Good Evening.
Just been reading a book that mentions a large concentration of caves or dugouts called the Fellsen Keller at Miraumont that were used by the Germans, do they still exist or are there any remains to see?
Best Regards Andy.
Full Version: Miraumont dugouts?
Not heard of this before. A quick search on goggle got this page..but my German is poor..ney non existent!
https://www2.landesarchiv-bw.de/ofs21/olf/s...eKlassi=002.002
I will follow this with interest as 21st div fought round here in 1918.
Regards
Arm
https://www2.landesarchiv-bw.de/ofs21/olf/s...eKlassi=002.002
I will follow this with interest as 21st div fought round here in 1918.
Regards
Arm
QUOTE (andy pugh @ Nov 5 2009, 08:04 PM) 
Good Evening. Just been reading a book that mentions a large concentration of caves or dugouts called the Fellsen Keller at Miraumont that were used by the Germans, do they still exist or are there any remains to see?
Best Regards Andy.
Best Regards Andy.
I would guess that these would be the caves at the back of Miraumont Station. I await confirmation from someone who knows the area well. I was shown this site by Iain McHenry after we had had a walk through Boom Ravine.
Two photos - from a distance and a close up look. You could feel the cold air of the breeze flowing out of here.
That's the place! Recognised it immediately.
..but would you have recognised it in 1916 Jeremy? Looked a bit different then!
Jack
Click to view attachment
Jack
Click to view attachment
I went into those positions in Miraumont quarries back in the 80s and again in the 90s. They once had wooden bunks in them, or the remains of, and plenty of wine bottles. It was my understanding they were billets in 1916, but I have since heard them described as a 'hospital'. What have your sources thrown up, Jack?
Paul
It was an extremely significant site and very extensive. I featured it, including a map dating to Nov 1916, in my Germans at Thiepval guide (p 144). Unfortunately I am in UK, separated from my papers, and cannot post a copy of the map, which details how space was allocated within the workings. At that time it had two main entrances and two more being constructed. There were also ammunition and ration stores hacked back into the chalk face. A 1929 visitor from Marine IR 1, Theodor Kinder, wrote about it, 'From Achiet le Petit we made our way to Miraumont, a station on the Albert-Arras line. Here there was an enormous chalk mine, big enough to house several regiments. Whilst the battle for Courcelette was raging, it was an important location for housing reserves and supplies. In those days we called it the Heldenkeller [Heroes' Cellar!]. We found that it had returned to its peaceful purpose as a place where chalk is mined.'
Jack
It was an extremely significant site and very extensive. I featured it, including a map dating to Nov 1916, in my Germans at Thiepval guide (p 144). Unfortunately I am in UK, separated from my papers, and cannot post a copy of the map, which details how space was allocated within the workings. At that time it had two main entrances and two more being constructed. There were also ammunition and ration stores hacked back into the chalk face. A 1929 visitor from Marine IR 1, Theodor Kinder, wrote about it, 'From Achiet le Petit we made our way to Miraumont, a station on the Albert-Arras line. Here there was an enormous chalk mine, big enough to house several regiments. Whilst the battle for Courcelette was raging, it was an important location for housing reserves and supplies. In those days we called it the Heldenkeller [Heroes' Cellar!]. We found that it had returned to its peaceful purpose as a place where chalk is mined.'
Jack
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