Preserved Trenches

On the former battlefield all sorts of trenches can still be seen. Ranging from not preserved (in the forests around Verdun for example) to recently dug (like the 'trench' at the cafe 'le Tommy' at Pozieres for example). Between that there is a whole range of different preservation techniques. Below we present some of these techniques by showing well known sites. Every technique has it's advantages and disadvantages and it's naturally that people should have a preference for one or the other. We feel however that in commenting on a site it should always be kept in mind that these sites are firstly memorials to those who fought, and often died there. That they also fulfill a role as to give us a clue to what it was like then should be accepted with thanks but we feel that should not be the criteria to 'rate' the sites. Comments like "I didn't like it, all concrete" show little understanding of what we consider their primary function and to what happened there.

Trench of Death ('Dodengang', 'Boyau de la Mort') at Dixmuide

1˝ mile from the town square of Dixmuide the preserved trench called the 'Dodengang' can be found.

The article below is inspired on several books we read on the subject. We feel however that credit should be given were credit is due and it must be said that by far the best book we’ve read is by Siegfried Debaeke. Consequently most inspiration is from this book: Siegfried Debaeke, 1998, HET DRAMA VAN DE DODENGANG, Published by Uitgeverij de Klaproos, Koksijde.

Trench of Death as seen from 'de Ruiter' redoubt.
Trench of Death on the right, Boyau de Communication on the left (1990)

Trench of death from the air on a misty morning.

October 1914, the Belgian army is falling back and takes up positions behind the Yser river and the Yser-Ieper channel. For the rest of the war the Belgians will hold six battle fronts: Nieuwpoort, Ramskapelle, Pervijse, Dixmuide, Lo and Steenstrate.
The Belgian army lost all their heavy artillery during the retreat but their left flank is guarded by the sea and the lack of heavy artillery is compensated by artillery support from the British Navy. In 1914 the bombardment by this fleet, which fires over Nieuwpoort on the German lines beyond, is a spectacle not to be mist and attracts a lot of local ‘tourist’ who watch this 'demonstration' from Koksijde. Meanwhile the Belgian army is digging defensive positions along the Nieuwpoort-Dixmuide railway in a bid to stem the German advance.
On October 20th the whole of the eastern embankment of the Yser falls into German hands, with the exception of Dixmuide. On the 22nd the Germans cross the Yser near Tervate at kilometre pole 10 and erect a bridge there. One of the bloodiest battles of the Yser is the result, in which Belgian troops try to push the Germans back. The attack fails and the Belgians suffer more than 1000 casualties in one afternoon. Today several memorials at Tervate church remember this attack.
On the 23rd Tervate is taken and the Germans cross the Yser at several other places. The danger exist that Dixmuide is being encircled and attacked from the rear. French troops try to halt this advance by attacking the Germans near a farm called "den Toren" and a petrol storage facility, the petrol tanks. The attack is partly successful. The German halt the French attack by letting the remaining petrol flow from the tanks towards the French and igniting it. In the ensuing inferno many French wounded are burned alive. But it also halts the German advance, and the Germans don’t press on with their attack on the western embankment. French Marines occupy small ditches and connected shell holes near kilometer pole 16 along the Yser embankment. The first positions of what is to become the ‘Tranch of Death’ are made. The two empty petrol tanks are a position that will feature in later battles as well. An alien feature in an alien landscape, not unlike the famous Brickstacks at Guincy. Today a memorial 'Albertina' marker along the footpath of the Yser is the only reminder of the petrol tanks. At Onze Lieve Vrouwenhoekje (then called Oud Stuivenskerke) church there are some memorials to soldiers who disappeared during the attacks on the "den Toren" farm.
On the 25th it’s recognised by the Belgian high command that the situation is highly critical. Two options are available: to fall back even further or try to inundate certain areas so that the railway embankment can be made the main defensive line. The latter option is chosen and from the 27th onwards the inundation is started. The inundation's are a story on their own and won’t be dealt with here. It suffice to say it worked and made it necessary for the Germans to retire back across the Yser to the eastern embankment. Only a stretch between Tervate and the petrol tanks remains in German hands.

Sluices at Nieuwpoort.
Key feature for the inundation.

The railway embankment of the Nieuwpoort-Dixmuide line becomes the main defensive position with advanced post between the embankment and the Yser river. One of these post was the farm ‘Reigersvliet’ for example. Today an Albertina marker commemorates this position. Towards Dixmuide the defensive line turns away (eastwards) from the railway embankment. A trench of sandbags from the embankment to the Yser river is the main defensive position here.

The German position at the petrol tanks is a thorn in the eye of the Belgian high command. From the beginning of 1915 repeated costly attacks are made against it, but they fail. It’s then decided to dig a trench towards the petrol tanks to facilitate a new attack. The ditches and shell holes at kilometer pole 16 which were first occupied by the French Marines in October 1914 are connected and widened. The trench that is thus created in the narrow western river embankment is the current 'Trench of Death'. When the first holes were connected digging started in earnest by a small team of Engineers. They dug at a rate of 6 meters a day under constant fire to a position near the petrol tanks. It's in this period that the trench earns his name 'Trench of Death'. It's a shallow, narrow, muddy and long (325 meters) ditch. Bordered on one side by water from the Yser river and the other side by water from the inundation. According to a soldier you had to be a hybrid between a snake, mole and toad to live in it. The party that had to be relieved had to lay on it's stomach to let the relieving party pass over them. The Germans fired on the trench from the front (the petrol tanks) and from the other side of the Yser river. Casualties were accordingly very high.

German bunker (outside the memorial site) as seen from the Belgian trench

From June 1915 on the shallow ditch is widened, deepened and generally made more robust with sandbags. Also a second trench is dug along the 'Trench of Death' This 'Boyau de Communication' makes relieve and re-supplying much easier. The Germans make regular raids on the trench. Not only from their positions on the western embankment, but also from the eastern embankment. They cross the Yser with rafts. The 'Trench of Death', although better build, is still a very unhealthy place. In October 1915 the Belgian high command decides to shorten the trench, casualties are becoming unacceptable.

Trench of Death. Note the firestep.
The Yser river is on the right (2010)

Although we are going to compare miles with yards now it’s interesting to note that the British didn’t want to shorten the Ypres salient because this would mean (among other things) giving up ‘valuable’ Belgian territory of which so little was still in Allied hands. The Belgians themselves however didn’t have any problem with falling back on better defensible positions when needed. The 'Trench of Death' wasn’t shortened very much: from 325 meters to 275 meters. But this shortening had also repercussions for some advanced post and the main defensive line. Some of these positions had to be abandoned and re-erected in the rear.
In this period the trench was also reinforced with it’s first concrete.

In September 1915 work is started on a new defensive position. It’s recognized that if the Germans cross the Yser at the base of the trench (near kilometer pole 16) they could attack the trench from it’s base. To counter this threat a position called ‘de Ruiter’ (the horseman) is build. It consist of two trenches build on top of each other. No 1 trench ‘rides' on no 2, hence the name. Because of the high water table it’s impossible to dig trenches, so the trenches are made from sandbags pilled onto each other. During 1916 and 1917 the ‘Ruiter’ is expanded to a true redoubt with machine gun emplacements, shelters, signal stations etc., all made of concrete. This work can still be seen today.

De Ruiter from the observation tower (2010)

De Ruiter position from the air.

Also a defensive position on the head of the trench was build. This position was called ‘the mousetrap’ and consisted of carefully placed concrete bunkers which were to lure an enemy into a prepared death trap. Two sentries would lock themselves up in a strong concrete bunker, and bring accurate short range rifle and grenade fire upon the attacking enemy whilst themselves being in the relative safety of the bunker. The enemy couldn’t outflank the bunker due to the narrowness of the trench. The sentries would signal to the rear and a relieve party would be send. Although never disappearing, the danger became less during 1917 and 1918 and the trench was no longer the most dreaded assignment for a soldier.

After the war people started to reclaim their property and to remove all evidence of the great conflict from it. Immediately voices were heard that some sites should be kept as memorials and reminders. The trench of death was one of them. In 1923-1924 the first renovations of the trench were undertaken. With these renovation the first critics came, mostly from veterans who felt that by making the site accessible for normal tourist the authenticity was compromised. One noted "Now all is comfortable and people look amazed at the fact there wasn’t a baker or café in the vicinity. Lies, official lies! Therefore it’s best you (the trench) disappear, false witness of a time when lies ruled. Because patriots that walk in your proper, hygienic freshness could start to think is wasn’t that bad waging a war in you."

Pictures taken shortly after the war show a overgrown site where the two trenches could hardly be distinguished. Something had to be done and we, the modern battlefield visitor, should be thankful the site remains where it is today.

An Unfortunate Region 2003/2010