shelley Posted 16 December , 2007 Share Posted 16 December , 2007 Thank You to John and Scottie, cheers Shelley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Rice Posted 18 December , 2007 Share Posted 18 December , 2007 What a wonderful thread this is. The photo's are so clear and beautiful and the work done by the diggers will be of benifit for generations. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 12 January , 2008 Share Posted 12 January , 2008 A small update on the latest dig. It is a new building plot south of the Yorkshire trench which is going to be developped. The english 1917 frontline cuts throught the plot and already over the last few weeks a large number of lievens morters have been recovered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 12 January , 2008 Share Posted 12 January , 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted 12 January , 2008 Share Posted 12 January , 2008 Great pictures Frans, looks like quite a haul. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 12 January , 2008 Share Posted 12 January , 2008 Link to the german television channel WDR who made a report about WW1 around Ieper. Link http://www.wdr.de/themen/global/webmedia/w...;b=014&ex=2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnreed Posted 12 January , 2008 Share Posted 12 January , 2008 Brilliant work as per normal by de-diggers, you never cease to amaze me, by what de-diggers find. Regards to you all John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 12 January , 2008 Share Posted 12 January , 2008 Excellent photographs. No baseplates? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 12 January , 2008 Share Posted 12 January , 2008 Hi Ian, No base plates today, but we have recovered about a dozen over the past two weeks. Frans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 13 January , 2008 Share Posted 13 January , 2008 Great pictures Frans, thanks for posting them and keeping us up to date. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 13 January , 2008 Share Posted 13 January , 2008 Hi Frans, Thanks for the reply. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 13 January , 2008 Share Posted 13 January , 2008 Just to make things complete, some base plates found a couple of weeks ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaymen Posted 13 January , 2008 Share Posted 13 January , 2008 Thanks for latest update Frans and keeping us posted of De Diggers latest work Cheers Glyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 26 January , 2008 Share Posted 26 January , 2008 No it is not a new monument marking the spot where the international trench was but a giant deepfreeze. Below this building around a 120 soldiers remains were recovered over the years. It is a sad sight that the spot is now well and truly covered over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 26 January , 2008 Share Posted 26 January , 2008 Some pictures of this afternoon. Uncovering of a 1916 trench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted 26 January , 2008 Share Posted 26 January , 2008 Frans What a great find, it looks in really good condition. Have you any idea what year it was likely to have been constructed? Edit: "Uncovering of a 1916 trench" is a bit of a clue to when it was constructed Best regs Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 26 January , 2008 Share Posted 26 January , 2008 Excellent photos of the trench. Those mortar base plates would make excellent bowls for my hen food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warbuff1 Posted 29 January , 2008 Share Posted 29 January , 2008 Fantastic photos..very interesting finds and still so much intact it seems in this area. Will be visiting week comm 13th April are De Diggers 'On site' anywhere then? Would be great to watch and admire you guys in action Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roel22 Posted 29 January , 2008 Share Posted 29 January , 2008 No it is not a new monument marking the spot where the international trench was but a giant deepfreeze. Below this building around a 120 soldiers remains were recovered over the years. It is a sad sight that the spot is now well and truly covered over. Let's be happy de diggers got there first, so these 120 men could get a proper burial before the bulldozers arrived... Roel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 30 January , 2008 Share Posted 30 January , 2008 Fantastic photos..very interesting finds and still so much intact it seems in this area. Will be visiting week comm 13th April are De Diggers 'On site' anywhere then? Would be great to watch and admire you guys in action Wayne Wayne if you pm me nearer the date I can let you know where we are at that moment. Frans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warbuff1 Posted 30 January , 2008 Share Posted 30 January , 2008 Ok cheers for that Fran will certainly be in touch with you Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 3 February , 2008 Share Posted 3 February , 2008 Some pictures from this afternoon. Conditions very wet and extremely heavy digging conditions. Pictures are of a 2nd line 1915 trench. The trench is very wide, could be a position where they fired trench mortars from. The last foto shows a small channel under the duckboards which could mean they had some kind of drainedge system in 1915. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted 3 February , 2008 Share Posted 3 February , 2008 Hello Frans Another set of great photos. I find it unbelieveable that almost intact systems like this are so close to the surface, and in such good condition. Did you have an idea that the trenches existed before you started digging or was its discovery a complete surprise? Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 3 February , 2008 Share Posted 3 February , 2008 Frans - As Max picks up on, the duckboards are very close to the (current) surface - would there have been breastworks as well or has the surface changed over the years. I presume the first of these? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frans Posted 3 February , 2008 Share Posted 3 February , 2008 Hello Frans Another set of great photos. I find it unbelieveable that almost intact systems like this are so close to the surface, and in such good condition. Did you have an idea that the trenches existed before you started digging or was its discovery a complete surprise? Andy No surprise Max. It is in fact the same trench as the yorkshire trench going south east. I think without looking the 1917 was called Nile or white trench. The 1915 second line trench runs close to the 17 trench. Should be some very good weeks coming up. There is a dug out close by but we have found no entrance yet. We have removed about 30 livens morters which indicate we should be in the right spot. Livens were fired from the dug out. Frans - As Max picks up on, the duckboards are very close to the (current) surface - would there have been breastworks as well or has the surface changed over the years. I presume the first of these? There would have been breastworks, but it also looks like about 12 inches has been taken of the top layer some years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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