|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 6, 2013 0:23:40 GMT 12
Here is an excellent and rather amazing documentary on a deep underground dugout that was created by tunnelers near Ypres in Belgium in 1917-1918.
I'll throw this into the NZ WWI Army board as kiwi tunnellers were digging the same sort of structures at the same time. They also worked on the Messines Ridge explosions also detailed here.
Made by Time Team's crew but the only regular on screen is Tony Robinson.
Highly recommended viewing.
|
|
|
|
Post by flyjoe180 on Jul 8, 2013 11:33:24 GMT 12
Thanks for that link Dave, I'll be sure to have a look when I have more time as it is quite long.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 9, 2013 0:15:10 GMT 12
Another superb Time Team WWI dig
|
|
|
|
Post by ngatimozart on Jul 9, 2013 13:08:58 GMT 12
Those tunnels they dug for the mines. Wouldn't like that job, but some of those mines were huge. I'll have a look at those later when got time as they both look very interesting.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 9, 2013 14:09:44 GMT 12
These two shows are not about the mine tunnels as such, the dugout was for living in and the other one is a massive underground flame thrower.
Both incredible stories.
|
|
|
|
Post by ngatimozart on Jul 12, 2013 10:19:32 GMT 12
They were both very good shows and very well worth the watch. That Livens flame projector was an appalling weapon. Pleased that it is forbidden under the Geneva Convention.
|
|
|
|
Post by corsair5517 on Jul 12, 2013 19:47:06 GMT 12
That flamethrower was a beast, eh; hideous piece of kit!!
Both programmes are well worth the watch.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 12, 2013 23:05:20 GMT 12
I am really glad the Livens projector was on our side. One of the few weapons that actually got the front lines moving forward. Horrible as it was though.
|
|
|
|
Post by ngatimozart on Jul 13, 2013 9:32:04 GMT 12
There was a WW1 vet just down the road from where I grew up as a kid. Dad told me he'd been gassed on the Western Front. Old Bill always walked with a stoop and Dad said that was from the war as well. Real nice old bloke too. I suppose we could say the same about the nukes dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki - terrible weapons but glad they were on our side. I suppose that they were life savers because it was reckoned that they saved 2 million lives that would have been lost in the invasion of Japan. The whole time I was in uniform, it wasn't nukes that frightened me. It was biological and chemical weapons as well as fire. The biologics and chemical weapons are so insidious. At least with a nuke you know your buggered when it goes bang, but the biologics and chemicals you don't know they are present until people around you start dropping like flies. Then it is too late.
|
|
