ABSTRACT
Today there is an amusement park at Bellewaarde, with the thrills of the rollercoaster, the excitement of the zoo, entertainment and children playing. The contrast with the situation a century ago could not be greater. In wartime, Bellewaarde meant danger, fierce fighting and possibly death – definitely a place to be avoided. During the First Battle of ypres (October to November 1914) the frontline lay some 3 kilometres to the east of Bellewaarde, on the eastern side of the Geluveld Plateau. On 22 November 1914 the war of movement came to an end. Both parties took stock of their positions, dug in and waited for the spring to continue their efforts. The Second Battle of ypres, starting on 22 April 1915, saw the first use of chlorine gas in history and ended with the Battle of Bellewaarde Ridge on 24 and 25 May, when gas again was used (De Vos et al. 2014: 226). Here the Germans pushed the Allies back to an inferior, low-lying position on the western side of the Geluveld Plateau (Figures 2.1 and 2.2).
