2012 , David Rakowski, Peter Barton, Simon Jones, Jones, Simon Peter Rakowski, Barton, , David La Boisselle Study Group Group Study La Boisselle Archaeological Report: 2012 Report: Archaeological Anthony Byledbal Jeremy Banning, Iain McHenry, Jonathan Porter, Richard Banning, Porter, McHenry, Porter Jonathan Iain Jeremy Archaeology carried out under the direction of Anthony Byledbal La Boisselle Study Group 2 La Boisselle Study Group Archaeological Report: 2012 Contents 1 Site information .................................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Identification Sheet ...................................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Archaeological Operation .......................................................................................................... 4 2 Geographical context........................................................................................................................... 6 3 Historical context ................................................................................................................................. 9 3.1 1914 ................................................................................................................................................... 9 3.2 1915 ................................................................................................................................................. 10 3.3 1916 ................................................................................................................................................. 19 4 Objectives for 2012 ............................................................................................................................ 23 5 Results..................................................................................................................................................... 26 5.1 The farmstead .............................................................................................................................. 30 5.1.1 S4.0 — Stable ...................................................................................................................... 32 5.1.2 S4.2 — The living quarters .......................................................................................... 38 5.1.3 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 42 5.2 The Trenches ................................................................................................................................ 43 5.2.1 S4.1 — Stable trench ...................................................................................................... 46 5.2.2 S3 — Quémar trench....................................................................................................... 51 5.2.3 S6 — Le Bihan trench/Scone Street ......................................................................... 54 5.2.4 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 58 5.3 The underground system ........................................................................................................ 59 5.3.1 S1.0 — X Incline ................................................................................................................. 60 5.3.2 S1.1 — Underground chamber at the bottom of X Incline ............................. 64 5.3.3 S7.0 — W Incline ............................................................................................................. 66 5.3.4 S5 — Air Pump chamber (Fig.37) ............................................................................ 72 5.3.5 S2 — W Shaft Chamber and W Adit .......................................................................... 76 5.3.6 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 82 Appendices ..................................................................................................................................................... 88 3 La Boisselle Study Group Archaeological Report: 2012 We are indebted to our sponsors, volunteers and supporters. Thanks in particular to: . Mme. Claudie Llewellyn-Lejeune . Mme. Line Wattraint et Famille Wattraint . Stéphane Brunel . Georges Vanderbulke . Thierry and Marion Villain . Eric Delporte . Daniel Deschamps & GEIOS . Brian Powell . Des Mullaney . Sébastien Pronier . Siebe Gorman . BACTEC . Lyon Equipment . Sophie Carluer . Fanette Pocentek & Romain Leroy . Rebecca Prissette . Margaret Beach, Tim Beach, Arthur Beach & Maxim Davys . Multi-Limn . Frankham Consultancy . Richard Cooke & Gareth Morris . The Corps of Royal Engineers . Royal Engineers Museum . ONAC . Securité Civile . Service Déminage . Nicolas Corselle Cover photo : Paul Hewitt 4 La Boisselle Study Group Archaeological Report: 2012 1 Site information 1.1 Identification Sheet Department: Somme (80) Commune: La Boisselle Postal Code: 80 615 Address: rue de la 34e Division Site name: Le Gris Champ Land Register: Plots 199, 200, 201, 92, 87, 197, 198, 193 et 195a Land owners: Claudie Llewellyn Lejeune, Lysiane Sevin Lejeune, Françoise Daumal Lejeune Map coordinates: (Lambert 93) X: 677748 - Y: 6991165 (Lambert II) X: 625358 - Y: 2558112 Geographic coordinates: Longitude: 02° 41’ 23.1’’ E - Latitude: 50° 01’ 07.0’’ N Altitude: 95 metres 1.2 Archaeological Operation Archaeological authorisation number: 10124 Authorisation holder: Peter Barton Person in charge: Peter Barton Reporting organisation: La Boisselle Study Group Stripped area: 700 m2 Excavated area: 250 m2 Approximate size of the site: 2,47 ha Periods of work: From 30 April to 14 May 2012 From 24 September to 5 October 2012 Chronology: 1880-1920 Type of vestiges: Farmstead; trenches, tunnel entrances and underground galleries of the Great War 5 La Boisselle Study Group Archaeological Report: 2012 Main results 2012: Archaeological studies of the south corner of the farmstead, of three trenches, and of entrances and tunnels leading to W Shaft 6 La Boisselle Study Group Archaeological Report: 2012 2 Geographical context The village of La Boisselle, situated on the D929 Bapaume to Amiens road, 4km NE of Albert and 15km SE of Bapaume, stands on the flank of a hill, on a limestone outcrop overlooking the valley of the Ancre. Occupying an area of approximately 2.47 hectares, the site is located at the SW end of the village, the Rue de la 34è Division and the Route de Bécourt forming its northern and western boundaries respectively. At its highest point it is 100m above sea level (Fig. 1), sloping very gently towards the south, and offering an open vista over the northern end of the valley of the Ancre. The site extends over cadastral plots 199, 200, 201, 92, 197, 198, 193 and 195a (Plan of site known as ‘Le Gris Champ’). The Land Register does not record, however, that the site also encroaches today by several metres onto plot 87 (in the same ownership), and aligns with the southern boundary of cadastral plot 201. Used today for grazing, the site retains several visible traces of the Great War. The most obvious of these are the remains of at least 11 mine craters of varying dimensions, some of which result from several dozen subterranean explosions at intervals over a period of time between January 1916 and July 1916, attesting to the violence of the underground warfare (Fig. 2 & 3). A section of original trench line over a distance of approximately 10m is still faintly discernible as a slight linear hollow. Other traces of trenches or shell holes may exist but they are not readily visible with the naked eye. 7 La Boisselle Study Group Archaeological Report: 2012 Fig. 1 — Location of the ‘Glory Hole’ at La Boisselle (aerial view and cadastral plan). The great mine crater [Lochnagar] can be seen at bottom right in plot 138 (Source: IGN). 8 La Boisselle Study Group Archaeological Report: 2012 Fig. 2 — View of one of the craters at the ‘Glory Hole’ (Photo: Jeremy Banning) Fig. 3 — Aerial view of the crater field at the ‘Glory Hole’ (Photo: Jeremy Banning) 9 La Boisselle Study Group Archaeological Report: 2012 3 Historical context 3.1 1914 French troops stopped the German advance on Albert and Amiens at La Boisselle on 28th September 1914. The importance of the village on the main road from Bapaume and its position overlooking Albert is reflected in the intense fighting for the village. The Wurttemberg 119th and 120th Regiments were halted by the 64th and 137th Regiments from the west of France and Brittany. The Wurttembergers were unable to advance any further and their attack on 8th October at Bécourt failed. They held the village and the French attempts to retake it centred the village cemetery and a farm on the southeast edge.1 The farm was built around a courtyard with strong vaulted cellars. It came to be known as the Ilôt (the ‘islet’) to the French and the ‘Granathof’ (‘Shell Farm’) to the Germans. During November and December the French managed to dig a trench or ‘sap’ to within 3 metres of the farm. On 17th December the French launched a large attack but the only gain was the cemetery captured by the 118th Regiment. An attack by the 19th and 118th Regiments north of La Boisselle was defeated by fire from the Wurttemberg 119th and 120th Regiments. From the 20th the French prepared for a new attack