Digging for Victory

Hi Folks, I'm currently in the front line in Houses number 9 and 10. Its been a bit of a hot one the last few days. We came in on the evening of the 26th and its gradully got a lot worse with shelling and bombing. Its not so bad in the houses but the Hun has been firing quite a few rifle grenades at us and we reckon he's going to make an attack. I may have to break off and go to the barracade at the end  of House 10 to repulse him.

The week started off all very differently. I thought I'd left the pits of northern England and the Welsh valleys behind but now I find I'm going to be working in the bowels of the earth once more.

I spent the 23rd to the 26th in Billets. This was partly at rest and recreation, in the estaminets as usual, and partly assisting with plans of a subterranean kind.

When I last wrote the HQ had called up anyone who had mining experience to help plan digging a tunnel under the Huns front line. Yours truly has volunteered in an advisory capacity. I have many years of working down the pit. I'm only 20 but I've been working in the pits for 6 years. I've worked in Rotherham, Bury and Merthyr Tydfil, so I have plenty of experience of different mining conditions.

The top brass wanted a tunnel digging from the houses near the front line under the houses occupied by the Hun and onwards under the Huns front line. This was to be dug about 15 to 20 yards below ground level, near enough to come up under the Hun but deep enough so as he can't hear us or the roof of the tunnel can't be easily supported.

So it was, lots of plans were drawn up with regards to the construction, the roofing and lining materials and the wagon systems to remove the dirt dug out. The land around here is manly clay so we would have soft going but it would be slow because of the damp conditions. This threw up another thing we had to work out, how to drain the tunnel. Then there was also how to ventilate it to ensure the tunnellers didn't suffocate.

We had sappers and engineers within the battalion but not enough to dig the tunnel or to completely design and construct it. So myself and others like me gave advice and assistance. More volunteered to do the digging. They thought it was better than sitting in the trenches getting their head shot off or blown off. Little did they know the dangers of mining. I'd seen plenty of roof collapses with men buried and we had to dig them out before they suffocated. Some were crushed to death. Now here in Le Touquet digging a mere 15 yards below ground level with impromptu roof supports and cladding I could only see the danger.  It seemed a pity, either get your head blown off above ground level or crushed and suffocated below. Not a choice I liked and if possible I was going to try and stay away from both.

So the time from the 23rd to the 26th has been taken up with forming working parties and commencing work on constructing the necessary components to build the tunnel. Fritz hasn't helped because he is constantly shelling Le Touquet every day. Its more of a nuisance and we have to take to the basements or blast trenches if out in the open. We've constructed quite a few of these around Le Touquet to allow is to go below ground level to prevent the blast of nearby shell bursts from hitting us or flying debris ripping us apart.

The engineers are constructing the waggons to remove the tunnelled material, the tunnel supports

Sorry folks the shout has gone up so I'm having to go to the barricade, looks like the Hun is attacking. Will write tomorrow if still here, alive that is.