However, it was absolutely necessary to remain on the chaotic ground. The positions had to be established strong enough to repulse the counter-attacks. At first it was only a system of shell holes surrounded by blocks of concrete which had been deserted by the enemy. It was a dreadful hard winter for the 4^{th} army division. When the engineers and infantrymen at the price of terrible labour, had repaired and rebuilt the roads and tracks which facilitated and rendered possible the relieves, the rational and defensive organization of the sector was undertaken. Successive lines showed themselves, and were bound between by intermediate lines and a well organized plan of defence was able to be applied. The “Grand-Père” (Grand-father) concrete dug-out, the remains of which have been preserved, was one of the posts best known among of the advanced positions of Merckem. It formed a rather prominent salient which was always a temptation to the enemy and provoked him to many sudden attacks, generally preceded by violent artillery fires demolishing all the surroundings. The 4^{th} army division managed to repulse two attempts and that at two days’ interval: one on the night 26–27 and the other 28–29 of November 1917. They were more like trials on the part of the enemy to stake out our advanced positions. During the occupation of the sector by the 3^d army division, the raids became real attacks to reconquer the “Grand-father”. The 15^{th} of February 1918, the enemy was thrown back in his own lines; but on the 7^{th} of March, he managed to take a footing and bring machine-guns in the concrete shelter, from where our counter-attacks drove him out on the evening of the 8^{th}. It was decided then, to rectify the advanced line by suppressing the salient of the grand-father, and also the one, constituted by three little posts of Aschoop, which also was subjected to the enemy’s fires. The last german raid on the “Grand-father” was on the 27^{th} of March 1918, which hastened the decision, taken on the 29^{th} of the same month, to abandon after destruction the salients of the Grand-father and Aschoop. The “Grand-father” was again occupied by our troops the 9^{th} of September 1918 after the taking of the german position of Kwaebeek brook. A centre of resistance was established there and was occupied till the offensive of the 28^{th} of September 1918. The name of _Castel Britannia_ was given to the place occupied by the enemy’s batteries which oppressed up till 1917 our positions of the sector of Steenstraat. Thick concrete masses protected them. They served under the Belgian occupation as observation-posts and battle posts. The cross road of _Hoekske_ is situated at the crossing of Steenstraat to Dixmude road with the road of Merckem. It marks nearly the centre of the subsector which bears its name, and is celebrated by the numerous bombardments it has been subjected to. Heavy pieces of german artillery have been sunk in its vicinity.