Starting-point: The Grande Place, Lille.

Take Rue Nationale to the end, go round Place Tourcoing, take Rue de La BassÉe on the left, then the first turning on the right (Rue de Turenne), Canteleu Gate, and Rue Lequeux. Cross the bridge over the Haute-Deule Canal, and turn to the left into N. 42.

At Canteleu follow the tram-lines leading to Lomme. At the end of the village, cross the railway (l. c.). Go through Lomme by Rue Thiers, leaving the church on the right (transept greatly damaged).

On the left are the burnt ruins of a large spinning mill. In the fields: numerous small forts of reinforced concrete, which commanded all the roads into Lille. The road passes through a small wood, in the right-hand part of which are the ruins of Premesques ChÂteau, of which only the faÇade remains. Further on, to the left, is Wez Macquart, whose church was badly damaged. Trenches lead to the road, while in the fields, traces of the violent shelling are still visible.

Pass through Chapelle d'ArmentiÈres (completely destroyed). After crossing the railway (l. c.), a British cemetery is seen on the right. ArmentiÈres lies on the other side of the next level crossing.

After entering ArmentiÈres, and immediately beyond the railway, take Rue du Faubourg de Lille, leaving the Church of St. Roch on the right. After passing a public washing-place, turn to the right into the Rue de Lille, then cross the Grande Place. Here will be seen the HÔtel-de-Ville, completely ruined. Take a few steps along Rue de Dunkerque, then turn into the first street on the right, which leads to the Place de l'Eglise St. Waast.

ArmentiÈres

ArmentiÈres suffered in many wars, being taken by the English in 1339, by the French in 1382, by the Calvinists in 1566, by Marshals de Gassion and De Rantzau in 1645, and by the Archduke Leopold in 1647.

Occupied by the Germans in August, 1914, it was retaken in September. Nearly four years later (April, 1918) it again fell into the hands of the enemy. On October 2, it was finally liberated by General Plumer's army.

Until the later war, ArmentiÈres had preserved its 17th century belfry of chimes, its church of NÔtre-Dame, and another church dedicated to St. Waast—patron saint of the town.

This personage, to whom many of the churches in this district have been dedicated, was Bishop of Arras in the 6th century. While still a priest, he is said to have cured a blind beggar in the presence of Clovis. This miracle was one of the causes which led to the conversion of the king, to whom St. Waast acted instructor in the Faith.

The town also possessed a national technical school, dating from the previous century.

Belfry, churches, schools and houses are all in ruins.

In everything connected with the spinning and weaving of linen ArmentiÈres, like Lille, Roubaix, Tourcoing, and the whole of Northern France in general, was considerably in advance of Germany. Consequently, the Germans destroyed all the mills, factories and metallurgical works, and what machinery could not be taken to pieces and sent to Germany they ruthlessly smashed.

Visit the ruins of St. Waast Church, then return to Rue de Dunkerque. There take the first street on the right and cross the Lys. From the Bridge there is a general view of the church.

Cross the Cloth Market, then follow the tram-lines along Rue de Flandre and Rue Bizet. Follow the Lys Canal, then cross the new bridge. Go through Bizet Village (badly damaged houses). Leaving the ruins of the church on the right, turn first to the right, then to the left (the photograph shows an army hut on the left, now temporarily used as the office of the Receiver of French Customs). Cross the frontier a few yards further on, then at the fork just outside the village, take the road on the right opposite the Villa des Roses (photo below). Leaving on the right the road to the gasworks (of which nothing is left but a wrecked gasometer) the first houses of Ploegsteert are reached. This village lay west of the first lines in May, 1918, and was captured by the Germans on April 12 (see p. 39).

British cemetery No. 53 (photo, p. 56) lies at the entrance to the village. Go straight through the village (in ruins). On leaving it, Cemetery No. 54 is seen on the right, then beyond a large concrete shelter, Cemetery No. 55. Cemetery No. 56 is on the left, beyond the level-crossing.

Cross Ploegsteert Wood, leaving the road to Petit-Pont Farm on the left. Here the road rises. To the left, on the slopes of Hill 63, are seen the ruins of La Hutte ChÂteau. On the crest opposite stand the ruins of Messines (photo above). In June, 1919, it was not possible to go direct to Messines, the road being cut at the Petite Douve stream.

Follow the road as far as the fork to the place called NÔtre-Dame-de-GrÂce (the ruins of the chapel are barely distinguishable), then take the Neuve-Eglise road on the left. Stop the car at Rossignol terre-plein and walk a few yards into the little wood on the right; numerous concrete shelters, from the top of which there is a very fine view over the Hills Kemmel, Rouge, Noir and Cats. The last-named can be recognised by its abbey, which stands out against the sky.

Return to the car. The road now descends. Passing by a few ruined houses—all that remain of the hamlet of Haubourdin—a fork is reached, where take the Neuve-Eglise-Messines road on the right. British cemetery on the right. Cross the Douve river, then the railway (l. c.). Turn to the right at the first ruins of Wulverghem, then go through the village, passing in front of the cemetery. Next cross the Steenbeck, by the St. Quentin Bridge. The road now rises sharply to the crest on which Messines used to stand. Numerous small forts are seen to the right and left. These machine-gun nests are all that now mark the site of the village.

At the entrance to the village leave the car at the junction of the Ypres-ArmentiÈres and Neuve-Eglise-Warneton roads, and visit these pathetic ruins on foot.

Messines maybe regarded as one of the hinges of the "Ypres Salient." An important strategic point, it was hotly disputed throughout the war.

On November 3, 1914, during the First Battle of Ypres, it fell into the hands of the enemy. At four o'clock on the following day, the ground between this village and Hollebeke (some four miles to the north) was the scene of several furious attacks (see p. 8).

Messines was destroyed by the British bombardment during the offensive of June, 1917. The New Zealanders captured it on June 7, in spite of a stubborn defence. They also took the neighbouring village of Wytschaete (see p. 20). Messines again fell into German hands in April, 1918 (see p. 39), and was finally retaken on September 30 during the last battle (see p. 46).

Return to the car and take the Ypres road on the left (photo, p. 58). Along this road are numerous little bridges thrown across the shell-holes.

Wytschaete, which is soon reached, was captured, like Messines, in the first battle of 1914, and retaken by the New Zealanders on June 7, 1917. After being entirely destroyed by bombardment (see p. 20), it was lost again on April 15, 1918, then retaken on September 30, 1918.

At the fork, just before entering the village—protected by a series of powerful blockhouses—take the road on the right leading to Oosttaverne (now totally destroyed). Follow the main road (Ypres-Warneton) on the right as far as the place called Gapaard (photo below), then turn to the left along the road to Houthem. A series of little bridges over shell-craters full of water—once the River Wanbecke—are crossed.

Go through Houthem, which was razed to the ground. Beyond an armoured shelter built against the brick wall of a house, the road turns to the left. Cross the canal by the temporary bridge.

The old bed of the canal is marked by some crumbling blocks of concrete. A few yards further on, take the level-crossing over the Ypres-Lille Railway. It was on this line that on October 22 and 23, 1914, the Germans brought up an armoured train which bombarded Ypres with incendiary shells, causing the first serious damage to the town.

A few hundred yards beyond the railway turn to the right at the village of Kortewilde, where a few wooden houses are being erected among the ruins. After crossing a number of little bridges over the Gaverbeck canal, the road, rising slightly, turns to the right. At this turning the ChÂteau (photo above) and village of Hollebeke ought to be visible on the left, but this part of the battlefield is in so chaotic a condition that neither road, canal, nor village can be distinguished.

During the first battle (November, 1914) the Germans launched attacks in great force between Hollebeke and Messines, and captured both these places. Hollebeke was retaken on July 13, 1917, during the first phase of the great British offensive for the clearing of the town. After being lost again in April, 1918, Hollebeke was finally recaptured by the Allies in October.

The road first rises, then descends. On the hillside are the ruins of Zandvoorde. At the entrance to the village take the Zillebeke-Wervicq road on the left, then first to the right, then to the left, between two wooden houses. The road descends, then, undulating slightly, joins the main road from Ypres to Menin, opposite Gheluvelt, the site of which is marked by a sign-post.

This was one of the important strategic points in the first German offensive of 1914 (see p. 7), when the village was captured by the enemy. During the battle for the clearing of Ypres, fierce fighting took place to the west of Gheluvelt, especially at Tower Hamlet. From November, 1917, to April, 1918, the firing-line ran through the village. Gheluvelt was retaken by the British in October, 1918.

Take the main road from Ypres to Menin on the right. Only at Gheluvelt will a passable road to Becelaere be found.

In Gheluvelt, where there are still a few broken walls standing, turn to the left at the fork in the road, leaving the ruined church on the right. At the next fork take the right-hand road to the ruined hamlet of Terhand.

Fifty yards before the crossing with the Dadizelle Road, there is a German cemetery on the right, containing a remarkable concrete monument, thirty feet in height, which dominates the whole plain. This monument (photo, p. 62) was in reality a German observation post. Inside there were two floors. An outside staircase led to a platform. Traces of the balustrade are visible in the photo.

Leave the Dadizelle road on the right. The road hereabouts is camouflaged. Numerous small forts may be seen on both sides of the plateau, especially on the right. The largest of them was used as a telephone exchange.

After passing the place called Molenhoek the tourist comes to the Passchendaele-Wervicq road, now impassable.

Leave the car at the fork, and go on foot through the ruins of Becelaere, as far as the church on the right.

Return to the fork and take the right-hand uphill road. On the plateau there are many shelters.

To the west of the road from Becelaere to Zonnebeke lay Polygone Wood, which was entirely destroyed. The British made two unsuccessful attempts (July 31 and August 16, 1917) to take this strongly fortified wood, succeeding eventually on September 20 (see p. 28). Evacuated by the British in April, 1918, the wood was finally recaptured by the Allies in October, 1918.

Beyond the place called Noordenhoek there is a bend in the road. On the left, Zonnebeke Pond, the ruined chÂteau, and the remains of a gasometer come into sight (photo below).

At the place called Broodseinde take the Ypres-Roulers road on the left, to visit the ruins of Zonnebeke.

Zonnebeke was taken in 1914 by the Germans, who made an outpost of it in front of their lines. The village was recaptured on September 26, then lost in April, 1918, and finally retaken in the following October.

Return to the fork (which was commanded by numerous small forts), and turn to the left: military cemetery at the side of the road. In the fields on the right, 200 yards beyond the level crossing, there is a monument to the memory of 148 officers and men of the Canadian 85th Battalion (photo, p. 64).

Passing through shell-torn country, Passchendaele—now razed to the ground—is reached. All that remains of the church is the mound seen in the background of the photograph (p. 64).

Passchendaele was captured by the Germans in November, 1914, and later by the British (October 26, 1917). The village had already been wiped out by the bombardment, but the position, which dominated Ypres and Roulers, was an important one. The fighting there was of the fiercest, Hindenburg having ordered it to be held at all costs. However, the British broke down the enemy's stubborn resistance.

From Passchendaele to Ypres

Beyond the church turn to the left. The undulating road goes straight to Westroosebeke.

Westroosebeke was taken at the same time as Passchendaele, during the British offensive of October 29, 1917. These two positions, lost in April, 1918, were retaken on September 30 by the Belgian army under King Albert.

The village was completely destroyed. On entering, turn to the right and pass the church. A few broken tombstones mark the site of the churchyard.

Retracing his steps, the tourist turns to the right into the Ypres-Roulers Road, which describes a bend to reach Poelcappelle. This village was the scene of fierce fighting in December, 1914, and May, 1915, and is now in ruins. There are numerous redoubts to right and left. Just beyond the village, leave the Dixmude Road on the right, and take the one leading to Langemarck.

Beyond the cross-roads there is a confused heap of rails and broken trucks in the middle of a piece of shell-torn ground.

At the fork, take the road to the right and enter the ruined village of Langemarck.

The photograph below shows: in the background, a mound formed by the ruins of the church; in the foreground, a tank.

Langemarck, defended by the French in 1914, was evacuated on December 17 of that year. Recaptured, the town was lost again on April 21, 1915, during the German gas attack.

Keep along the road, leaving on the left the ruins of the church, and a little further on the remains of the chÂteau (photo, p. 67).

Cross the railway (l. c.) and then go on to Houthulst Forest, captured by the Germans in 1914, and retaken in 1918 (see p. 46). In June, 1919, the roads through the forest were impracticable for motor-cars.

Return to the fork at the entrance to Langemarck, turn to the right, and take the road to Boesinghe, crossing the Hanebeek. The road follows the Ypres-Thourout railway, on both sides of which are numerous redoubts. Cross the ruins of Pilkem, 300 yards beyond, which is a rather large British cemetery.

At the next fork in the road turn to the right and cross the railway (l. c.). On the left is another cemetery. Turn again to the left. Notice in passing a third cemetery, then a few yards further on the ruins of a mill. Cross the canal at the Pont de Boesinghe.

On reaching the crossing of the main road from Dixmude to Ypres, turn to the right. On the left, the remains of Boesinghe ChÂteau stand in the middle of a park, the trees of which are cut to pieces.

Follow the road running along the canal. The latter, owing to the upheaval of the ground by shell-fire, is often lost to view. 1,500 yards from Boesinghe, the site of Het Sas village, where the lock used to stand, may still be located. The fighting was very severe there, especially in 1914.

Return to Boesinghe, leave the road just taken on the left, and cross the railway (l. c.).

The road runs alongside the YperlÉe river and canal for some distance. Numerous traces of footbridges are to be seen over both river and canal, the course of which can no longer be distinguished with certainty.

The road next turns sharply to the left, crosses the Lys-YperlÉe Canal, then passes the dock of the Yser-Ypres Canal (photo above), and enters Ypres by the Dixmude Gate.