Dodengang

29/10/2026

🔎 From an archaeological find to a personal story of war

Have you visited the Metaalstrijd exhibition at the Trench of Death yet? In this exhibition, we put a face to the many objects unearthed from the ground and dating back to the First World War. Sometimes, a discovery leads us to a particularly moving personal story. This is the case of Hector Verpoot.

In 2023, metal detectorists discovered an identity disc in Gouden-Hoofdstraat in Vinkem (Beauvoorde), bearing the name Verpoot and the number 55290. Thanks to its archives, the War Heritage Institute (WHI) was able to establish who the disc belonged to.

Hector Verpoot, born in 1887 in Poperinge, served with the 1st Line Regiment. He took part in the Battle of the Yser in October and November 1914 and subsequently spent four years on the Yser Front.

On 30 September 1918, at the beginning of the Belgian Final Offensive, he was wounded by shell fragments in Ramskapelle. He was probably transferred to L’Océan II hospital in Vinkem, not far from where his identity disc was found. He was later admitted to a military hospital in Calais, where he lived to see the end of the war.

After the war, Hector continued to build his life. He married Louise Bouw in Poperinge, where he died on 5 September 1969, without children.

A small piece of metal, a name and a number: together, they brought Hector Verpoot’s story back to light. Finds like these make history tangible and give a face once again to the people behind the traces of war.

📍 Discover the story of Hector Verpoot and other remarkable finds at the Metaalstrijd exhibition at the Trench of Death.

23/10/2026

During the Battle of the Yser in October 1914, French naval riflemen dug the first firing positions on the site where the Trench of Death would later develop. Linking these positions formed the basis for the trenches that were subsequently established on our site.

Last week, a group of French naval riflemen arrived in Diksmuide, completing a cycling tour from their home port of Brest to Diksmuide.

In the town park, they took part in a short ceremony at the Admiral Ronarc’h Monument, together with a detachment of the Belgian Navy. The French naval riflemen had served under his command during the Battle of the Yser.

The ceremony was organised by Stad Diksmuide and Souvenir Français.

22/10/2026

in 1914, Petrus De Bruyne was wounded on the Yser.

At the outbreak of the First World War, Petrus De Bruyne enlisted in the 2nd Line Regiment of the Belgian Army. In October 1914, he was deployed during the Battle of the Yser.

On 22 October 1914, he was wounded during the fierce fighting along the Yser, probably in the sector around Tervate and Schoorbakke. Following his injury, he was evacuated. He recovered sufficiently to return to the front later on. However, the harsh living conditions in the trenches took their toll: between April and July 1915, he was admitted to hospital again with an illness contracted during his military service.

From October 1915 onwards, Petrus served in the trenches along the Yser for more than a year. In 1917, he was assigned a different role. He became part of a peloton téléphonique (telephone platoon), responsible for installing and maintaining field telephone lines. These were essential for communication between the various units at the front and were also used from the Trench of Death.

Later, Petrus also served with the Engineers and was involved in the motorised transport of equipment and supplies. In the meantime, he was transferred to the 22nd Line Regiment, where he saw the end of the war. He was officially demobilised on 28 January 1919.

This summer, we had the pleasure of welcoming Luc Debruyne, Petrus’s grandson, who visited us with his wife and shared this story with us.

20/10/2026

The Metaalstrijd exhibition is on display at the Trench of Death until 15 November!

Come by and have a look! 😊

Een identificatieplaatje van een soldaat uit Poperinge, een penning van een oorlogshond en tal van persoonlijke bezittingen.

20/10/2026

We're open! 🤩
Come and visit the Metaalstrijd exhibition at the Trench of Death

Een klein metalen plaatje, meer dan honderd jaar verborgen in de West-Vlaamse bodem, brengt het verhaal van een Belgische frontsoldaat opnieuw tot leven. Vanaf dinsdag 20 oktober kunnen bezoekers in de Dodengang in Diksmuide de tentoonstelling Metaalstrijd ontdekken over metaaldetectie en de Eerste....

20/10/2026

Trench of Death - Then & Now: Part 15 -
📍Second Visitor Center

13/10/2026

In October 1914, the war was spreading further and further into Belgium. On 13 October, the Belgian government took refuge in Saint-Adresse, France, while King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth remained in the part of Belgium that had not yet been occupied. Albert I chose to stay close to his army, and they settled in De Panne.

This allowed him to keep command of his troops in Belgian hands, while Elisabeth devoted herself to caring for the wounded and the sick.

A few days later, the Yser would become the scene of the Battle of the Yser!

09/10/2026

In May, more than a hundred bronze name plaques were damaged at the Belgian Military Cemetery in Houthulst.

For several weeks, our volunteers Hugo and Dirk worked tirelessly to restore as many plaques as possible. Thanks to their patience, precision and craftsmanship, they managed to restore more than fifty of them.

But how exactly is this done? 🔧

First, the plaques are carefully heated to relieve internal stresses in the bronze, reducing the risk of the metal cracking or breaking. They are then gently straightened using a press specially adapted for the job, allowing them to regain their original shape.

Thanks to their dedication, these graves are getting their names back and are being restored to their former dignity. This is important work, because behind every name lies a story we must never forget.

By 11 November, Remembrance Day, all the restored plaques will be securely reattached to the headstones.

A heartfelt thank you to Hugo and Dirk for their dedication, patience and craftsmanship!

📸 Thijs Pattyn

08/10/2026

Today, we had the pleasure of welcoming Jean-Louis Maupoint to the Trench of Death!

He created a beautiful diorama depicting the Stuivekenskerke bridge during the Battle of the Yser. It features three Belgian infantrymen and one French sailor.

Thank you for your visit, Jean-Louis, and for sharing your passion and craftsmanship with us!

04/10/2026

Today is World Animal Day 🐴

The photo shows the Belgian cavalry training to cross the Yser near Stavele.

At the beginning of the war, in 1914, the Belgian cavalry still played an important role. But with the arrival of trench warfare on the Yser Front, there was no longer any place for cavalry charges.

Horses nevertheless remained widely used, particularly for artillery and supply units. As for the cavalrymen themselves, they now fought in the trenches as ordinary infantrymen.

They continued, however, to train behind the front lines, hoping that one day they would be able to resume mobile warfare.

And on 19 October 1918, the Belgian cavalry would, in fact, play one final role during the fighting at Burkel! During the interwar period, horses were gradually replaced by reconnaissance vehicles.

📸 Photo taken in the summer of 1915

Vandaag is het Wereld Dierendag. 🐴

Op de foto zie je de Belgische cavalerie die oefent op het oversteken van de IJzer bij Stavele.

In de bewegingsoorlog van 1914 speelde de Belgische cavalerie nog een belangrijke rol. In de stellingenoorlog aan het IJzerfront was er echter geen plaats meer voor charges te paard.

Paarden bleven wel massaal in gebruik, onder meer bij de artillerie en de bevoorradingstroepen. De cavaleristen zelf vochten nu gewoon in de loopgraven als infanterie. Toch bleven ze achter het front oefenen, in de hoop de bewegingsoorlog opnieuw te kunnen hervatten.

Op 19 oktober 1918 zou de Belgische cavalerie nog een laatste keer een rol spelen tijdens de gevechten bij Burkel.

Tijdens het interbellum werden de paarden geleidelijk vervangen door verkenningsvoertuigen.

📸 Foto uit de zomer van 1915