The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
St Yves, Belgium. The water filled mine crater which exploded near St Ives on 7 June 1917. This was the southern most of the nineteen huge mines exploded by the British at the 'zero' hour of the assault. The image, which looks northwards, was taken five months later. The German front line at the time of the battle ran over the left of this crater to the line of tall trees on the right and then to the left, circling the lower part of Messines Ridge and over Wytschaete Ridge. An image of a German concrete pillbox overturned by one of the mine explosions is held at E01320.
View of a German pillbox overturned by the explosion at the edge of the southernmost mine crater opposite St. Yves, in the Messines sector. This shelter was one of many constructed in the enemy front
Debris from overturned German pillboxes which were destroyed by the larger of two huge mines exploded by the Australians prior to the Battle of Messines. The explosions prepared the way for the advan
Debris from overturned German pillboxes which were destroyed by the larger of two huge mines exploded by the Australians prior to the Battle of Messines. The explosions prepared the way for the advan
Wytschaete, Belgium. c. 1917. An enormous mine crater, named Heinrich, near the town photographed from a German observation balloon. Infantry dugouts are at the edge of the crater. (Donor German War M
An unidentified soldier viewing a huge crater caused by a mine which had exploded about a week after the village had been taken by the troops of the 5th Division following the advance of 2 April 1917.
A huge crater caused by a mine which had exploded about a week after the village had been taken by the troops of the 5th Division following the advance of 2 April 1917. Note several damaged village b
