Hill 60

Hill 60 is a hill just outside the Belgian village of Zillebeke, where fierce fighting took place during World War I. The hill is located near the Ypres-Courtrai railway (Line 69), along the Zwarteleenstraat. The hill is approximately 60 meters high and 230 meters long. In fact, this hill is made up of soil that was excavated during the construction of 'the' railway. The war site of Hill 60 has been preserved and can be freely visited. Nearby was the Hill 60 museum located in a typical Belgian café; this museum/café has now been demolished and replaced with a restaurant. The viewing boxes from the museum are also no longer present, as they are privately owned. Hill 60 is part of the so-called Heights of Wijtschate-Zillebeke, which also includes the Slope of Messines, Slope of Wijtschate, and Hill 62.

On December 10, 1914, Hill 60 was captured by the German army. However, the British 171st Tunneling Company began digging tunnels underneath the hill in February 1915. By April 1915, the tunnels were completed, and six mines had been placed under the German positions. On April 17, 1915, at 19:05, the mines were detonated. The explosions lasted about ten seconds and destroyed the German defenses. A British soldier who looked over the parapet was killed by flying debris. The British were able to take Hill 60, losing seven men in the process. However, the victory was short-lived; on April 18, the British were driven off the hill again after a nighttime German assault. British reinforcements led to a new offensive, and successfully: the hill came back into British hands.

MarcMonballieu