The Final Roll Call - Commemoration on 10/11/2025

Exceptional discovery along the Yser embankment

On 23 September 2024, during the construction of a new walking and cycling path along the Yser embankment in Diksmuide, just a stone’s throw from the Trench of Death, the remains of a Belgian soldier from the First World War were found. This was not a field grave, but a soldier who fell on the spot.

Belgian war graves

During the First World War, around 40,000 Belgian servicemen lost their lives. Nearly 60% were killed during the war of movement in 1914 and the final offensive in 1918. The remaining 40% died during the almost four years of trench warfare along the Yser.

Today, a total of 18,394 Belgian servicemen rest in military cemeteries and fields of honour, managed by the War Heritage Institute. In addition, around 10,000 bodies were repatriated after the war at the request of families to municipal fields of honour or private graves throughout Belgium. Many others remain missing. All data can be consulted in the War Dead Register via www.wardeadregister.be.

The Trench of Death

The site of the discovery is located close to the Trench of Death, the only preserved Belgian trench system from the First World War. Here, Belgian and German troops faced each other for years, only a few metres apart. At Diksmuide, the front line followed the Yser before turning towards the Diksmuide–Nieuwpoort railway line, with an above-ground position known as the Cavalier. Remains of German bunkers can also be found on the site.

In and around the Trench of Death, around 250 Belgian soldiers lost their lives. The reconstructed trenches, original shelters and combat posts attract around 50,000 visitors each year, making the Trench of Death the most visited war site on the Yser front.

The Final Roll Call - Commemoration on 10 November 2025

On Monday 10 November 2025, the fallen soldier will be commemorated during The Final Roll Call ceremony.

In the early morning, at 6 a.m., a torchlight procession will depart from the site of the discovery at the Hoge Brug in Diksmuide and make its way to the Trench of Death (distance: 1.5 km). Upon arrival, a solemn candlelit ceremony will take place around the coffins containing the soldiers’ remains. Through music, stories and symbolic moments of light, the Belgian soldiers who fell in and around the Trench of Death will be commemorated.

At the end of the ceremony, the remains will be transferred with full military honours from the Trench of Death by a four-horse carriage to the Belgian military cemetery in De Panne, where the soldier will be laid to rest.

The event will conclude with breakfast. Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. You can register until Wednesday 5 November at the latest. Be quick, as places are limited.