Word of the Day
Yser (ee-ZER)
Common clue: West Flanders stream
Daniel
de Kievith
Beginning in Northern France, the Yser River flows about 50 miles through Belguim emptying into the North Sea at Nieuwpoort.
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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