On the 16th of July 1917 near Diksmuide, Belgian Army Lieutenant Laudrieu and Adjudant Henri Langie were selected along with 10 other men to go on a reconnaissance patrol.



On the 16th of July 1917 near Diksmuide, Belgian Army Lieutenant Laudrieu and Adjudant Henri Langie were selected along with 10 other men to go on a reconnaissance patrol. 

Adjudant Henri writes in his diary: "At 23.30h we set off towards the enemy lines. We were tasked with checking if two German outposts were occupied.

 The first post was occupied and it was very close or we were all killed because we almost walked into the outpost without realizing it! The second post was also occupied as we saw a patrol of Germans setting off from there. 

At 2h in the morning we arrived back at our lines, completely wet and dirty from crawling through mud, ditches, bomb craters and wet grass. 

We reported that both outposts were occupied but got told off for not attacking the patrol that was leaving the second outpost!"

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