Tunnelling
15th Battalion men were attached or posted to a variety of tunnelling companies. Canadian Tunnelling Companies Distinguishing patch of the 2nd and 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Companies Click image to learn more Royal Engineers British Tunnelling Companies Click image to learn more Australian Tunneling companies Distinguishing patch of the 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company Click image to […]
Loos souterrain
Loos map Aerial view showing location of tunnels
Maison Blanche souterrain
In March 1917, as part of the British 1st Army, all four Divisions of the Canadian Corps moved into the area north of Arras on the Western Front in preparation for a deliberate attack against German defensive positions on Vimy Ridge that were widely regarded as almost impregnable. The main concern of the Canadian Corps […]
Exploring the souterrains
Journalist Richard Foote (left) and members of the 15th Battalion Memorial Project with Durand group member Phillip Robinson (centre) at the entrance to Maison Blanche. 2011 Several groups have devoted considerable effort to exploring the souterrains. The efforts of two of these groups is of interest. The Durand Group The Durand Group has its’ origins […]
The souterrains
The chalk areas of northern France contain numerous underground quarries (carrières) from which, since Roman times, stone has been extracted for buildings. At depths of between ten and twenty metres firm chalk can be ‘slabbed’ away and easily cut into suitably sized blocks. On exposure to air these harden into a soft limestone. Away from […]