Archaeologists uncover WWI underground village

[Pandabean]

I found this article from the 16th very interesting.

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/interna ... =410232007

Archaeologists uncover WWI underground village
A HUGE complex of secret tunnels built by Scots soldiers during the First World War has been discovered under a field in Belgium.

Archaeologists searching for the underground headquarters of a British unit found a maze of flooded tunnels covering an area the size of three football pitches.

Using radar technology, the team discovered a once-famous complex of corridors, mess rooms and sleeping quarters known as Vampire Dugout, 40ft under a muddy field near Ypres in Flanders.

The dugout, named after the band of soldiers who came out at night to resupply the front lines, is believed to be the biggest discovery of its kind.

Historians expect to find a treasure trove of personal belongings, clothes, weapons, bedding and newspapers.

Archaeologists first estimated the bunker would measure 200 metres by 150 metres, but tunnels have been found over an area 800 metres by 600 metres, and its outer limits have not yet been located.

Originally believed to have housed 50 British troops, it is now estimated to have been home to at least 300 soldiers in an underground village.

Speaking from the site, near the village of Zonnebeke, the historian Peter Barton said:

"It's a fantastic archaeological resource, which will tell us more about life in these bunkers than ever before."

[DavidWW]

It's also kown that there's similar deep dugouts on the Western Front, not that far back from the actual front line, which were constructed as ammunition stores ....... and never empied, so don't be surprised to see stories over the next few decades of massive explosions in Belgian and French farmers' fields when deteriorating ammunition reaches the point where a relatively small shock causes highly unstable munitions to explode.

Fortunately, much of the deterioration results in no danger, but some of the stuff still down there is distinctly worrying............

David

[Pandabean]

I have been following posts over on the Great War Forum regarding these hidden trenches/dugouts and its amazing that there are so many out there that have not yet been found.

There was an interesting one located near Bernafay Wood which was apparently quite large but has disappeared. Although they are saying that it may be in the infilled quarry to the north of the wood.

I always wondered why I havent heard any reports of small explosions over in France in recent years.

[StewL]

An interesting story, hope they make a documentary about it.

David

Your comment reminded me of a pal of mine when I was in the navy. He was born and raised in Papua New Guinea when his father was part of the administration there before independence.

A local boy and him were pals and "found" this huge cave going underground, inside the cave was a vast amount of military equipment and ammunition, including aerial bombs and naval shells. The story came out that they were found by my friends father with some Japanese army equiment though I cant recall what it was they had. It turned out that the storage depot was under one of the local villages and if it had gone up so would have the whole village and its occupants. My friend did say that he couldnt sit down for a week after his exploits were discovered.