Today, the Westhoek forms a cross-border area with France, Wallonia and Flanders. During the war, there were no borders. Flemish Wervik and French Wervicq-Sud then became one and the same municipality.
Pioneer
Behind this German front quite a few German ‘Pioniere’ or engineer troops resided. They were responsible for the construction and maintenance of trenches, bunkers, ammunition depots, field hospitals,… For the inhabitants, daily life in this occupied area was hard. On the western side of this front were mainly British, Irish, Australian and New Zealanders.
Practical information
- Start: Passchendaele Museum, Berten Pilstraat 5A, 8980 Zonnebeke
- Distance: The car route ‘Pioneer’ is 75 km long and is fully signposted with hexagonal signs
- Price: The accompanying brochure is available (€6) at the Zonnebeke Tourist Office.
