Caption: The desolate landscape at Éparges
About the talk: In 1914, the ancient siegecraft of military mining was revived with the onset of trench warfare. As it escalated, it drew in thousands of skilled miners and mining engineers to dig hundreds of miles of tunnels and detonate thousands of underground charges of up to 50 tonnes, leaving the landscape permanently scarred. It is a story of heroism and endurance, constant danger, rescue and even underground combat. This also examines whether mining could have solved the problems of trench warfare. This talk derives from Simon's recent book 'The War Underground 1914-18 Tactics and Equipment' (link: https://simonjoneshistorian.com/2024/05/24/war-underground-osprey/ ) It includes specially commissioned artwork and many previously unseen photographs.
Book and author: signed copies of the book are available on request
(link: https://simonjoneshistorian.com/2024/05/24/war-underground-osprey/ )
About the speaker: Simon Jones (pictured) writes books about gas warfare and underground warfare in the Great War. Formerly a curator at the Royal Engineers and King’s Regiment Museums, he has lectured at Liverpool and Lancaster Universities and led battlefield tours to many destinations around the world. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Association, he blogs at https://simonjoneshistorian.com/
German miners tunnelling
This online talk: opens at 19:20 for a 19:30 start, ending at about 20:35. Participating is quick and easy. The only equipment you need is a computer, or a tablet, or a smart phone. Simply email wfa.nwkent@gmail.com for your link and the passcode, which we'll send out on the morning of the talk. You'll also be automatically be added to the mailing list to keep you updated with future events. You can unsubscribe from this at any time.