16e Battalion de Chasseurs à Pied
Location
Ramskapelle is a village a few kilometres from Nieuwpoort. From Ieper take the N 369 as far as Diksmuide. Turn left onto the N35 towards Nieuwpoort.
Both Diksmuide and Nieuwpoort are worth visiting.
At Perwijze turn onto the N355 as far as Ramskapelle. Turn into the village. On reaching the square turn left onto Molenstraat. As you reach the bend you will see a small windmill on your right and a parking area with sand bags in front of you. Park here.
There are other memorials near the church and railway station, and a Belgian Military cemetery in the village.
| GPS | N | E | OSM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 51.10916 | 2.75831 | Map |
History
On the night of the 27th October 1914 the Belgians began flooding the area of the polders between the IJzer River (The Battle of the Yser) and the railway line. The effects would take some time to become apparent and on the 30th October the Germans stormed into Ramskapelle taking the railway station (on the other side of the main square).
The Germans managed to take most of the town and from the railway station machine-gun the Belgian and French defenders from the flank.
To simplify the identification of regiments I have kept the French titles in French (151e Régiment d’Infanterie — 151st Infantry Regiment) and used Dutch for the Belgians (14de Linieregiment — 14th Infantry Regiment).
The Belgian Army was very much Francophone during the war, certainly within its officer corps and a greater acceptance of Dutch/Flemish would only come after the Armistice.
The windmill before the war
Near the church men from the 5de and 6de Linieregiment plus Frenchmen from the 151e RI (Régiment d’Infanterie) held as best as they could but the Germans captured a windmill on the outskirts of the village and from here machine-gun fire, again, played havoc amongst the Allied positions.
To the south-west of the windmill Lt Colonel Claudon of the 16e BCP (who was also commanding the 84e Brigade) at Jokveld Farm was ordered to retake the mill by all means necessary and secure the village.
The problem being the Koolhofvaart Canal which protected the mill from the western approaches. By nightfall the Chasseurs had made some progress in the teeth of a hail of bullets and shells but they were unable to retake the mill.
Knowing that the entire battle hinged on the recapture of Ramskapelle, Claudon ordered his men to assault the mill at bayonet point during the night. With remarkable élan the Chasseurs and supporting French and Belgians stormed the German positions forcing them out of the mill and back into the village.
Near the railway station the 14de Linieregiment were engaged in an equally vicious fight to force the Germans back over the railway line. With effects of the work at the sluice gates in Nieuwpoort finally becoming noticeable the Germans began to relaise that the rising water had little to do with the weather and pulled out of the village.
This was the last action of the Battle of the Yser, the inundation securing the Belgian front line.
The Memorial
The site was inaugurated on 25th October 25 2014 by Mr Bernard Valero, Ambassador of France, Mr Jos Lenaers, chairman of the 6th Regiment Association and Roland Crabbe, mayor (of Nieuwpoort).
The miniature windmill sits on the site of the original.
On it you will see a street plaque : Square 16e Franse Jagers, 16e B.C.P. Français and 30-10-1914.
You will see that the Touring Club de Belgique Vauthier Demarcation stone No 3 sits just in front of it. Note its Belgian helmet, with a lion’s head badge.
Alongside the sandbags there are a number of information panels and a memorial stone commemorating the inauguration in the presence of soldiers from the 16e Bataillon de Chasseurs who, as in 1915, are base at Bitche in the Moselle.
Sadly the panels are in Dutch but there are some interesting old postcards and the maps help you orientate as to who was where.