When British forces commemorated the liberation of Brussels for the first time in 1945, they left a unique gift – a replica Welsh guards uniform for the Belgian city’s emblematic “peeing boy” statue, the Manneken Pis.
Now 81 years after the Welsh guards freed Brussels from Nazi occupation, the gift has been renewed: the Manneken Pis has a new regimental uniform, including scarlet jacket embroidered with gold lace, gleaming white belt and authentic bearskin hat.
At a ceremony in the gothic town hall on Wednesday, the Welsh guards warrant officer Chris Greaves presented a tailor-made uniform for the bronze sculpture, including the belt decorated with a leek and replica sword crafted by the specialist supplier, Pooley Sword. The bearskin hat was made from repurposed headgear from the regiment’s collection.
The uniform was first presented by one of his predecessors on 29 July 1945, amid cheering crowds, but after nearly eight decades had become too fragile to use, meaning the Manneken Pis was not dressed in the costume on the 80th anniversary of the liberation last year.
The Manneken Pis in its unadorned state. Photograph: Jochen Tack/Alamy
Lt Col Guy Bartle-Jones, regimental adjutant of the Welsh guards, said the regiment wished to preserve the tradition “because a lot of sacrifice was made by our regiment to liberate Brussels in 1944 and we have such a good connection with the city of Brussels and Belgium that we want to continue that tradition.”
“It means a lot to us to maintain that because it’s part of our legacy and our heritage and we want to preserve it,” he told the Guardian.
At about 7pm on 3 September 1944, Lt John Dent of the Welsh guards drove the first allied tank into Brussels, after a lightning-fast advance of about 100 miles from Douai in northern France the day before.
The streets of Brussels were at first deserted, as residents heeded an order to stay at home. But the allies faced sniper bullets on the city’s outskirts and violent clashes took place near Nazi command offices, as retreating Germans fought local resistance fighters and allies.
Exactly 81 years later, a small contingent of Welsh guards accompanied by British and Belgian dignitaries processed the short distance from the Hôtel de Ville to the Manneken Pis under grey drizzly skies, accompanied by the Brussels police band’s rendition of the popular wartime song It’s a Long Way to Tipperary.
Lt Col Guy Bartle-Jones, third from left at the front, marching in Brussels with the Welsh guards. Photograph: Jennifer Rankin/The Guardian
Belgium takes commemorations of the world wars fought on its soil very seriously. It is the only non-commonwealth country that is permitted to remember its war dead at the London Cenotaph.
Geoffroy Coomans de Brachène, a member of the Brussels parliament who represented the city at the ceremony, said he was honoured to welcome the Welsh guards and recognise their past sacrifice.
He said it was important for the next generation to understand what really happened, citing internet misinformation circulating among young people. “Some of them right now think that Hitler was a great guy. Some of them think that Germany won.”
The Welsh guards outfit is the 1,184th costume of the Manneken Pis, a collection that includes traditional dress of dozens of regions and countries, police and medical uniforms, as well as characters from James Bond to Mickey Mouse.
The Manneken Pis wearing a union jack waistcoat and top hat in January 2020 to mark the departure of the UK from the EU. Photograph: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images
The 58cm tall statue, a self-deprecating symbol of Belgium and a draw for thousands of tourists, has been dressed up for centuries. The first costume was a gift from French King Louis XV to make amends for his soldiers’ theft of the statue in 1747.
According to one legend, the statue pays tribute to a child that urinated on the burning fuse of enemy forces attempting to blow up the city walls, saving the city from disaster. Now the little boy has new clothes, which Coomans de Brachène described as “a symbol of friendship between Brussels and the United Kingdom”.
