And then during the offensive of September 1918, it served as a starting trench to the troops of the Belgian 4th division, for the victorious assault which ended by the liberation of Dixmude.
21.—Observation-post near the Church of Clercken.
Clercken Ridge was very precious to the enemy to whom it gave the opportunity to establish a lot of natural observation-posts which had not the vulnerability of the confined kite balloons and which assured more stability to the observation. Many of these posts were destroyed during the war, especially by the destructive fires which preceded the great offensive in Flanders on the 28th of September 1918. Others, such as the mill of Clercken, are already rebuilt, so offer no longer any historical interest.
German observation-post near the church of Clercken.
Sketch showing the directions of the villages seen from this observation-post.
However the one which is situated near the church of Clercken, and still exists in the same state as when abandoned by the Germans (see sketch), shows how easily the enemy could see into our lines, in spite of all the efforts made by the Belgian Army to counteract their observations, such as: diverse dissimulations, plantations of all kinds, artificial masks in linen, sandbags, reeds and straw, etc....
22.—“Grand-Père” concrete dug-out.
23.—“Castel Britannia”.
24.—Hoekske.
The southern part of the Belgian front may be classed as one of the most agitated sectors of the Western front. The short communications of the press which announced in their brief laconic style: “Bombing actions at het Sas and at Steenstraat; duel of artillery in the region of Noordschote”, said nothing of the horror of certain days of guard where the blood marked the ground of trenches, a hundred times turned over and as many times reestablished and always defended by our heroical troops. Drie Grachten, le Passeur, Steenstraat, Merckem, all these names resound, like as many bugle calls proclaiming the heroism of our soldiers and the glory of our arms.