On October 11th 1915, the bank of the Yser was blown up by a mine at about 275 meters in front of kilometer 16, thus opening a gap 6 or 8 meters in length, which connected the Yser to the flooded area. The Northern portion of the trench was filled up and then abandoned.
Three bombing teams, garrisoned by day time the thus shortened line.
Our men had become first class bomb throwers and feeling themselves well shouldered by the Van Deuren mortars (Belgian Stokes Guns) were full of confidence and never feared their opponents.
In 1916 the organization of the “Cavalier” completes itself and becomes a real redoubt. The two flights of the work is provided with offensive and defensive weapons, as well as with liaison material of the most diverse nature. Concrete shelters for the men have taken the place of those built with logs, which so often were bombed to ruins by the enemy. A post of visual signalling was placed so as to maintain a constant contact with the commander of the sector.
May 1916 was to be a tragic month for the kilometer 16 sector.
From up the 2nd on to the 22nd, the German switched on the “Death Trench” a fire of the most terrific power, and hurling troops forward they managed to get a foot-hold in our position, but nothing daunted, a counter-attack winged them at once back, by dint of grenades fights and sharp hand to hand struggles.... The enemy fled, he had not even had time to take his dead and wounded back with him.
In July 1916, an artillery observation-post was established at the “Cavalier”. The camouflage section came and erected there a strong steel cabin, loopholed towards the enemy side, and also provided with a periscope. A telephone wire was connecting that post to the Divisional Artillery Commander.
But the month of may with its hard and bloody days the men had to contend with, were not to be forgotten, and a keen wish for vengeance was nursed by every one.
Was the No “One” enemy trench not presenting itself to us in a similar way as our “Death Trench” to him? In fact, we were on the bridge-head on the right bank. The attack and destruction of that line was decided.
On July 18th 1916, after that several reconnaissances had made during the preceding nights, and thorough destruction fire switched on to the trench, a detachment of no 4 company of the IVth Bat. of the 2nd line Regiment, under the command of Lieutenants Loyse and Desenfans stormed it. The object of the raid was not to remain there, but the duty of the raiding-party was to “clean the place up” and keep it free of Germans a sufficient length of time to blow all the concrete shelters up, to render them unhabitable. The “cleaning up” was thoroughly done, but unfortunately Lieutenant Loyse having been dangerously wounded, could not give the signal which was to start the blowing of the charges, that sapper sergeant Billiet had placed, after having himself taken an ample share in the first part of the show.