World One War: 'Vampire' Bunker
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In 1917 a world of Sub-terrain labyrinths were created in Flanders in order to escape the carnage of the First World War.
From 1916 till the end of the war, the area around Ypres saw some of the worst and horrifying attrition of the entire war. Not only have battles such as Ypres, Passchendaele and Vimy Ridge been seared onto the face of war, but the range of extensive tunnels and bunkers has virtually been forgotten.
In an area of 9 square miles, around half a million soldiers and civilians were killed and the ground blasted into a lunar landscape. In the Flanders landscape which was devoid of all cover, tunnelling was the only way to survive…
It is worth noting that in the last 2 years of the war, more people lived underground in the Ypres area than live above ground in the area today.
In order to escape the horrifying shelling and bombardment hundreds of tunnels were dug into the soft clay earth along the entire Western Front.
Dr. Peter Barton stated
“You have this ribbon of destruction that runs from the North Sea to the Swiss frontier. You've got these thousands of kilometres potentially of these dugouts, chambers, galleries and corridors and all too different depths and all with a limited lifespan.”
The reason for being named ‘Vampire’ was that along the entire front, the front itself was divided into sectors. The ‘Vampire’ Bunker was dug and used in the sector which corresponded to the letter V. Other Dugouts and bunkers in the area would have had names beginning with V.
The construction of ‘Vampire began in early 1918 close to the village of Zonnebeke by the 171st Tunnelling Company of the Royal Engineers.
The Royal engineers were paid 3 times as much as ordinary soldiers and held rank over the ordinary ‘tommy’. These men were often from mining or sewers backgrounds are were used to working below ground. The engineers used rail irons interspersed with wooden beams combined with the pressure of thousands of tons of earth to create a virtually indestructible complex which withstood the pounding of artillery.
According to the sparse original maps drawn by the Engineers, an elaborate complex was created which held a hospital, chapel, mess rooms, kitchens and workshops. Despite this though, with original maps scattered throughout Europe, it is unlikely a true image of the Engineers work will ever be fully seen. The collapse of the tunnels, and the dangers they pose 97 years on to the local populace, adds urgency to the drive to uncover them.
The tunnel system was briefly captured and occupied by the Germans in 1918 during their ‘Kaiserschlacht’ offensive during the spring of 1918.
Following the war, the returning civilians paid little attention to the shattered landscape or the mass of works beneath the surface. The tunnels were subsequently lost as time moved on.
In 2007, an expedition led by Military Historian Peter Barton and Battlefield archaeologist Dr Tony Pollard from Glasgow University decided to uncover the ‘Vampire’.
Following the unearthing of the entrance to the original shaft, the group followed its course down 50ft below the surface, after pumping out hundreds of tons of water.
Peter Barton noted
“The most impressive artefact is the structure itself. It offers the opportunity to understand the endeavour and meticulousness that went into what was the only viable place where the men could live in the forward zone.”
At the bottom of the shaft, the archaeological team discovered a 30ft long section of tunnel which had two stairwells to the surface and bunks for the accommodation of 60 men.
In particular, an array of find were discovered which included .303 Lee-Enfield Ammunition, a moustache comb and an original bottle of HP Sauce.
The scorch marks left by the heat of guttering candles were still visible on the walls.
The ‘Vampire’ Bunker complex is an important historical find, not only to the First World War but the Royal Engineers who created the labyrinths. Dr. Barton stressed that thousands of tunnel systems were constructed and are still beneath the scarred landscape.
The survey of this site and find, shows new evidence of the experiences of the ‘Tunnelling heroes’
The uncovering of ‘Vampire’ was subject to a Channel 4 ‘Time Team’ Documentary “The Lost WW1 Bunker” which chartered the initial excavation by Dr. Peter Barton and Dr Tony Pollard.
If YOU want to learn more about the brutal war beneath the surface and the bravery of the unsung tunnelling heroes of the British Army, check out Dugout WW1 and get your FREE EDITION
Froggy213 Level 4 Commenter 13 months ago
Good hub!