Achiel Van Walleghem’s War Diary: A Translation of the January 1917 Entries, and a Study of His West-Flemish Perspective

Details

Supervisors

Latre, Guido

Faculty

Faculté de philosophie, arts et lettres

Degree label

Master [120] en langues et lettres modernes, orientation germaniques

Abstract

Achiel Van Walleghem’s First World War diary is a valuable historical source and probably the most important diary written by a civilian on the Western Front. When the war broke out, he was curate in Dickebusch and lived a few kilometres away from the frontline in Reninghelst in the Belgian province of West Flanders. As a bystander living amidst the troops, the author of the diary 'De oorlog te Dickebusch en omstreken' recounts the untold story of life immediately behind the front. Between 4 October 1914 and 18 April 1918, he kept an extensive day-to-day account of the tragic events that unfolded before his eyes. The year 1917 of the diary gives centre stage to the Battle of Passchendaele and offers a different perspective on the tragic event. This master dissertation strives to analyse Achiel Van Walleghem’s West-Flemish approach to the historical reality of the First World War, and especially of the year 1917, which marked a turning point in the international conflict. The author’s background is indeed strongly connected to the rural, conservative, and Catholic milieu of West-Flanders at the beginning of the 20th century, which witnessed the emergence of the nationalist movement that has often been labelled ‘West-Flemish Particularism’. His view of the world, his language and his attitude are rooted in the characteristically West-Flemish movement, which influenced the way in which he formed his opinions. The main components of Achiel Van Walleghem’s West-Flemish approach to the historical reality of the year 1917, are his adherence to catholic morals, his bias against Protestantism, his strong traditional morality and his scepticism towards unfamiliarity and strangers threatening the national character of West Flanders. This master dissertation also includes a French translation of Van Walleghem’s diary entries for January 1917.