Final German attack on 26 May 1940

The German troops had crossed the Nieuwe Leie in the two previous days, but they had been pushed back by evening. The Germans suffered heavy losses in both the Ponthoek and the Neerhoek. The attackers begged for more artillery support and got it. In practice, this meant that 30 guns of all calibres were ready to fire on the Belgian positions.

After a heavy German bombardment, followed by a smoke screen over the village, the German 348th Infantry Regiment attacked en masse around six o'clock in the morning. The troops crossed the Lys in storm boats.

From 8:30 a.m., the first line of the Belgian defense collapsed. But the German attackers were forced to retreat with their prisoners of war to the village centre of Oeselgem, because they were under fire from the Belgian defence on the second line from Markegem.

At 13:00 hours commander De Backer (5th company 19th Line Regiment) who had established his command post in the garden of the rectory, surrendered.

In the meantime, the German attackers had advanced along the Aalbeek to the castle of Wakken with the intention of encircling and capturing the command post of the 1st battalion of the 19th line regiment. Around 15:00 this command post was taken.

Dentergem and Markegem were attacked from Gottem.

Around 16:00 hours, what was left of the 2nd Battalion of the 19th Line Regiment withdrew to the north.

Around 19:00 the command post of the 19th line near the Sint-Rochus chapel in Markegem and the Tram station along the road to Dentergem was surrounded by German troops. Half an hour later, Colonel Lambrechts was forced to surrender.

For its outstanding efforts in the defence of the Lys on 25, 26 and 27 May, under heavy air and artillery bombardments, the 19th Line Regiment received the honourable mention "La Lys 1940". A commemorative plaque was placed on the monument in honour of the victims of both world wars at the Oeselgem cemetery (see memorial point 17). The 19th Line Regiment was given the right to display the inscription "La Lys 1940" on the regimental banner.

We are here on the former towpath along the filled-in Nieuwe Leie. Before the Second World War, 29 percent of the Belgian inland shipping fleet was not yet equipped with its own engine and ship tractors were at work. The ships were pulled by manpower, later also by horsepower. That is why a towpath or towpath was built along the bank.

The boat pullers or heretics wore a wide band of burlap around the chest, to which the towline or tow line is connected to the top of the mast on the ship.

With the filling in of the Nieuwe Leie, the towpath lost its function. Did you know that the trees between the towpath and the old Lys are on the wrong side of the road? There were trees along the other side of the road to provide shade for the heretics. Of course, there were no obstacles on the river side, including trees.

ludwigvan