Although the frontline fluctuated slightly from 17 September 1944, it hardly moved until the liberation in February 1945. The village of Middelaar was situated in no man's land and German troops occupied the depopulated village of Milsbeek.

The Germans established a line of defence between Middelaar and Milsbeek, near the wooded dunes of the river Meuse. A large bunker was erected there, surrounded by battlements, trenches and foxholes. Minefields were also laid. Wheelbarrows and carts were used to transport the many dead and wounded to a nearby farm that served as an emergency dressing station. From here, they were moved on trolleys to a hospital or cemetery. A stronger line of defence was built directly east of Milsbeek, at Kroonbeek.