The War Heritage Institute has put on display a unique historic piece of artillery that was used on the battlefield in West Flanders during the First World War. The siege howitzer, a type of cannon, was used by the Belgian army on the IJzer Front and is the only surviving example of its kind. It has been unveiled in the Dodengang (The Trench of Death) near the West Flemish town of Diksmuide.
The Trench of Death (Dodengang in Dutch) is a Great War memorial site located around 1.5km from the IJzer Town monument on the banks of the IJzer Canal. The Trench of Death is 270-metre-long section of trench that has been preserved.
The trench was part of the Ijzer Front and it played a key role in preventing the Germans from advancing further across the Ijzer Canal. Many Belgian soldiers fought there in extremely perilous conditions until the final offensive came on 28 September 1918.
The presentation of the howitzer forms part of a wider renovation of the or the Trench of Death. The cannon is almost 6m long, weighs 2.4 tonnes and was built by the French firm Schneider.
New signposted visitor trail
A new signposted visitor trail with 16 stops now guides visitors through the compelling story of the Trench of Death.
Visitors can also follow the trail through an interactive experience, based on letters from a soldier to his sister, which give an insight into daily life at the front.
An educational pack has been put together for primary school children. This combines an interactive guided tour of the Dodengang site with lessons on the First World War in Belgium.