The Liverpool Scottish memorial stone

The Liverpool Scottish memorial stone is a First World War memorial in Railway Wood, on the Bellewaerde Ridge near Zillebeke in Belgium. It honours the men of the Liverpool Scottish battalion who fought here in 1915, and it lies about 4 kilometres east of Ypres.

Where is the stone?

The memorial stands in Railway Wood, a little north of the village of Hooge. This is the Ypres Salient, where some of the most intense fighting of the Western Front took place between 1914 and 1918. The coordinates are roughly 50.852 N, 2.937 E, and the easiest approach is by car or bike from Ypres along the road towards Hooge.

What does it commemorate?

The stone was erected in 2000. It recalls the Battle of Hooge, officially the First Attack at Bellewaarde, in June 1915, in which the Liverpool Scottish went in with the second wave. A bronze plaque at the site gives the date as 16 June 1915 and lists the battalion's losses: 4 officers and 75 other ranks killed, 11 officers and 201 other ranks wounded, and 6 officers and 103 other ranks missing.

What else is nearby?

Close by is R.E. Grave, Railway Wood, the burial place of twelve soldiers: eight Royal Engineers of the 177th Tunnelling Company and four attached infantrymen. They were killed while tunnelling near Hooge between November 1915 and August 1917. Underground warfare mattered as much as the fighting on the surface along this sector, and the grave is one of its traces.

The two sites are often visited together as part of a walk or ride along the Menin Road, which is lined with further memorials, cemeteries and former battlefields.

Who is it for?

This is a quiet, short stop for anyone interested in First World War history, British units on the Belgian front, or mining warfare. It is not a developed visitor attraction. The memorial sits in woodland, so sturdy, closed shoes are a good idea, especially after rain.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Liverpool Scottish memorial stone? In Railway Wood on the Bellewaerde Ridge near Zillebeke, about 4 km east of Ypres and a little north of Hooge.

When was it erected? In 2000.

Who does it commemorate? Men of the Liverpool Scottish battalion who took part in the attack at Bellewaarde, part of the Battle of Hooge, on 16 June 1915.

What is next to it? R.E. Grave, Railway Wood, where twelve soldiers killed during tunnelling work in 1915 to 1917 are buried.

Is there an entrance fee? No fee is recorded; it is an open outdoor memorial with no gate or ticket office.