Excavating the tunnels under World War I trench lines

Sunday Telegraph:

Now, for the first time since the soldiers moved out, archaeologists have excavated an extensive network of the tunnels, near the Belgian town of Ypres.

The survey of the dugout, named Vampire, has shed fascinating new light on the experiences of the tens of thousands of soldiers who lived in similar subterranean workings, from the North Sea to the Swiss frontier, with dozens of poignant items of everyday life recovered.

After unearthing the entrance to the original shaft, used 90 years ago to create the structure, the group, led by academics from the University of Glasgow, followed it down 50ft below ground, after pumping out hundreds of tonnes of mud and water.

At the bottom, they discovered a 30ft long section, with a concrete floor, accessed by two staircases back to the surface, and with recesses for bunk beds to provide accommodation for around 60 men.

The section is connected to other subterranean chambers, but because of collapsed workings and the discovery of unexploded shells, these cannot currently be safely excavated.

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Scorch marks found on the walls of the tunnels indicate where candles were stuck with mud, to help illuminate the cramped conditions.

At one point in the excavation fumes from ninety-year-old oilcans filled the tunnel and forced the team to halt their work.

Vampire is a small but important example of the work of the Royal Engineers because, although many other underground chambers could accommodate up to 3,000 men, it is the first section to be uncovered and examined in a rigorous scientific study.

Battlefield archaeologist Dr Tony Pollard, from Glasgow University, was particularly excited to find a functioning water pump, needed to keep the tunnels - built deep below the water table - dry.

"A gruelling job was the constant 24 hours a day manual pumping which the men had to carry out," said Dr Pollard.

The area around Ypres saw some of the war's heaviest fighting, as well as some of the most extensive tunnelling.

Around 500,000 soldiers and civilians died in the nine square miles around the market town, and almost every tree and building was flattened.

In the Flanders landscape devoid of natural cover, tunnelling was the only way to provide a life protected from incessant shelling, which could penetrate up to 30ft below ground.

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There is more.

It is interesting to see these tunnels treated like the ancient catacombs of Rome or some other ancient sites. I have read several books on World War I and do not recall ever reading about them before. It will be interesting to see what if any impact that had in shaping the battles that determined the outcome of the war. I suspect they will be something less important than the development of tanks and military aircraft that were used to break the stalemate.

They will probably add to our knowledge about the face of battle in World War I.