Hi,

I have recently discovered that my Great Grandfather who was a miner, was killed by an enemy mine in the Glory Hole. I have been to Lochnager Crater and I believe it's nearby, but could anybody say exactly where it is so that next time I go I can visit the actual site.

Thanks Les.

On the right in La Boisselle just before the turning to Lochnagar if you are coming from the direction of Albert.Glory Hole,two houses,garage then turning to crater.Hope they are still there next year.
Les

Thankyou for your reply. Will I be able to recognise it? Is it just wasteland or farmland? Don't really know what it will look like.

Les.

Hi Les,

As Les says it lies right alongside the road as an area of grass covered cratered land. You will spot it easily. The Glory Hole topic in Classic threads should be of interest too with some pictures etc:

Glory Hole to Disappear?, La Boisselle, Somme

Many Thanks, I hope I get there to see it. I went earlier in the year, but didn't know where he had died at that time. Les.

Les
May we ask who your Gt Grandfather was, and what was the date of his death - you never know what information that may uncover.
I'm sure you will already have found Simon Jones's web site regarding La Boiselle
http://freespace.virgin.net/simon.jones87/...lleContents.htm
Andy

I have heard there is a picture of a german strong point that was on lochnagar,that has been tipped back by the force has any one else heard of this?

Les & I have corresponded about William Arthur Lloyd killed in action 19/12/1915. He was killed when the Germans blew a mine near the Ilôt in the area called the Glory Hole. He was probably working in the gallery marked on the top right of the mining plan below as 'Destroyed by Enemy blow 9.12.15' [sic].
Click to enlarge:


I have marked the location of the Ilôt on the aerial photo below.
Click to view attachment


Biffo
I have not heard of this - the Lochnagar mine buried part of the Schwaben Hohe position. Your description reminds me of the photo of a German concrete bunker thrown onto its back by the mine at Factory Farm blown during the Battle of Messines on 7/6/1917.

Regards
Simon

There is a bunker on its side at Spanbroekmolen.

Chris C

thanks for that chaps,so ok I know this is a bit daft BUT,lochnagar big hole in ground nice man comes along says your not filling it in I buy it for ever and ever,what was there before the big hole?why just blow that bit up,bit basic I know but so am I

Hi
The guy in question is Richard Dunning and he acquired the land in 1978. This was due to the fact the local farmers were filling in the craters arouund them. Richard bought this site as a personal testiment to those who fought on July 1st 1916, as this was the largest explosion of the day...
Obviously they blew it up because there were Germans there.... and before that there were fields....
Seriously , if you look at the trench maps of the time, this was a slight bulge in the German front line. It was fortified with German bunkers and retained the high ground (as with everywhere along the front). Therefore a frontal attack would have been suicidal, as there were only roughly 50 yds in between the lines, with valleys on either side. To attack up the steep spur towards the village, and also along the unprotected valleys would have been suicidal.
Therefore it was decided to blow this posistion, but alas the Germans had wind of it and the rest they say...is History....
Cheers
Marc

Click to view attachmentagain thanks for that,in my picture im by the cross right hand side of lochnagar,sausage valley to my left glory hole up the road to my right,whats in front in my picture? simple and basic bit like me really

Hi
Why..... you have some poppies in front of your picture....
Seriously though, what you are looking at, is the 2 valleys either side and then the spur I mentioned earlier in front of you. See how the ground rises towards the village. To the right of the pic you have Usna Hill, to the left you have Tara Hill with Tara Redoubt. Where the line almost splits the pic in 2 at the bottom of the hills, then this is where the 34th Div (Tyneside Irish & Tyneside Scottish) attacked on 1st July. In the distance is Albert. If you buy the Topography of the Somme book, it will explain more. If you can find the book that is...
Cheers
Marc.

very big thank you marc,will be down somme way next easter looking for the glory hole,will look out for book,to see if I can make some sense of the topography of a war that had no sense to it
biff

Was here in the summer last year and i visited this place, and as you no its not accessible to the public, but the house nearest it has had an extension on the side of the house, and this is what came up from there excavations of the footings in the centre is a picket that will give you some sort of scale and this is not a hedge .

Hello,

French fought at the Glory Hole on december 1914, incurred heavy losses and some french headstones are in Ovillers british cemetery.

There was a cross to the "10ème régiment d'infanterie" at this palce:


Sly

Thanks Trenchwire & Sly. The cross is to the French 19th Regiment and is still there. For more on this Regiment at La Boisselle see my post.
Regards
Simon

I don't know if this thread is still active, anyway I've been to Lochnagar this July and The Glory Hole site was indicated...It was just a paper sign in a plastic folder, but it was visible. Coming from Albert, follow the sign leading to the "grande mine" (the Lochnagar crater) as you enter in La Boisselle (you have to turn right). Before arriving to the next sign for the crater, you will see on the right side of the road a sheet of paper with "The glory hole" written on it in a plastic envelope fixed to the wire that delimits the road. You can't get in anyway, the area is not accessible.

Elena

Hi thankyou, I am hoping to go out again in October so have been looking through the old posts and found this one, thankyou for your time.

Hi

Just come back from Ypres and The Somme - This is how it looked two weeks ago. Sign in plastic wallet!

Stuart

Les have you read Michael Steadman`s book on La Boisselle Battlefield Europe. I recently read it again and it often referes to Gorly Hole and will give you a better understanding. Hope this is useful.

Regards,

Phil

Hi

Re- The Glory Hole.

I am the author of 'A Hussar's War' (Mesopotamia). I have a second book that will have been published by the end of this year. This tells the story of my Uncle who was actually killed in the Glory Hole. A true account for those who collect stories of individual soldiers killed in the great war.
Regards
Harry

Hi Stuart
A great photo of how the Glory Hole looks today. I was just wondering if I may have your permission to use the photograph for my book that is about my uncle who was killed at the Glory Hole. I am new to the Great War Forum so I am beginning to find out that it has a lot of very interesting subjects and photos.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Harry

Harry

No problem at all, i'd be honoured. I have a better quality one that I can send, as the pics have to be limited to 100k. Let me know and I can send it to you.

Kind regards
Stuart