Diksmuide : remains of World War One Battle of the Yser River

World War One site, village of Stuivenskerke near Diksmuide in West Flanders : old chapel and former observatory post of the Belgian Army on the Yser River

(Browse the collection : West Flanders Province time lapse and video stock footage)

During the First World War Oud-Stuivenskerke was an advance post of the Belgian Army. The old tower of the former parochial church was used as an observation post. The Onze-Lieve-Vrouwhoekje consists of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw ter Zege Chapel, the ruins of the church tower, one demarcation stone, two commemorative columns and 41 remembrance stones for the military units that took part in the Battle of the Yser from 18 to 31 October 1914.

(Traces of War)

The church tower of the hamlet Oud-Stuivekens stood as an island in no-man’s-land, overlooking the flooded lands.The Franciscan monk Eouard Lekeux manned the observation post in the church tower for 16 months. In 1916, Belgian engineers build a concrete machinegun post between the rubble of the church walls. After the war, Eduard Lekeux launched an appeal for a memorial chapel in honour of Our Lady of Victory who had saved his life.

(Flanders Fields)

Well forward of the Belgian front lines along the railway embankment, and in 1914 very much within the flooded area, what was once a church
was converted into an observation post by the Belgians.

(The Big Note)