smilingsixth Posted 11 December , 2003 Share Posted 11 December , 2003 Can anyone let me know what the Double Crassier was? not sure is it is man made or some sort of spoil heap. Many thanks - Simon Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted 11 December , 2003 Share Posted 11 December , 2003 Hello Simon The double Crassier at Loos, is as you say, spoil heaps created from mine working. http://www.1914-1918.net/BATTLES/bat13_loos/bat13_plan.htm Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 11 December , 2003 Share Posted 11 December , 2003 The "Double Crassier" as it appears today is nothing like that which the soldiers saw in 1915. Now it might be regarded as "Twin Peaks" or one of Madonna's cast offs. In 1915 spoil was run away from the mines by rail along what was in reality a railway embankment produced by tipping spoil at the end. Two such embankments in parallel existed - and can clearly be seen on trench maps. In 1915 the Germans had established Machine Gun posts inside the crassiers. They were taken (well, the ends were) on 25th September 1915 by the 47th London Division. The ends of the crassiers can still be seen today (I don't think they grew much longer after the war) but subsequently part of them has been buried under the "Twin Peaks" which dominate the area and stand out in the flat plain as viewed from Vimy or Notre Dame de Lorette. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 12 December , 2003 Share Posted 12 December , 2003 Literally, 'crassier' means 'dump'. An apt description as evidenced above. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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