Spanbroekmolen Mine Crater

[Steve Bramley]

Hi,

Could anybody please give me the dimensions of this mine crater? How does it compare in size with others on the Western Front?

Thanks in advance,

Steve.

[Greenwoodman]

Hi Steve

Did this on my college battlefield tour, so should be able to sort part of it out. This taken from the noticeboard at the crater.

Diameter at ground level 250ft

Width of the rim 90ft

Height of rim 13ft

Depth of crater below ground 40ft

Diameter of area of obliteration 430ft.

There is a pillbox in the rim of the crater that contained the bodies of four German officers found after the explosion - apparently unhurt, killed by concussion. Riflemen of 14th RIR already advancing when the slightly late explosion came were knocked over by the blast, although there were no casualties.

[Guest bonza]

Riflemen of 14th RIR already advancing when the slightly late explosion came were knocked over by the blast, although there were no casualties.

As this crater is now the Toc-h Pool of Peace, I recall being told that there were casualties as British troops were caught by late explosion. Don't want to start argument though.

[Stephen Nulty]

I'd read on Tom Morgan's "Hellfire Corner" that there were casualties amongst the advancing troops.

The SpanbroekMolen British Cemetery contains 58 casualties. Checking CWGC, the 52 identified (mainly Royal Irish Rifles) mostly fell on 7th June 1917, the date of the mine exploding. Would they have been cuased by the mine or subsequent combat?

SN

[Paul Reed]

Riflemen of 14th RIR already advancing when the slightly late explosion came were knocked over by the blast, although there were no casualties.

That is not correct; a number were indeed hit when the mine went up late, mentioned in Lyn MacDonald, the OH and unit war diaries, for example. The exact number is not known, however.

[303man]

The charge used fired by 171st Tunneling company RE was 91,000 of Ammonal which was laid at the end of a 1,717ft long tunnel.

Tunnel was started by 20th Tunneling Coy digging a 60ft Shaft work continued by 3rd Canadian Tunneling Coy

The charge was secured by 400ft of tamping and a 1000lb priming charge of Dynamite

[zijde26]

To All,

Does anyone have a picture of this old Spanbroekmolen.

Thanks.

Regards,

Gilbert Deraedt

[Steve Bramley]

Thanks for the information chums,

Regards,

Steve.

[Guest bonza]

Pretty sure that modern day photos are on Toc-H website, and some were posted to this forum about 12 mths ago.

[Guest Cdt]

Here are a few pictures of "Spanbroekmolen" or "Pool of Peace" wich I took in 2002 during my guide tour.

Regards

Bob

[Greenwoodman]

a number were indeed hit when the mine went up late, mentioned in Lyn MacDonald, the OH and unit war diaries, for example.

Not to mention "Walking the Salient", Paul. (honourable mention in the bibliography!)

I apologise if anyone was misled, I quoted from notes easily to hand. Fortunately the notes were superceded by the time I wrote it up. Here's what did go in:- "Spanbroekmolen exploded some seconds after zero, catching Royal Irish Rifles soldiers in the open. Casualties are probably now buried in Lone Tree Cemetery".

I read the OH account, and have skimmed through it again this a.m. Can't find the reference there, though. Can you supply it, Paul, please?

For Stephen Nulty:-

Lone Tree is in what was No-Man's Land, so is the perhaps the more likely resting place of troops advancing as the mine went up. Spanbroekmolen British Cemetery is behind what was German lines and thus is perhaps more likely to have received casualties from fighting after the front line was crossed.

[Stephen Nulty]

Richard

Thanks for that, it makes things a little clearer. Looking at various articles on t'Interweb, it seems that there are conflicting stories about what happened, or more specifically, what the casualties were.

There seems to be a general agreement that the mine went off some 15 seconds later than it should, meaning that the attackers were nearer than they should have been, but most articles refer to injuries rather than fatalities.

I did find one account from a chap who had been there at

http://www.irishsoldier.org/wcalvert.html and I would be inclined to believe his account.

Another site, http://www.activehistory.co.uk/GCSE/WW1Pro...en_cemetery.htm, is by a GCSE student who states that the troops went over the top too early and were killed by the blast.

SN

[carninyj]

There's an article on the Battle of Messines by Billy Giles in Battle Lines, Issue 13, the Journal of Somme Association . Of the Spanbroekmolen mine it says, the second (mine at Spanbroekmolen) had been doubtful up to the last minute. It looked as though all the toil of the past year had been wasted but the tunnellers worked unceasingly to cut a new gallery. On the eve of battle it was announced that it was "almost certain" the mine would detonate. The troops were warned that should the mine fail to explode, they were to wait 15 seconds before leaving the trenches'. The mine did fail to explode 'and they waited 15 seconds. As they left the trenches... the mine exploded. Many were blown off their feet, some were slightly wounded but all recovered quickly and continued their advance'.

Hope that helps you. It seems to be rather similar to what Calvert noted.

Regards

Carninyj