Brothers Van Raemdonck
Encyclopedia
The brothers Van Raemdonck, Edward and Frans, came from Temse
and became a symbol of brotherly love in Flanders
. They were both sergeants of the 6th company of the 24th Linieregiment. Edward and Frans died on the night of 25 and 26 March 1917 after an attack on the Stampkot at Steenstrate
, the spot where a monument was erected for them later on. The monument was constructed out of concrete blocks that came from the Stampkot. The brothers lay buried in the IJzertoren
(the Yser Tower, named after the river Yser
).
The proposal to ask for an armistice of half an hour in the area where the dead bodies were lying, in order to get them out of harm’s way and to bury them decently at Westvleteren
had been brutally rejected by General Bernheim. To General Mahieu he would have explained: Je n'en vois pas la nécessité. D'ailleurs il s’est avéré que le plus jeune des deux était un flamingant
" ("I do not see the need. Moreover, it seems the younger of the two was a flamingant"). At which General Mahieu would have replied: "En effet" ("indeed"). Their dead bodies were shot to pieces in September 1917 during a French attack.
The text of the "In Memoriam" card, drawn up by O.Dambre, mentioned the following events:
"In a run on the first line of the enemy, both had behaved themselves marvellously. Under an appalling bombing the men returned after having accomplished their task. Edward came near to the Yser and looked around with his flaming eyes... Not seeing his brother at the venue, he refused to pass the Yser, willing to complete his acts of valour with an act of ideal brotherly love. In the middle of the most horrible cannonade, he goes in search of his brother... What exactly happened then? Eighteen days afterwards, in between our lines and those of the enemy, both were found in each other's arms for ever... dead."
This exhibition of heroic brotherly love till death became a symbol of the Flemish movement
. Flemish newspapers wrote touching, compassionate articles on the subject for weeks on end. A pen drawing by Joe English made the depiction of heartfelt brotherly love strongly recognisable as a kind of icon.
Temse
Temse is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Elversele, Steendorp, Temse proper and Tielrode. On January 1, 2006 Temse had a total population of 26,287...
and became a symbol of brotherly love in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
. They were both sergeants of the 6th company of the 24th Linieregiment. Edward and Frans died on the night of 25 and 26 March 1917 after an attack on the Stampkot at Steenstrate
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
, the spot where a monument was erected for them later on. The monument was constructed out of concrete blocks that came from the Stampkot. The brothers lay buried in the IJzertoren
IJzertoren
The IJzertoren is a memorial along the Belgian Yser river in Diksmuide. There have been two IJzertorens, the first built after the First World War by an organisation of former Flemish soldiers...
(the Yser Tower, named after the river Yser
Yser
The Yser is a river that finds its origin in the north of France, enters Belgium and flows into the North Sea at the town of Nieuwpoort.-In France:The source of the Yser is in Buysscheure, in the Nord département of northern France...
).
Flemish Movement
The dead bodies of both brothers were stored eighteen days after their death in an area which was plagued by shell bursts.The proposal to ask for an armistice of half an hour in the area where the dead bodies were lying, in order to get them out of harm’s way and to bury them decently at Westvleteren
Vleteren
Vleteren is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Oostvleteren, Westvleteren and Woesten. On January 1, 2006 Vleteren had a total population of 3,636. The total area is 38.15 km² which gives a population density of 95 inhabitants...
had been brutally rejected by General Bernheim. To General Mahieu he would have explained: Je n'en vois pas la nécessité. D'ailleurs il s’est avéré que le plus jeune des deux était un flamingant
Flamingant
The Dutch and French word flamingant refers to all activists of the Flemish movement and was initially used as a pejorative term by Belgicists to indicate nationalist Flemish people. It may be derived from Flamins, the Walloon word for Flemings. The word can be equally used as an adjective or...
" ("I do not see the need. Moreover, it seems the younger of the two was a flamingant"). At which General Mahieu would have replied: "En effet" ("indeed"). Their dead bodies were shot to pieces in September 1917 during a French attack.
The text of the "In Memoriam" card, drawn up by O.Dambre, mentioned the following events:
"In a run on the first line of the enemy, both had behaved themselves marvellously. Under an appalling bombing the men returned after having accomplished their task. Edward came near to the Yser and looked around with his flaming eyes... Not seeing his brother at the venue, he refused to pass the Yser, willing to complete his acts of valour with an act of ideal brotherly love. In the middle of the most horrible cannonade, he goes in search of his brother... What exactly happened then? Eighteen days afterwards, in between our lines and those of the enemy, both were found in each other's arms for ever... dead."
This exhibition of heroic brotherly love till death became a symbol of the Flemish movement
Flemish movement
The Flemish Movement is a popular term used to describe the political movement for emancipation and greater autonomy of the Belgian region of Flanders, for protection of the Dutch language, and for the over-all protection of Flemish culture and history....
. Flemish newspapers wrote touching, compassionate articles on the subject for weeks on end. A pen drawing by Joe English made the depiction of heartfelt brotherly love strongly recognisable as a kind of icon.
Sources
- Luc De Ryck, Terug naar niemandsland. De geschiedenis van de gebroeders Van Raemdonck : mythe en werkelijkheid, publisher De Klaproos, KoksijdeKoksijdeKoksijde is a municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders on the North Sea coast, at the southwest side. It comprises the towns of Koksijde proper, Oostduinkerke, St-Idesbald and Wulpen.-Statistics:...
, 1997 - Karel de Schaepdrijver & Julius Charpentier,Vlaanderens Weezang aan den IJzer, place nor publisher are mentioned, 1918