Flanders Fields--The German Trenches

We have been back in Utah for over a month, but there are still just a few Belgian adventures to blog about.

Today our post is another visit to a historical site.  100 years ago, World War I was being fought in trenches up and down Belgium.  We had the opportunity to visit a German trench.  This trench was originally filled in, but one day, a farmer found the ruins in his field and worked to excavate and restore them.

There were poppies everywhere in June.  These were in the median as we drove to
the trenches.  The poppies are still a symbol of the sacrifices of the Great War.

Sarah and Robin in the trenches.  Notice how my head comes up over the top.
To stay out of sight, a soldier my height would have to crouch through this portion of the trench.

Kayanna

This is inside a bunker.  The Germans specifically designed their bunkers to be
uncomfortably short.  The soldiers only sheltered in them occasionally.  The Allied bunkers
were generally higher and could be used as offices and places of respite.  This bunker could hold
about 10 men, if I remember right.

Ben and Abraham

As you can see, this was a lovely sunny day in June.  In Belgium, it was rarely super warm.  Even on this lovely day, the ground was damp and marshy in the trenches.  The wooden planks on the bottom would have helped little to keep feet dry on a rainy winter day.  What horrific conditions the soldiers had to put up with!