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Old 30th January 2013, 01:48 PM   #163
gumboot
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Originally Posted by FenerFan View Post
This reminded me of a documentary I watched in which they spoke about how the Germans and French constantly attempted to dig underneath enemy trenches in an attempt to blow them up. Over time, the competing groups of diggers communicated with each other. As the war drew to a close they actually would tell each other when and where the charges would be detonated. They had developed some odd brand of camaraderie.
Some of the German soldiers were disgusted by this sharing of information with the enemy, including a young Adolph Hitler.

(It has been a bit of time since I watched the documentary. I think have the basic info right, please correct me if I am wrong.)


New Zealand's Pioneers were particularly favoured for these jobs because most countries had experienced miners but mining is done in rock. Our Pioneers were mostly Kauri gum diggers who work in mud and clay, so their experience were enormously useful, particularly in areas like Ypres. The Messines mine was dug almost exclusively by our Kauri gum diggers.

Incidentally, this is where the nickname "Digger" comes from, which ended up being applied first to NZ Pioneers, then to all NZ soldiers, and eventually to all ANZAC soldiers.
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