Tom Morgan Posted 10 November , 2008 Share Posted 10 November , 2008 Bob - I thought it was familiar too! I think it might have been the Hill 60 crater, but I'm not 100% sure. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 A generally excellent programme I thought, but I only had two complaints. One was the poorly done reenactments - lot's of WW2 kit (wrong helmets, 1937 Pattern holder on the waterbottle repeatedly used in closeups), the Officer wearing RE shoulder titles, his WW2 cap, etc, etc... And the other featured these: Thought it was very interesting...and yes, a shame that the cave-in stopped them getting any further. I thought the state of preservation of the tunnels and artefacts was amazing considering the wet conditions and the time that has passed. Some if not all of the artifacts were in amazing condition like the water pump, probably as there was no oxygen and with clay soil that would have helped with the preservation a great deal. Now, when they found the unused clip of 1916 .303 rounds, that came out just about mint. But they clearly showed the rounds a few days later, obviously allowed to dry out, and they were already beginning to visibly deteriorate as a result. Some of the various tools seemed to be suffering as well - was there any post-recovery conservation untertaken at all on site??? As an ex-archaeology student, this really annoyed me that they knew that conditions for artefact preservation would be ideal, and yet seemed to have done no planning to ensure the recovered items would be properly looked after... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 I'd agree with Andrew about the re-enactments (I kept muttering Get your ruddy hair cut....). My only other carp is the usual one about modern documentaries: why do they need to tell us before and after every set of adverts that they are digging some bunkers in Flanders which have been covered up for 90 years? I think I'd got the idea at the start of the programme......... Otherwise, very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzie-Q Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 There may be a way you could view it via Channel 4's website. I ma sure that they have a replay function or something like it. Thankyou. I'll give that a go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will O'Brien Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 I certainly found it good viewing. If nothing else it has ignited an interest in me to find out more about the RE Tunnelling Companies, which I realise I know very little of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 For basic info: http://www.1914-1918.net/tunnelcoyre.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidfowler Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 Found this link but yesterday's programme's not on yet. Suppose it might be too soon after the event. Hopefully it will be available later. http://www.channel4.com/watch_online/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveatv Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 Hi, I am looking forward to when it airs here in Australia, but in the meantime Johan has sent me some photos of the Vampir Dugouts progress, it has now empty of water, thou still muddy and work is commencing to shore up the walls...I have just updated the photos at: www.polygonwood.com I have attached a sample from the album..Regards Steve & Johan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraint Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 Am I right in thinking that at the end of the dig, they just let it fill up with water, or did they backfill with mud? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPAE Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 Incredible programme. I was really taken with the construction techniques involving pre-fabrication, no nuts screws washers and bolts, and even the re-cycling of used materials. I am sure any viewer would have been educated in the origins of the underground world of dugouts,as well as the present day work in uncovering the past. Well done all. Phil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmoha Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 In my opinion this was a total gem of a programme. I watched it with a visiting Australian relative who knew nothing of the underground war and was as engrossed as I. Any programme that can enthrall someone with just a passing interest in the subject so totally, must be commended. More of the same please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevem49 Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 Am I right in thinking that at the end of the dig, they just let it fill up with water, or did they backfill with mud? Johann mentioned last week that he would have help last weekend to pump it out, so I presume it is just under water. sm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishmen1916 Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 In my opinion this was a total gem of a programme. I watched it with a visiting Australian relative who knew nothing of the underground war and was as engrossed as I. Any programme that can enthrall someone with just a passing interest in the subject so totally, must be commended. More of the same please! Agree 100% got my family to watch and they where totally absorbed by it, even to the extent that my young one turned her mobile phone of.......love to see a follow up on this. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevew Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 Excellent program, Johan's photos are fantastic - well worth the trip to his bar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dugout Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 QUOTE (geraint @ Nov 11 2008, 08:34 AM) Am I right in thinking that at the end of the dig, they just let it fill up with water, or did they backfill with mud? Johann mentioned last week that he would have help last weekend to pump it out, so I presume it is just under water. sm Yes, after the excavation the dugout was left filled of water again up to the surface. Vampir was opened again last weekend for some final preservation works. The pumping out of the construction toke 20 hours with a pump with a debit of 33.000 liters/hour. So 660.000 liters of water was pumped out. Vampir will be covered again with concrete structure plates and topsoil so the farmer can work again on the field. The new drain works on the field start next week. Meanwhile there is a dossier running at the Flemish Ministers cabinet about the definitive destination of Vampir in the future. Lets hope the Minister takes the right decision. We like to thank the team from the Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service for their help and all the work they did last weekend down in Vampir. Kristof Jacobs Project director "Vampir Project" Association for Battlefield Archaeology and Conservation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACRAE Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 Watched the program it was very intresting , the re-enactors well proper kit is hard to get hold of and they use what they have. I know people involved in the film industry and WW1 is the hardest to find because of its value to collectors and museums will not loan good kit out if its going to get dirty and abused. From what I gather the team was only intrested in the structure and not the artifacts that was found I may be wrong but I am sure that is what Peter Barton said. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 Watched the program it was very intresting , the re-enactors well proper kit is hard to get hold of and they use what they have. I know people involved in the film industry and WW1 is the hardest to find because of its value to collectors and museums will not loan good kit out if its going to get dirty and abused. From what I gather the team was only intrested in the structure and not the artifacts that was found I may be wrong but I am sure that is what Peter Barton said. Except there is one specialist WW1 reenactment group who actually portrays the same sort of tunnellers depicted in the programme who could easily have done a considerably more accurate version of the same, or Khaki Devil Ltd I'm sure could have done the same - the excuse that the kit or experience to get it pretty spot on is not available is simply not true any more, and hasn't been for a long time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick D Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 I'd like to see Peter, Johan and all start looking for another one ! Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will O'Brien Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 For basic info: http://www.1914-1918.net/tunnelcoyre.htm Thanks Chris. Should have known there would be something on the LLT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 Yes a good programme. Does anyone know how many more dugouts of this magnitude may still survive in the Salient ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clio Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 Aww I wish I had seen it. I always seem to miss the good stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high wood Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 I thought it was an excellent programme except for the continual references to 171 Tunnelling Company which grated. Surely they were the 171st Tunnelling Company? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dugout Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 Yes a good programme. Does anyone know how many more dugouts of this magnitude may still survive in the Salient ? Johan Vandewalle located over 375 of those underground constructions in the Salient. His list with the names, units and locations were addes to the Dutch version of the book Beneath Flanders Fields. http://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Flanders-Fie...8/dp/0773529497 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veeb Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 Aww I wish I had seen it. I always seem to miss the good stuff. I very rarely watch T>V in the week, and certainly don't get too excited over it, but this was gripping stuff, I learnt a lot. This calibre programming happens so rarely it WILL be repeated (we'll remind you!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hudsonswhistle Posted 11 November , 2008 Share Posted 11 November , 2008 well done to everyone involved in the making of this programme it was wonderful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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