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YSER
(ee-ZER)
River
of Belgium and Northern France
Common
clues: River of Flanders;
Belgian river; North Sea feeder; Belgian border river; Strategic
WWI river; French-Belgian river; 1914 battle line; Flanders
flower
Crossword
puzzle frequency:
6 times a year
Beginning
in Northern France, the Yser River flows about 50 miles through
Belgium emptying into the North Sea at Nieuwpoort.
The
Yser passing through the village of Roesbrugge in West Flanders
Heavy fighting
took place along this river during WWI. After being forced to
evacuate Antwerp and Ghent, the Belgian Army retreated to the
Yser and, thus, on October 18th,
1914 the Battle of the Yser began. The Belgians, along with
French marines fought desperately and, assisted by flooding, by
Oct. 30th
succeeded in checking the German advance toward Calais and the
English Channel.
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