Kitchener Posted 14 October , 2008 Share Posted 14 October , 2008 I have played a part in a couple of 1812 re-enactments in Ontario. Because of my background I have agreed to undertake a feasibility study (for a project that I put forward) on the construction of a WW1 trench system at a living history site in Ontario (currently the name is being withheld to protect the innocent-me!). Due to the nature of the organization's activities, the system will be a replica of a trench system, with replica artifacts and an education centre. The system will be substantially constructed using either poured concrete and "dressed" to look the part (cement sandbags with real sandbags as the top layers; wooden walls over the cement, barbed wire, wooden firing steps; deep shelters, and redoubts, mud on floor over concrete c/w duckboards, but capable of drainage, etc.) The purpose of the display is educational. The organization needs this to be a "museum" quality, outdoor experience for the public but also one that would be available to WW1 re-enactors for public display. My initial idea is to build 100ft of front line trench. 100ft of reserve trench, with two communication trenches at right angles to and 50ft apart connecting the two trenches. Similar to the illustration I found at: Illustration of trench system but with two connecting trenches not one. Additionally it is my idea to have a sound system capable of delivering a high level of sound to contribute to the effect. I have a few questions...Do you know anyone who has knowledge of constructing a similar trench system that may be willing to speak with me? If the construction of this trench system were to come to pass would re-enactors use it, or because of its construction, choose not to use it? Would a system made entirely of wood/sandbags be more acceptable? A kind of "raw" trench. What would re-enactors find acceptable? Please believe that this project is considered, and will be undertaken, with the greatest respect to the Fallen and survivors of World War 1. Canada played a major part in, and made a substantial contribution to, The Great War and the general population especially younger people, born more and more distant from the conflict can be taught valuable lessons on sacrifice, deprivation honour and loss. I will appreciate any information or help you can offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthergw Posted 14 October , 2008 Share Posted 14 October , 2008 One of our US Pals has actually got a display along those lines, but smaller, at his college. He has posted about it on the forum. If you do a search, you ought to be able to turn his posts up. I'm afraid I do not recall his name but I am fairly sure you are looking at a year or more ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regulus 1 Posted 14 October , 2008 Share Posted 14 October , 2008 http://www.forumeerstewereldoorlog.nl/viewtopic.php?t=15263 Starts with photo's of the evolution of trenches, most of the topic is in Dutch, but it continues with some manuals on trench warfare and construction in english from the period. Concerning trench reconstruction, the reconstruction of the Bayernwald trenches at Wijtschate (the famous whitesheet) was done as accurate as possible to the original way of construction, resulting in a disaster. Every half a year large parts of the system have te be reconstructed over and over again, before it colapses again some months later. For the moment half of the complex is closed. They forgot one very important thing, at the time things were much different. There were pumps working al the time, and everythign was done on an almost daily basis to keep this trenches in the best possible condition. Due to the clay, mud and water, things go fast. Only good solution here would have been, concrete a frames and walls, camouflaged as the real thing, with still a pump functioning for the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Connolly Posted 15 October , 2008 Share Posted 15 October , 2008 Several suggestions spring to mind, one or two of which might be useful. Firstly, the Production Designers for the recent Canadian film "Passchendaele" - IMDB will give names of the relevant people - who might have useful input. Secondly, both the Museum of the Manchesters and the Imperial War Museum in London have reconstructions of WW1 trenches in life size, both of which are designed and intended to be used by large numbers of the public on a daily basis. They are both indoors, but once again may have useful input. Lastly, I believe that British re-enactors gather at Kelvedon Hatch to display their martial wares annually, and have posted pictures on the GWF of their event, so a search on the Forum ought to bring up the relevant thread and you can ask them directly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 15 October , 2008 Share Posted 15 October , 2008 Lastly, I believe that British re-enactors gather at Kelvedon Hatch to display their martial wares annually, and have posted pictures on the GWF of their event, so a search on the Forum ought to bring up the relevant thread and you can ask them directly. That'd mostly be me posted the pictures of the trenches at Kelvedon Hatch, as it's the group of which I'm a member that built them. There are more than a few invisible modern dodges used in the construction of those trenches, and even then they still require a lot of maintenance in the months running up to an event to get them back into good shape, as typically various walls have caved in, sandbags rotted away, etc. Making and keeping trenches authentic requires a lot of maintenance, but the end result will always look good, and the actual maintenance itself can be built into the display - nothing like seeing a few men in period kit filling sandbags or similar! Concrete sandbags and the like, in my own opinion, whilst being low maintenance and very durable just tend to look very poor. Another option to consider perhaps is what English Heritage has done at the Festival of History at Kelmarsh Hall the last couple of years - a set of recreated trenches but above the ground. Easy to let the public in to look about, relatively easy to maintain or modify if necessary... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 15 October , 2008 Share Posted 15 October , 2008 - a set of recreated trenches but above the ground. Easy to let the public in to look about, relatively easy to maintain or modify if necessary...And still historically accurate for some sectors of the line in Flanders. Robert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitchener Posted 15 October , 2008 Author Share Posted 15 October , 2008 Thank you to all who have replied so far to this thread. I greatly appreciate all the suggestions and input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lassuy Posted 20 October , 2008 Share Posted 20 October , 2008 Might contact these fellows, they've dug a few trenches.... http://www.great-war-assoc.org/index.htm Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutchbarge Posted 20 October , 2008 Share Posted 20 October , 2008 Might talk to Dean or Rick at Great War Militaria, I know they built a re enactment sight in Pennsylvania. Contact them at info@greatwar.com. Cheers, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 20 October , 2008 Share Posted 20 October , 2008 One of our US Pals has actually got a display along those lines, but smaller, at his college. He has posted about it on the forum. If you do a search, you ought to be able to turn his posts up. I'm afraid I do not recall his name but I am fairly sure you are looking at a year or more ago. Yes that was me! Unfortunately it was only there for 10 months - we had to fill it in a couple of weeks ago - although had a thousand or so visitors out at it and the local TV stations made a couple of decent snippets about it. I can't find the original thread (it was entitled "digging a trench - a mad idea?") but the search function doesn't seem to be working at the mo' here are some pictures there were more and in colour but I can't find them!! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 20 October , 2008 Share Posted 20 October , 2008 Yes that was me! Unfortunately it was only there for 10 months - we had to fill it in a couple of weeks ago - although had a thousand or so visitors out at it and the local TV stations made a couple of decent snippets about it. I can't find the original thread (it was entitled "digging a trench - a mad idea?") but the search function doesn't seem to be working at the mo' here are some pictures there were more and in colour but I can't find them!! Chris FOUND IT! http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...amp;hl=mad+idea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob lembke Posted 21 October , 2008 Share Posted 21 October , 2008 Might talk to Dean or Rick at Great War Militaria, I know they built a re enactment sight in Pennsylvania. Contact them at info@greatwar.com. Cheers, Bill I used to be in contact with some re-actors on Long Island who reenacted Sturm-Bataillon Nr. 5 (Rohr)n who were rather blown away that my father fought in that unit. They were handicapped in that (I think) not one knew German. They used the Pennsylvania site twice a year. One note; not surprisingly, they found the site dangerous, barbed wire, etc., and they gave mock awards to the "wounded". Bob Lembke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdajd Posted 2 February , 2009 Share Posted 2 February , 2009 I am a WWI reenactor who portrays the 27th Div., 107th Inf N.Y.N.G. of the A.E.F. and a member of the Great War Association. Our site in Penn. is only used twice a year by us, but the site is used almost every weekend for other time periods. We own approximately 80 acres in rural Penn and have two full and permanent trench systems (one for allies i.e. AEF, BEF, AIF, French Belgian and Russian and one for Germans ) Our unit owns two bays that also include two permanent underground bunkers where we sleep as well as a MG bunker. There are shellholes and barbed wire and for the most part the battlefield looks like any from WWI. Here is a picture taken from the air of the site. I do not think that there is anyone on this site that would be able to distinuguish ours from a real one. Just for the record, we do NOT give awards for wounded soldiers as that would be real slap in the face to the men we are trying to honor. No on there is up there for the weekend to play around. While we cannot really know or experience what the men went through during the First World War we try to bring our experience as close as possible to try to better understand. There are definitely people on our message board who could help you. The Trench Line Hope this helps Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewBelsey Posted 10 February , 2009 Share Posted 10 February , 2009 You will find these plans helpful. http://www.worldwar1.com/tlbtw.htm#diag These are plans and diagrams from the original engineers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-ted Posted 11 February , 2009 Share Posted 11 February , 2009 [quote Please believe that this project is considered, and will be undertaken, with the greatest respect to the Fallen and survivors of World War 1. Canada played a major part in, and made a substantial contribution to, The Great War and the general population especially younger people, born more and more distant from the conflict can be taught valuable lessons on sacrifice, deprivation honour and loss. Great idea and I hope that it is a project that will provide knowledge to all ages and keep alive the memory of the lads who served. Well done, and please keep us informed on your progress. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dugout Posted 12 February , 2009 Share Posted 12 February , 2009 I have read that there are plans to build a replica dugout, trench system, cemetery and memorial path in the garden of the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917, at Zonnebeke Belgium. http://www.forumeerstewereldoorlog.nl/viewtopic.php?t=16237 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Banning Posted 13 February , 2009 Share Posted 13 February , 2009 Have I read that right??! The museum is planning to build a replica cemetery? What incredibly poor taste. As if there aren’t enough real ones around Zonnebeke! Regards, Jeremy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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