Ovillers-la-Boisselle in Somme, Upper France, France — Western Europe
The Lochnagar Crater of La Boisselle
Photographed by J. Makali Bruton, June 10, 2024
1. The Lochnagar Crater of La Boisselle Marker
Le trou de mine fut formé le samedi 1er juillet 1916 à 7h28. Il est le résultat de l'explosion d'une mine placée sous la ligne de front allemande. La mine contenait 27 tonnes d'explosifs. Cette mine fut la plus grande des 17 mines qui explosèrent le premier jour de la bataille de la Somme. Les débris montèrent à environ 1220 mètres.
Cecil Lewis, alors officier-pilote dans la Royal Flying Corps, et témoin de l'explosion depuis son avion au-dessus de La Boisselle, décrit la scène :
« La terre entière s'est soulevée et s'est enflammée, une colonne énorme et magnifique s'est levée dans le ciel. Il y avait un grondement assourdissant, noyant le bruit de toutes les armes. La colonne de terre s'est élevée de plus en plus haut à presque 1220 mètres ».
La grande mine mesure 90 mètres de diamètre et environ 21 mètres de profondeur.
Le secteur fut attaqué par la 34me Division constituée des bataillons suivants: Tyneside Irish, Tyneside Scottish, Lincolnshire, Suffolk et Royal Scots.
La Division a perdu 6380 officiers et hommes
this page online
The Lochnagar crater of La Boisselle
The Lochnagar crater was formed at 7.28 am on Saturday 1st July, 1916. It was created by the detonation of a huge mine placed beneath the German front line. The mine was packed with 60000 lbs of ammonal. The Lochnagar mine was the largest of the 17 mines that exploded on the first day of the battle of the Somme. Debris from the explosion rose some 4000 feet into the air.
Cecil Lewis, then an officer in the Royal Flying Corps, witnessed the explosion of the mine from his aircraft high above La Boisselle and is quoted as saying:
"The whole earth heaved and flared, a tremendous and magnificent column rose up into the sky. There was an ear-splitting roar, drowning all the guns, flinging the machine sideways in the repercussing air. The earth column rose higher and higher to almost 4,000 feet." (1,220 metres)
The explosion created a crater of 300 feet across and 70 feet deep.
The sector was attacked by the 34 Division consisting of Tyneside Irish, Tyneside Scottish, Lincolnshire, Suffolk and Royal Scots battalions. day.
The division lost 6380 officers and men that day.
Source: www.photoethistoire.eu
Erected by Le Pays du Coquelicot.
Topics. This historical marker
Photographed by J. Makali Bruton, June 10, 2024
2. The Lochnagar Crater of La Boisselle Marker
Location. 50° 0.962′ N, 2° 41.848′ E. Marker is in Ovillers-la-Boisselle, Hauts-de-France (Upper France), in Somme. It is on Route de la Grande Mine south of Route D20, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6 Rte de la Grande Mine, Ovillers-la-Boisselle, Hauts-de-France 80300, France. Touch for directions.
Regionally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, Europe, the European Union, Atlantic Europe, the Schengen Area, Western Europe, a coastal Mediterranean country, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a French colony and also the Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Pilgrimage: Tom Easton's visits to his friends at Bécourt (a few steps from this marker); The Last Letter of Pte. John Scollen (a few steps from this marker); Vera Brittain (within shouting distance of this marker); Shot at Dawn (within shouting distance of this marker); The Unseen Scars of War... (within shouting distance of this marker); T'isnt worth it.... (within shouting distance of this marker); RAF Mountain Rescue Association Veterans Memorial (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Roy Bealing and his best friend Pte. Alfred Moxham (about 90 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ovillers-la-Boisselle.
Also see . . . Lochnagar Mine at Wikipedia. (Submitted on July 12, 2024.)
Photographed by J. Makali Bruton, June 10, 2024
3. The Lochnagar Crater of La Boisselle
It is difficult to capture the scale of the crater in a photograph. Note a person to the top right wearing orange.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 28, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 12, 2024, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 119 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 12, 2024, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia.
