The Infamous Trench of Death: A Harrowing Tale from Diksmuide, Belgium
Opposing elements of misery and glory marked the Belgian section of the Western front calledTheTrench of Deathbetween 1914 and 1918. Here, regiment after regiment of the Belgian army struggled under harsh conditions, trying to prevent the German advance toward France, which was temporarily halted by a flood between Nieuwpoort and Diksmuide. The Germans had fitted a base with petrol tanks near the Ijzer River, heavily armed with machine guns.