“The Somme: Secret Tunnel Wars” BBC Four, 9pm Monday 20 May 2013”

[Roxy]

it's really not that scary when you're down there!

I have put the latest version of my database of La Boisselle Tunnellers online (over 1,000 men of 179th and 185th Tunnelling Companies), hoping for some more family contacts. https://sites.google...elletunnellers/

Simon

I did wonder if it was THE Simon Jones being interviewed!

Well done, you!

Roxy

[NigelS]

And that increasingly rare event in BBC documentaries an intelligent use of graphics. Just enough to make the relevant points but not intrusive or showing off how technically clever the graphic programmers are. Most people probably don't remember the graphics which is how it should be.

Not to mention cost effective, allowing more of the programme's budget to be spent on the real subject matter.

NigelS

[bts1970]

Fantastic, watching more & more BBC4 lately due to the content. I have to say that the delivery was superb, making a very complex element of the Great War easy to watch for those without background knowledge. Simple delivery yet very hard hitting, paying just respect to those who worked underground.

Let this be a lesson to others who make documentaries about subjects such as this. Get someone to research & present the programme who knows about the subject, lose the fancy graphics, keep the viewer interested. Simple is good, but I fear we will be awash with celebrity led programming in the years to come.

Well done Peter & the team, please can we have some more?

Bob

[Rockdoc]

Mine is yet another post full of praise for the programme. Having a background in mining engineering I thoroughly enjoyed Peter's presentation at the Conference and, like Centurion, wondered how similar it would be on TV. It did indeed complement the talk and the tone and presentation in the programme was superb throughout, with Peter giving all the facts without becoming an obtrusive feature himself. Other history presenters should take lessons from him! A textbook job, IMO, and left me - as everyone else it seems - wanting much more. What a shame it wasn't the first of a short series on the dig

Keith

[Pighills]

I did wonder if it was THE Simon Jones being interviewed!

Well done, you!

Roxy

Oops, I missed that, shall have to go back and review - sorry Simon.

[stripeyman]

I am as you may know very critical of Great War documentarys and films and this one was well made and well presented, so I have no grumbles at all.........

There needs to be a new look by the programe commisioners in that there does NOT need to be a well known celeb or journalist presenting the film. They must add considerably to the cost and in many cases have no empathy with the subject.

[rickpreston@nasuwt.net]

It was worth a whole years TV licence. Well done BBC.

I would pick just one hole, The program infered that all the miners came straight from the Coal Mines of Britain, what they miss out saying is that they also trawled through the troops who had already inlisted in to the infantry and had experence ofmMining.

eg Lance Corporal Harry Fitton, 2727, 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers (Royal Engineers, 178th Coy, No.14895990), killed by explosion 05.11.15 together with 6 others. Burried Norfolk Cemetery, Becordel-Becourt.

His whole family had been Coal Miners since the 1850,s moving from Middleton M/c to Worsley some time before1880's.

Harry went down the pit but then left it to work for the Prudential Ass. Co. By 1913 he had been promoted to superintendent slling Life Assurance and lived at Vioctoria terrace, Hooley Bridge, Heywood, Lancashire.

He had volunteered in late 1914 and went to France 04.05.1915. He obviously transfered from Lancs Fus. to Royal Engineers

Richard

Edited 21 May , 2013 by RJPreston

[steven belfast]

What a fantastic show from start to finish

[Dawley Jockey]

Superb programme from start to finish, having being fortunate to go down the first incline to the top of the first shaft, having now watched the programme only wish I could go further into the tunnels being an ex miner it would be fascinating to explore further.

[David_Blanchard]

Any idea of who was given the task of plunging (it that's the right verb) the plunger of the mine at Lochnagar? I assume there was only one plunger?

[anthony osborne]

Thanks for the i player link - sky box is on the blink and could get near the telly for the kids!

Ant

[Simon Jones]

Any idea of who was given the task of plunging (it that's the right verb) the plunger of the mine at Lochnagar? I assume there was only one plunger?

On 1 July 1916 Capt James Young fired the Lochnagar mine assisted by Lt Ralph Fox. Capt Hugh Kerr fired Y Sap assisted by Lt Ralph Hawtrey. Lt Stanley Bullock and 2/Lt Alexander McKay fired two camouflets in the mine system. Young never actually saw the crater as he was wounded on 8 July.

Simon

[David_Blanchard]

Simon,

Thanks for your reply. I was wondering if a record was kept. I take it these men were with the RE?

David

[spof]

Simon,

Thanks for your reply. I was wondering if a record was kept. I take it these men were with the RE?

David

David

179 Tunnelling Coy according to Simon's online records. https://sites.google.com/site/laboisselletunnellers/home/officers-179th-tunnelling-company

Glen

it's really not that scary when you're down there!

I have put the latest version of my database of La Boisselle Tunnellers online (over 1,000 men of 179th and 185th Tunnelling Companies), hoping for some more family contacts. https://sites.google...elletunnellers/

Simon

[spof]

Getting back to the documentary, if you liked it, let the BBC know too.

Glen

[mrjustinhayward]

What a superb documentary. I hope that it receives the recognition it deserves

Justin H

[Scalyback]

Another to add to the praise. Also a fan of the hat.

[Michelle Young]

Very good programme, well done to all concerned

Michelle

[Rob Connolly]

_{What an excellent programme! I can only underline what others have already said. Also, my heart was in my mouth during the team's descent into the narrow, friable, almost-a-century-old tunnellings. I am far too large, and far too chicken, to actually want to get into those tunnels, so thank you to Peter et al for doing the job by proxy. Oh - if Peter or Jeremy or Simon happen to be reading, there are always the mining operations culminating in Messines 1917 to be documented - a 2 hour special, methinks ...}

[Roxy]

Good call, Rob!

Roxy

[steven belfast]

Just watched it again was really touching to see and hear the emotion in the voice of Peter when he made it into the gallery were the 2 men were never recovered from

[Pighills]

I really felt Peter was there for us all at that moment,so touching.

[Mr Pighills]

Thoroughly enjoyed Peter's GWF Conference talk, the documentary and the study group website is fascinating.

Very much looking forward to following progress and another documentary wouldn't go amiss.

I might have to get myself a hat ...

[paul@bolton]

I have just watched the programme and can add nothing to previous comments except my personal admiration to all those concerned with this project and particularly to Peter Barton for his presentation skills. So obviously master of his subject but, at the same time, still in awe of what he was doing/seeing.

Hats off (no pun intended - well, not much) to all those involved.

And a significant first. I have never seen the GWF so united in praise of a TV programme!

Paul

[WilliamRev]

I saw this programme on Monday, and thought it was splendid - some new stuff, and all very sensitively handled.

My only gripe is that Peter switched from "X men killed" to "5000 casualties" back to "killed" then back again to "casualties". Now on this forum we all know the difference between killed and casualties, and that the former are very roughly one third of the latter, but the public often don't. It is no wonder that we keep reading that "60,000 British men died on 1st July 1916". This particular brand of sloppiness is widespread in TV documentaries, alas.

William