Bayernwald, Wijtschate, Heuvelland (Belgium)

Places - Belgium - Wijtschate

Bayernwald is a strategic German position on the Wijtschate-Mesen ridge. This height offers a good view of part of the Ypres Salient. Any Allied attack can be nipped in the bud here. Ypres itself is within range of deadly German artillery fire.
The British bring in equipment, food and troops at night. Bayernwald offers a glimpse into the life of a German front-line soldier. In addition to bunkers and trenches, the site also contains original remains of the Mine Battle. Two listening shafts refer to the underground warfare. The sad high point is the Mine Battle of 7 June 1917, when the British detonated 19 deep mines simultaneously. The 'Pool of Peace', a mine crater 3 km away, bears witness to the great impact. The site is now a large, deep, round pond and is open to visitors daily.

What happened at the front and in the trenches
The First World War of 1914-1918 turned the lives of people and nature completely upside down. Trenches, bunkers and shelters turn the The First World War of 1914-1918 turns the lives of people and the region into a war zone. Mine explosions, artillery bombardments and battles drastically reduce the landscape. The human toll is terribly high.
After 1918, the Westhoek is renamed the 'Destroyed Regions'. Military cemeteries are like anchors for tens of thousands of dead. Monuments are erected and museums keep the memory of the 'Great War' alive. Bayernwald in Wijtschate stands for the memory of the trenches that served as defense and protection for the soldiers on the first line of battle.

The trenches of Bayernwald
In 1914, the current plot of arable land, located on the other side of the access road, also became part of Bayernwald. The Germans had a hard time here during the first three winters of the war. Due to the high groundwater level, the trenches were mainly built with sandbags. The many shelling made it a swampy and chaotic whole. That is why the Germans started to build a well-defensible line with wickerwork trenches and concrete bunkers on the current site in the spring of 1916. The materials were brought to the site by a narrow-gauge railway. In February 1917, the Germans almost completely withdrew to this new front line. A number of connecting trenches to several advanced posts remained. One of them is located on this site.
The current trenches have been completely reconstructed based on archaeological research. The substructure of the trenches consists of inverted A-frames based on a British model with gangplanks on top. The water is drained under the planks in a channel 60 cm wide. and in this way the soldiers walking on the gangplanks could be protected from wet cold feet and shoes. The walls are supported with firmly anchored wickerwork in wicker. See the very end for a drawing of a British model of a trench.
Trench periscope
A periscope is known to everyone as an instrument used on submarines.
Both German and British soldiers used a 'trench periscope' in the trenches to look over the edge safely and keep an eye on enemy activities.

What caused World War I
At the beginning of the 20th century, the great Ottoman Empire, which once stretched from Budapest to Mecca, was in full decline. Rising nationalist powers seized this opportunity to expand their territory in the Balkans. For example, Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia in 1908, which formally still formed part of this empire. For Serbia, which dreamed of a new greatr Serbian Kingdom, this was a thorn in the side of Serbia. Two Balkan Wars resulted. The Third, which began on 28 July 1914, escalated into a world war. Both countries immediately called in the help of their allies. Armies were mobilised and declarations of war followed each other in quick succession. On 4 August, Germany invaded. Before the Russian army, an ally of the French, was at full strength, the Germans wanted to conquer Paris via our country in 6 weeks. Our country declared war on Germany. That same day, Great Britain, which guarantees Belgium's neutrality under an international treaty, declares war on Germany. Three days later, the 4th Battalion of The South Lancashire Regiment is mobilized in their home town of Warrington, Lancashire. They leave for training in Scotland. From the end of November 1914 to April 1915, this regiment occupies various trenches in the area of ​​Kemmel and Wijtschate, including Bayernwald. These young soldiers stood in a row during their recruitment, during their transport and during the attack. After their death, they were buried in a row in one or other English military cemetery, here in the Westhoek. (source co-written by 'The Qeeun's Lancashire Regiment Museum)