were so popular that they were sold as works of art to raise money for the relief fund. The white concrete refers to the white marble used for the monuments in Washington D.C. and the graves of American military cemeteries.

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Source

• Text: Luc Van Waeyenberge
• Photos: Luc Van Waeyenberge
• Informatiebord Kasteeldomein Zonnebeke