Hawthorn Ridge Mine, Battle of the Somme

During a visit to Flanders Fields last weekend we passed by Hawthorn Ridge.  The detonation of the Hawthorn Ridge Mine on 1st July 1916, captured on film by Geoffrey Malins, is one of the iconic moments of the First World War. The explosion also symbolises the disaster of the 1st day of the Battle of the Somme. The mine was exploded at 7.20am, 10 minutes before the attack at 7.30. Those ten minutes gave the Germans time to reorganise and rush troops into the crater, from there they could attack the advancing British.

I took my photograph from roughly where Malins stood. For the more technically minded amongst you, Malins was slightly to my right, a little higher and just behind where I was.