We’re finally here; the last day. The final 25km after nearly 1000km, almost 1.2 million steps and 34 days of living out of a bergan (rucsack). As we tucked into breakfast with Rick and Gemma, we both felt slightly flat, obviously elated to be finishing but sad at concluding an incredible personal journey. We have visited amazing WW1 sites synonymous with human suffering which have provoked a range of emotions from deep sadness to pride. Over the five weeks we have met some truly kind people who have helped and looked after us as we journeyed northwards.
Gemma drove us back to Diksmuide in the hirecar to restart where we had finished yesterday. Thankfully the rainy weather predicted had not materialised, and the sunny/cloudy conditions raised our spirits as we set off along the western bank of the Yser. Gemma and Rick accompanied us for the first couple of kilometres to the intimidatingly named Trench of Death, so called as its proximity to the German lines meant that many Belgian soldiers were killed protecting this sector of the Yser Front. In 1914 the Belgian Army retreated in front of an unstoppable German Army, and despite being small and poorly equipped managed to blunt the advance, finally halting them on the Yser and Leperlee canals. To slow the German advance further, the Belgians flooded much of the low-lying ground between Diksmuide and Nieuwpoort and took up defensive positions to the west of the canals. In October 1914 the Germans attacked the Yser but were held off at the cost of 3,500 Belgian dead. This resulted in a front line that remained static until the summer of 1918.
Trenches on this front were often ‘built up’ using concrete and anything that could be salvaged from local farms. In certain places the Germans had managed to acahive a small foothold on the western bank. One such place was just north of Dodengang, and The Trench of Death was constructed to counter this, with saps dug forward to within 20m of the German bunkers. For four years the Belgians and the Germans engaged in a ‘cat and mouse’ game of trench raiding and sniping, living in appalling conditions. Over 20,000 Belgians died on this front, 7,000 of which were from diseases such as typhus.
The Trench of Death Museum at Dodengang was well presented and informative, with the trench system immaculately preserved. Having indulged ourselves with a later start we were conscious of the time, and so after about an hour we said our farewells to Gemma and Rick who had some important admin to do (buying some champagne for our end of walk celebration) and headed off once more along the Yser. Following the towpath and then the short dog leg away from the Yser was excellent walking and we made swift progress. Based on information from Richard (the cyclist) once we re-joined the towpath we remained on it all the way to Nieuwpoort. Having broken the back of the day’s walk, we reconvened with Gemma and Rick just outside the city centre and walked as a foursome to the impressive King Albert WW1 memorial. King Albert of Belgium commanded his Army in the field throughout the war and was considered the ’saviour of Belgium’. A spectacular monument, dominating the ground adjacent to De Ganzepoot (or Goosefoot), from where the Belgian Army controlled the flooding of their country.
Leaving the monument, we once again parted company with Gemma and Rick, and headed towards the beach for the final 2km of the walk. Without wishing to offend, we both felt it important to finish as we had started, as a perambulating pair. Though Nieuwpoort was much larger than we were expecting, the walk to our finish point was a fast one along a well-maintained and busy boardwalk so we arrived earlier than expected, just as the others sat down with a beer in a cafe overlooking the beach. We had finally made it! As Gemma and Rick finished their drinks we took some time to enjoy this special moment, having a well-earned hug by the WFW marker placed at the end of the path. Walking further down onto the beach for a few more minutes of quiet but happy reflection we dispatched our Pret chocolate almonds that we had carried since Day 1, though sadly for JP they didn’t quite live up to expectations! Laughter, big smiles and an increasing sense of fulfilment quickly replaced our subdued mood of earlier in the day. With the wind picking up and rainclouds gathering, we were joined on the sandy beach by Gemma and Rick who had done us proud, bearing champagne (and even glass flutes) and nibbles, all of which were inhaled in understandably short order! The heavens now opened, slightly cutting our celebrations short as we scurried back to the hirecar for the drive back to Ypres and our evening ahead.
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