Lost Trails Waregem - Oudenaarde

On August 4, 1914, Germany declared war on our country and German troops crossed the Belgian border. Nineteen days later, quiet Waregem was startled by the first German scouts on horseback. From then on, things moved quickly. More and more German units passed through Waregem and from the beginning of October you could speak of an occupation. In addition to the municipal administration, there was an Ortskommandatur who handed out the sheets. Waregem was classified as a stage area, which would serve as a zone of rest and supply for four years. It was not until the end of September 1918 that the Allies managed to break free from the muddy trenches in the ypres area and advance eastwards. The waregem people felt the war violence approaching. In mid-October, Army Group Flanders started heavy shelling of Waregem. The Germans succumbed and began the retreat. The army group – which then consisted of the Belgian army, four French army corps and the Second British Army – was reinforced at the end of October with the 37th and 91st Divisions of the American Expeditionary Force. Many of these American men had already seen action around Kemmel and left casualties, some were later buried in Waregem.