Opening up 1915 trench.

Got any more? Very interesting. Who are these men, and are you one of them?

Robbie

Hi Robbie,

I was that busy banging the photo's in I mist your reply.

The men are the Diggers.

I have many more I have taken the best five I will post tomorrow.
I am to my limit of space available to me for today.

Regards Frans

Hi Frans. Who are they? Archaeologists? Aussies?

did someone made notes of where wat was found?

Did someone measured the trench?

Hi Ktristof,

While I was there every thing was photographed extensively and catalogued. Besides that the Police was present all afternoon and because of the great amount of shells around the dig the MOD from Houthulst cleared the ammo at six o'clock to save souvenier hunters taking them.

Regards, Frans

Hi Robbie,

I know they have a licence to dig from Brussels. They are Belgian volunteers and some are from the village of Boezinghe. As I understand they have been doing these kind of digs for many years around this area.

Frans

what are they doing with the findings?

I have no idea, the MOD took the majority away as it was munitions.
The rest I don't know. The best place to ask is the Flanders field museum. I understand they work together.

Frans

I just was told a few days ago they take the best things home and let the rest rot...

They found a German Stirn or Graben panzer. I did not ended up in a museum, but in a digger's private collection

by the way,


this was also discovered today, somewhere else.

I could watch it...



Not by the diggers, but other people.

Kristof.. I noticed the tires in your picture, were they just dumped there or are they part of some escavation equipment? Andy

Next to the exclavation site there was a farm... he is using them to cover up silo's...

Kristof,
Do you happen to have a photo of such piece of equipment ? Or a link to a photo on a webpage ?

Aurel

It was on the Dutch forum Aurel:

The guy who is memeber of the remaining Diggers proudly presented his "Hunting Trophee".

the topic:
http://www.forumeerstewereldoorlog.nl/view...der=asc&start=0

the picture:

Thanks, Kristof.
Hadn't noticed it there.
And since I am no longer in touch ...

Aurel

The last five.

Ammunition waiting to be collected by the DOVO.

Part of today's harvest

Police and MOD.

The men from the DOVO clearing the munitions.

Back of the DOVO-MOD lorry.

Here is the website of The Diggers, and not to be confused with members of the Austrailian Imperial Force:

The Diggers [The Netherlands]
The Diggers are a team of enthusiasts diggings for World War I relics. We often refer to ourselves as amateur-archaeologists, hoping that the 'real' professional archaeologists will not take offence at this, as our field is a lot more limited. For the past years we have been active especially on a Boezinge battlefield site (near Ypres (Ieper), in the west of Belgium).
http://www.diggers.be/

This is the new and correct URL of my website. (Since I am no longer a member of the team it has not been updated for the past one and a half years.)

http://www.wo1.be/diggers

(But until the end of March 2006 there is an automatic redirection from the URL mentioned by BB)

And let there be no doubt : I am not Dutch, but Belgian. (Whether I am proud of it is another matter. Let's say I am Flemish.

Aurel

I will update the CEF Study Group recommended website listing abstract to more accurately reflect the current situation. Thanks.

Missed this one. Shovel and pickaxe head.

This is one for the fireplace collection, a gas grenade. The MOD men put on two pair of gloves to pick these up because they can cause cancer.

Not for that!! but because they can sweat out the mustard gas and they can be full with cristals of gas >>>> big blisters.

The stupid guy (sorry) holding it, can have big burn blisters now if a few cristals touched his skin!!

Mustard gas can cause cancer, yes, but the blisters are more dangerous.

I have searched all day and I found it. Up to now there was only one snipershelmet kown to be in existence. The picture is of the one in the museum. It weighs 6.5 kilo's. The helmit is part of the KLA collection.

Talking to one of the leaders of the diggers he showed this picture of the helmet they had found a couple of weeks earlier. The find is extremely unique.

He also told me they had found the remains of two german snipers helmets but in very bad condition.

Please don't ask me where it is now, I suggest you make contact with the flanders field museum where I should immagine it will be displayed.

Frans

Its great to see how these dangerous items are handled, great Health & Safety !!

If they were found in the UK, Half the Town would be evacuated before they touched it !!!!!

Todya i had contact with the man of the MOD/DOVO (one of the ones on the pictures).

He told me that the Digger holding the gas shell has blisters now on his arm!!!

You see ammo is no joke!!!

This is taken in the UK .Safety equipment comprised of Leather Gloves .High Vis Jacket .and Shower proof clothing..recovering live 3" HE and Phos mortar rounds
Click to view attachment

I have just come back from Patrick van Wanzeele's (man holding gass grenade) house, and I am pleased to say his arms are as clean as a whissle. Must have been somebody else.

Just to clarify the situation.

German sniper helmet nr.1 - is already at the Hooghe Crater Museum.

German sniper helmet nr.2 - is being preserved, but will end up in a museum.

Third helmet of which a picture is on a previous posting- being preserved and going to be displayed at the Flanders Field Museum for all to see. Classed as a historic find.

I have been informed that a new web site is going to be made in conjuction with the 'In Flanders Field Museum'.

I understand that none of the members of the Diggers are actually members of this forum, so therefore can't really defend themselves on any postings made.

The Belgian government who issue the licence to dig, The support of the town hall of Ieper and working together with the In Flanders Field museum seem to me that they are well thought of. They are bound by rules as well.

If you can get the opportunity to spend a day with these people I can highly recommend it. They made me very welcome and shared there great knowledge with me.

Frans

Good that Patrick has no blisters.

But it is still stupid to pick it up whitout gloves!

Getting down to the bottom of the 1915 trench.

Trench mortar. "Toffee Apple".

English shovel.

Spoon + bajonet.

Spent bullits.

Might I ask what the recording strategy is for the site? Also where one might read reports of their work?

I am sorry Martin I have not replied to this. Next week I am seeing Patrick and wil put your question's to him. I will come back to you as soon as possible.

Regards, Frans

Frans
Could we not post this stuff in the main heading rather than a place to play - not everyone looks in here and this is very interesting stuff.
Glyn

Hello Glyn,

It is up to the Forum where they would like to put this material. I put it here because I was convinced that many people would be interested in what is done regarding excavations. They are given the opportunity to make a copy of the pictures and I don't feel to guilty of using to much space on the forum because in due time they can clean up this space.

If the members would like it, I can keep the forum updated with the excavations that are going on, and put more detail with the pictures.

There are foto's available of finds over the last year which have not been published. If people would like to see the bigger finds I wil be pleased to post them. One these finds was of course the german snipers helmet where still there is hardly any info on, next week I receive pictures of a flying pig they unearthed.

The picture below was taken about 200 yards away where a british heavy artillery batterie had stood. As you can see in some of the pictures the land is being prepared for development of the industrial estate.


regards frans

Unique german snipers helmet. As far as we have been able to find out it is only the second one we know of. The first being in the KLA collection. If anybody knows anything more about the helmet, we would greatly appreciate any information, because we are a bit stumped.

The picture on the left shows how it came out of the ground. It was found at a depth of five meters, main reason for being so well preserved. The picture on the right is after being preserved.

Head on vieuw. You can see the space for the rifle and two very small slots for the eyes. We understand the helmet used with a protective armour plate for the rifle, would have made this soldier a very small target.

Martin,

As the diggers work under license and supervision of the V.I.O.E. I think their archives is the place where their reports end up. Besides, large parts of the terrain displayed in the pictures has allready been excavated by the V.I.O.E., I did part of my placement there last summer. Although I have to say that the finds in the trenches the diggers excavated are much richer than what we found, which was hardly anything.
If I am correct, than the terrain in the pictures will become industry zone in the near futur.

regards,

Bert

Thanks Bert
Always interesting to know how these things are managed, particularly as I've worked with Marc and Mathieu in the past.

I know the site you mean if it's the industrial estate.

Best

Martin

That is correct Bert, most foto's in the posting are near to the canal. The helmet was found closer to where you were digging.

Regards, Frans

Very interesting pictures. Hopefully tammilnad will post future pictures for us. Cheers Neil.

I will do that with great pleasure, Frans

Frans
Very interesting pictures. Sorry I may have missed it, but what is your connection to the diggers. You should be official photographer at least.
Digging up old munitions is not a task I'd fancy, even with "gloves on".Some of them look dangerous even through the computer screen.
Let us see if you get any more pics, please.