The Tunnellers of the First World War [30min]

Aubrey Manning travels to Northern France where he goes deep underground beneath the battlefields of World War I to uncover the legacy of an underground war fought over 90 years ago. Aubrey meets members of the Durand group, a team of volunteer archaeologists, munitions experts, historians and both retired and serving soldiers. They're investigating a vast network of hundreds of miles of tunnels which criss-cross beneath France and Belgium. These tunnels were dug by skilled miners and used to support the fighting overhead in the trenches. Linking to deep below the battlefields, tunnels were vital for communication, joining army headquarters, relief supply depots, huge water reservoirs, chapels and hospitals. The tunnels were also crucial for laying mines and explosives. Specially-trained listeners could recognise the sound of enemy digging, mine-laying and even pick out the sounds of slugs. Their skills saved the lives of hundreds of men. Join Aubrey as he walks along the often cramped and claustrophobic tunnels to uncover the staggering story of World War I's underground war.