Probably a silly question Taff but would the candlestick be classed as war booty,or would the Belgian government expect it to be returned to the cathedral,or just written off as collateral damage?
Souvenirs like this were rescued early in the war before the Germans reduced the Cathedral to a pile of brick dust, by which time they would all have been lost. Post-war reparations saw the Germans having to pay to replace everything so you could view it like items replaced by an insurance claim. In any case, it’s a fair swap for the enormous amount of stuff paid for by the British taxpayer which was left behind in Flanders. 👍🏻
Proud to say my Great grandfather was A.O.C served throughout the Boer war & Into WW1
Excellent. Thank you very much, Scott.
A really poignant piece Taff, thank you.
Our pleasure, Andy.
What treasure
😊
Probably a silly question Taff but would the candlestick be classed as war booty,or would the Belgian government expect it to be returned to the cathedral,or just written off as collateral damage?
Souvenirs like this were rescued early in the war before the Germans reduced the Cathedral to a pile of brick dust, by which time they would all have been lost.
Post-war reparations saw the Germans having to pay to replace everything so you could view it like items replaced by an insurance claim.
In any case, it’s a fair swap for the enormous amount of stuff paid for by the British taxpayer which was left behind in Flanders. 👍🏻