Underground War

"The Underground War" is the story of the archaeological dig, searching for the least known front of the Great War: The War Underground. We follow each step of this fascinating dig, from the initial search for the entrance to the dugout, the euphoria over its discovery in an unexpected place, and the meticulous high-tech exploration of the site forty feet below the surface.

For 90 years, the dugout has been filled with cold, anaerobic water, which has left its interior exactly as it was when it was abandoned by troops at the end of the war. No one has ever seen a dugout so perfectly preserved.

As the dig proceeds, we use the discovery of each part of the dugout to retell the evolution of the underground war. Through reconstruction and computer modeling, we see glimpses of how the underground war evolved. Each stage of the underground war will be illustrated with stories of real events, captured in the diaries and letters of soldiers.

We get to know the diggers along the way as well. Among them are Peter Barton, the articulate and keen military historian; Tony Pollard, the claustrophobic Director of the Centre for Battlefield Archaeology at Glasgow University; and Johann Vandewalle, a local Flemish ex-miner who has been exploring dugouts in Flanders since he was thirteen years old. (Source: The Science Channel)