Everywhere you look there is history in the landscape in the Benelux. Yorkshire Trench and Dugout, Belgium (Katie Wells)
“You have arrived,” the GPS tells us.
The air smells thick, like a paper factory is nearby. Mandy and I pull the car to the side of the road in an industrial area and look around, hesitating to step outside. There is no sign of a trench or what we imagine a major World War I battle site location should look like. Although we do see a park-like patch of flat, green grass. We meander over. It’s not until we get up close that we realize we are standing 10 meters above an intricate network of underground tunnels, the Yorkshire Trench and Dugout in Ypres, Belgium.
Flowers grow around the Yorkshire Trench and Dugout (Katie Wells)
The Yorkshire Trench and Dugout is in an industrial area of Ypres, Belgium. (Mandy Mills)
Metal signs tell us the history of the trench, and a diagram details each room. This was a significant site during the third battle of the Ypres Salient during World War I. British soldiers used it as a headquarters; however, during the July 31, 1917, attack on Pilkem, it was left unmanned and filled with water. Between 1997 and 2005, this real-world time capsule was discovered and more than 200 bodies along with tons of World War I artifacts were recovered. The site has since been preserved.
As we drive across Belgium, we start to notice a trend. There is history in the landscape, and while some sites demand a moment of silence, others are integrated into daily life.
“There it is,” I point as we nearly drive past the Baugnez Crossroads in Malmedy, Belgium. At first glance, it looks more like a rest stop tucked away. We loop around a traffic circle, park at a nearby restaurant and walk over. Like most memorial sites in Belgium, it is well kept.
The Baugnez Crossroads is a memorial in Malmedy, Belgium (Katie Wells)
An inscription honors U.S. soldiers who were prisoners of war and tragically masaacered by Nazi troops in Malmadey, Belgium, during World War II. (Katie Wells)
Flowers line a stone wall embedded with the names of the deceased and a plaque is dedicated to the World War II U.S. prisoners of war who were massacred by Nazi troops on this spot in December 1944, during the Malmedy Massacre. Inside, there are pictures of the soldiers and wooden crosses with poppies. It appears to be visited often. We pay our respects and drive to our next stop, wondering what else we may have driven by.
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At the December 44 Historical Museum in La Gleize, Belgium, we watch a video (you can request it in English) and see the area before wartime and after. The museum sits on the battle line and is dedicated to the Battle of the Bulge offensive, offering a localized perspective.
A King Tiger No. 213 tank is outside of the December 44 Museum (Katie Wells)
It’s harrowing, and as we move through the display cases filled with belongings of soldiers: artillery, tobacco tins, torn pieces of clothes, lone boots, water flasks, retainers and more, we hear a whistle, joyful cries and laughter—there is a school nearby and the kids are out for recess.
Colorful blocks painted on the road in front of the December 44 Museum mark a school zone. (Mandy Mills)
The belongings of soldiers are displayed in multiple cases at the December 44 Museum (Katie Wells)
It’s a reminder that this is what the Allied forces fought for. When we walk outside, we look out from the hilltop at the peaceful bike routes and walking trails that were once rubble.
It’s nearly sunset, and with the exception of a lone groundskeeper, we are the only visitors at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Plombières, Belgium. We listen to a few birds chirping in the trees as we walk to a walled memorial and seating area at the end of the cemetery. The sound of kids kicking a ball around and a dog barking joyfully echoes in the distance.
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium (Mandy Mills)
“Oh, it looks like that grave’s just been visited.” Mandy says.
Both a U.S. and a Belgian flag are displayed at one of the white crosses, and the inscription stands out darker than those nearby. Mandy explains to me that this is a common practice of respect and remembrance for the fallen at Belgian American cemeteries, the staff did it during her family’s visit to her uncle’s grave. Sand from Normandy is rubbed into the lettering to make the names, ranks and dates stand out against the white marble on important anniversary dates or when families visit.
A Belgian flag and an American flag in front of a recently visited grave at Henri-Chappelle American Cemetery (Katie Wells)
As we drive through the Benelux, we spot site after site. Cemeteries in the middle of nowhere kept with care, memorial monuments carved into hills, statues and more representing all the countries that fought World Wars I and II.
We pull up to the Sanctuary Wood and Hill 62 Museum in Ypres, Belgium, and park near a ditch. From the road all we see is the small visitor center, and once again, I wouldn’t have guessed that behind it is a well-preserved relic of World War I history. We weave our way through the museum and past the excited chatter of school groups looking at weapons and photos from the site. Outside, it is peaceful as we navigate our way through the trench that was once a haven for British troops, but later became a place of high casualties for the Canadian Forces as they fought to reclaim Hill 61 and 62.
The trench is well preserved at the Sanctuary Wood and Hill 62Museum (Katie Wells)
A group of school kids charges through a tunnel, their voices ricochet off the tunnel walls as they play, scream and horse around. Mandy and I climb out above the trench and admire pretty farmland through the forest. The kids explode out of the tunnel in a fit of laughter. We can’t help but laugh too. To them, this is a cool field trip and obstacle course they get to explore while learning about history—they’re just having fun.
A group of school kids walk through the trench in Sanctuary Wood (Katie Wells)
As you travel through Belgium, you will likely find historical gems wherever you go. While locals live their lives around the history of the region, it is never forgotten.
