In France, explorers stumble upon a German underground from World War I, 30 metres underground

In August 2024, a group of 'Great War' enthusiasts made an unexpected discovery: a German tunnel, containing some relics of World War I, buried 30 metres deep.

Seventeen members of the Association of German Undergrounds of Puisaleine and Surroundings, or ASAPE 14-18, couldn't believe their eyes when they discovered this tunnel, in the heart of the woods of Moulin-sous-Touvent, in the east of the Oise department. Setting off for an exploration in a forest sinkhole, which was once one of the German Army's frontlines, these history enthusiasts initially thought it was "a badger or fox hole". Soon, it transformed into an "entrance to a gallery used by soldiers".

The president of ASAPE 14-18, Maximilian Hiebinger, recounted this adventure to Le Parisien. After obtaining all the necessary authorisations, the small group of explorers managed to clear the tunnel entrance, buried under a layer of barbed wire. There, beneath their feet, lay a tunnel 122 metres long, 30 metres under the earth.

An intense experience

"It's such an intense feeling to be the first to return to these places 106 years later. You can smell the earth, the humidity, and sometimes gunpowder... We use a multi-gas detector to ensure there is enough oxygen concentration and no dangerous gas. Then, we ventilate," says Maximilian.

As reported by Demotivateur, in one of the underground galleries were engravings mentioning names of soldiers or regiments, graffiti, war materials, shoes, old ammunition or even bottles of German wines.

In reality, this tunnel is a mining gallery; about fifteen on the French side and thirty on the German side have been recorded by ASAPE 14-18 between Bailly and Autrêches. The tunnel dating back to 1916 has been named G24 (Gallery 24); the items discovered have been offered to archaeologists from the DRAC (Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs) as well as the town hall of Moulin-sous-Touvent, which showcased them until 11 November 2024, notes Demotivateur.

G24 will be filled in to prevent thefts.

(MH with Raphaël Liset - Source: Demotivateur - Illustration: ©Unsplash)