Boesinghe

Book excerpt: In the aftermath of the War, the war-ravaged countryside was restored and the trenches of the Western Front were filled in. 75 years after the War a group of Belgians, known as the Diggers, excavated a classic trench system at Boesinghe, discovering many artifacts as well as remains of the Fallen. One section has been preserved. Boesinghe is a canal village and the opposing sides continually bombarded each other across the wide Yser canal. In the opening phases of the Second battle of Ypres, the Germans used gas ; despite this, the British flank held. Late in the summer of 1917 the Allies launched the Third battle of Ypres and the Guards Division spearheaded the crossing of the canal. They attained their planned objectives but at great cost. The many military cemeteries in the area are poignant reminders of the cost of war even in what some regarded as a quiet sector.