Tonight's BBCFour TV, WW1 TUNNELLING Companies (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Monday, May 20, 2013, 17:53 (4199 days ago)

Many Foresters have ancesters who were miners before and during the Great War. Large numbers of these men volunteered to join the British Army, although in later months this was reduced as the Government realised the importance of maintaining mines output. When it was clear the War had settled into the "stalemate" deadlock of trench warfare, those soldiers with mining experience were often transferred to the "new" Tunnelling Companies being formed within the Royal Engineers. Indeed historically the RE had evolved from the Sappers & Pioneers that served centuries earlier, the lowest ranking soldiers are still called Sappers not Privates, and a Sap is the term for a form of trench.

This has been discussed here in the past, such as
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=20751
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=37883

(These and all other links are best opened into a new tab or Window)

Apologies for the late notice due to my sickly pc, but tonight BBC Four are showing a new documentary on this subject that hopefully will interest anyone with WW1 mining roots. First shown at 9pm, I believe it will be repeated later in the helpfull BBC Four manner, and available on the BBC iPlayer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01skvnh

Later update: This whole programme may now be viewed on Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc9s3ZMYIec

The programme's excellent webpage includes a few film clips, plus some excellent resources links such as the ever-usefull Long Trail site. This shows the original eight Companies; as can be seen the second one formed, the 171st, drew on the men of Monmouthshire. It should also be noted that many of our ANZAC and Canadian allies served in their own Tunnelling Companies.
http://www.1914-1918.net/tunnelcoyre.htm

Another site is new to me but I will return very soon as it lists complete details of all the members of two of the Tunnelling Companies,
https://sites.google.com/site/laboisselletunnellers/home
Initial browsing these lists shows these brave men were drawn from Regiments from the traditional mining areas such as Notts, Durham, South Wales and so on.

I do hope this subject and programme is of interest, it certainly covers an element of the War that has been somewhat overlooked in the past, yet for many brave tough men this grim life was the daily norm.