In late October 1914, as German forces attempted to push through Belgian lines towards the Channel ports, King Albert of Belgium took an extraordinary decision. On 25 October he ordered the manipulation of floodgates in the Yser Valley. Belgian troops opened sluice gates at high tide and closed them at low tide, deliberately flooding the fields between the river and the railroad embankment to create an impassable barrier for the German army. The tidal inundation halted the German advance and saved the last strip of unoccupied Belgian territory.

When you visit Nieuwpoort and Diksmuide, you can still see the sluices at the Ganzepoot (Goose Foot) complex. Interpretive panels explain how Belgian engineers, fishermen and soldiers worked together through the night to operate the complex system of gates under shell fire. Standing here, imagine the desperation of a nation fighting for survival and the ingenuity that allowed a small army to hold back a mighty invasion.

The flood also transformed the battlefield. For months both sides fought along soggy dykes and flooded polders, with soldiers contending with mud as deep as their waists. Visiting the Trench of Death near Diksmuide offers a visceral sense of these conditions. The trench, preserved with sandbags and concrete, snakes along the Yser in front of a memorial tower. As you walk its narrow path, remember the courage of the Belgian soldiers who held this line against overwhelming odds.

Flanders Fields today is a peaceful landscape of canals and farms, but the story of the Yser floodgates reminds us how strategic geography and human ingenuity shaped the war. Commemorating this event on 25 October links modern visitors to one of the most dramatic defensive actions of the First World War.

At Visit Flanders Fields, we offer your WW1 experience. Book your journey today and learn more about the World War and it’s context.