Location of Wilfred Owen Dugout - Serre

[Glenn1916]

Hi,

Can any forum members give let me know the location of the dugout that inspired his poem 'The Sentry'.  Am I correct in thinking it is in the field to the left of Serre Road No 2 Cemetery and the Chapel?  

 

Many thanks 

[Ken Lees]

Yes, just to the left as you look at the cemetery from the road. There was an excavation some years ago which uncovered the trenches about 30-40 metres from the road. They didn't find the dugout apparently. A short time later, after the field had been levelled again, there was a collapse in the same area, which appeared to be a dugout. So they were very close. 

Edited 13 June , 2018 by Ken Lees

[horrocks]

If you walk down the verge you will find a small memorial to the three men whose remains were discovered during the excavation. The location of the dugout is a few feet into the field at that point.

Edited 13 June , 2018 by horrocks

[Glenn1916]

Thank you both, perfect that's is very helpful.  

 

[horrocks]

A short hand-held video that I made earlier this year whilst scouting for a project about Owen in which I have been involved. The object was to instruct a film crew as to the potential hazards of attempting to film in this location, so it serves to show the spot quite well.

 

http://vimeo.com/274981329

[nigelcave]

Yep, certainly thirty or forty metres in, the filming probably around fifteen years ago, they had to shift a medium calibre shell (and things delayed when the bodies were uncovered) and they could have got there (i.e. to the dugout) if there had not been such obsessive concern with preserving all archaeological aspects of the trenches etc. 

[horrocks]

As the camera pans over towards the cemetery you can see a small area distinguished by some chalk pebbles. I think that is probably the location of the tip of the Quadrilateral.

 

I think the excavation was in 2003. The No Mans Land group has also conducted an archaeoligical dig in the field, further over towards the chapel, investigating the Bayerngraben trench. They found no human remains, but significant quantities of general war detritus, including a January 1918 dated German cartridge case, presumably from the fighting of that year in this area.

Edited 14 June , 2018 by horrocks

[Glenn1916]

Excellent, thanks for the film clip very helpful and very clear on the location.  

 

[Skipman]

Does anyone have the google earth coordinates for this bunker, or the trench map coordinates?

Mike