The underground war 1914-18: the geology of the Beecham dugout, Passchendaele, Belgium

The underground war 1914-18: the geology of the Beecham dugout, Passchendaele, Belgium. Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, 112, 263-274. The Beecham dugout is Situated close to the crest of the Passehendaele Ridge to the cast of the Belgian town of Ypres (leper). Fears over the stability of the excavation, which was discovered by accident, created an opportunity for emergency archaeological and geological investigations. This provided a unique opportunity to examine the geological constraints on dugout excavation in this region during the Great War, namely: (1) position relative to water tabled (2) geotechnical properties of the soils: and (3) ground cover. The dugout is shallow (2 m deep) and excavated in a basic T-shape, with accommodation for 66 men and four officers. It is cut within silty-sand levels at the base of the Gent Formation (Paniselian of previous authors) and was ultimately wet, the sands being irregularly oxidized, possibly by the ingress of air following drawdown of water into the chamber. All other known British dugouts in the region are deeper, providing greater protection from howitzer shell fire.