Digging in the dark: the underground war on the Western Front in WWI

Banks, I. (2014) Digging in the dark: the underground war on the Western Front in WWI. Journal of Conflict Archaeology, 9(3), pp. 156-178. (doi: 10.1179/1574077314Z.00000000038)

Abstract

Throughout the First World War, with the trenches largely static, the combatants tried to break the deadlock by tunnelling under one another’s trenches. The Tunnelling Companies of the British Royal Engineers were engaged in a bitter struggle against German Pioneers that left both sides with heavy casualties. A project to determine the location of one particular act of heroism in that underground war has resulted in the erection of a monument to the Tunnellers at Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée in northern France.

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: Tunnelling Companies; Royal Engineers; William Hackett; Tunnellers’ Memorial; mine warfare
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Banks, Dr Iain
• Authors: Banks, I.
• Subjects: C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CC Archaeology; D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D501 World War I
• College/School: College of Arts > School of Humanities > History
• Research Group: Centre for Battlefield Archaeology
• Journal Name: Journal of Conflict Archaeology
• Journal Abbr.: JCA
• Publisher: W. S. Maney & Son Ltd
• ISSN: 1574-0773
• ISSN (Online): 1574-0781
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2014 W. S. Maney & Son Ltd
• First Published: First published in Journal of Conflict Archaeology 9(3):156-178
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.