World War one from the air (1 Viewer)

[Rob]

Anyone else see this documentary last week?. It featured fascinating film of the Western front taken from a French airship in 1919. Amazing scenes of the devastated Ypres, Passchendaele and Messine ridge and the enormous mines exploded under the German lines on the day of the British attack. The explosion of these mines remains the biggest non nuclear man made explosion in history, resulting in ten thousand German defenders being vaporized. One British officer said before the explosions to his officers ' Gentlemen, we may not change History today, but we will change Geography'!.

It also featured the amazing and slightly humorous (by their own account) story of how just recently a Belgian Farmers wife, whilst on the way to her barn to fetch a ladder, disappeared into a huge hole that opened up underneath her. She found herself up to her waist in water in a network of perfectly preserved undiscovered British tunnels dug right under her farm

There was also the fascinating story of aerial photos and just how they were used.In a really quite sad story one photo showed an area of woodland that appeared totally innocent.However,unknown to the Brits there were German barracks hidden amongst them, they would have stayed that way had the Germans not dug vegetable patches outside them in their rest periods giving away their position to Allied aerial photographers. A sad picture taken some weeks later showed the trees,barracks and vegetable patches obliterated by shell holes.Just another sad story in the millions of sad stories in that war.

The reporter travelling in an air balloon then continued onto the Somme to look at the slaughter of British troops on the first day and included the awesome mine crater at lochnagar.

Superb docu and well worth seeing if you get the chance.

Rob

 

[trooper]

Reference the mines at Messines, two failed to explode on the day and the area was so churned up by the shelling that their location was lost. One exploded during a thunderstorm in the 1950s and the other still lurks, a potentially lethal hazard to the area.

 

[Rob]

Reference the mines at Messines, two failed to explode on the day and the area was so churned up by the shelling that their location was lost. One exploded during a thunderstorm in the 1950s and the other still lurks, a potentially lethal hazard to the area.

Yes indeed, I read recently that it had been found but they had dcided to leave it as is, quite creepy to think of that massive pile of explosive sitting under the Western front sweating away year after, must say you'd have thought once found they'd want it made safe. There are concerns of another mine under the Car Park at Vimy ridge and of fears of explosions due to vibration from coaches etc. I shall park up the road on my return next year!

The prog also featured the presenter and expert entering what I think may have been High Wood, this made me very envious as I've always just wanted to poke my head in there and have a look round (I know its private property) but my wife won't hear of it and strictly forbids me, meant to be quite dangerous in there.

Rob

 

[Mitch]

Rob..

Cheers for the review I have it in the planner but, not got round to watching it
Mitch