Strange field of stuff near Rodley

Post by **chameleon** » Tue 11 Nov, 2008 11:33 pm

What struck me Brandy was how little is known certainly to my generation, of the behind the scenes work that went on.Initiative and ingenuity supplemented sheer bloody determination I think. Yes we see the old tunnels, water-ways and channels, bridges and viaducts from the past all around us, but these pale into some smaller significance when you see what was achieved out in Belgium, with all the materials (including rail tracks filched from both England and Germany used as supports joists and everything prepared and cut to size well off-site to help prevent detection.Everything done by hand, by candle light in apalling conditions, in near silence to avoid being found, by just a relative handfull of men. I can't imagine what it must have been like to tunnel by hand through dense wet clay for a year to reach under an enemy encampment.It was a surprise to learn that the bunker being explored, Vampire, was never finished or used by the men it was built for, our troops being pulled back before that; how demoralising that must have been for the Royal Engineers to see their efforts abandoned and worse, then possibly being used by the oposing forces as they were forced to simply walk away.Certainly not an archeological ddig in the way we usually see from Time Team, this focusing more on what went into building the place rather than looking for the material relics left behind. Quite an eye opening programme and worth watching if reshown.

Brandy · Post by **Brandy** » Tue 11 Nov, 2008 11:45 pm

Yes i know what you mean mate,i think it was that sheer determination and guile that put the willys up the Germans mate!Believe it or not it wasn't until last nights show that i actually understood what trench warfare was all about.It must have been sheer hell when they pressed the detonators and for a couple of seconds nothing happenedand then BOOOOOOM did you see the size of the crator lol?He said that afterwards German soldiers were wondering around in a daze shellshocked!!

Post by **chameleon** » Wed 12 Nov, 2008 12:04 am

Brandy wrote: Yes i know what you mean mate,i think it was that sheer determination and guile that put the willys up the Germans mate!Believe it or not mate it wasn't until last nights show that i actually understood what trench warfare was all about.It must have been sheer hell when they pressed the detonators and for a couple of seconds nothing happenedand then BOOOOOOM did you see the size of the crator lol?He said that afterwards German soldiers were wondering around in a daze shellshocked!! I suppose that puts into perspsctive a little, a comment from one of the three remaining veterans last night, when he asked that the Germans be remembered too.

jonleeds · Post by **jonleeds** » Mon 17 Nov, 2008 7:42 pm

I didnt realise you could see the Microsoft Live view thing from different angles, I have only just discovered it thanks to Brandy's 'promotion' of the website! Now I have found out about these different angles I can spend even more hours spying into my neighbours gardens etc!

stutterdog · Post by **stutterdog** » Tue 16 Jun, 2009 1:56 pm

jonleeds wrote: I saw this while I was looking at the google maps website. It appears to be a field full of stuff all laid out in rows for no particular reason. I am sure that the items cant be permanently left like this as they would go rusty / get stolen etc. I wonder what was going on. If you want to have a look for yourself then find the marina on the Leeds to Liverpool canal at Rodley and scroll roughly north west a few drags of your mouse. I think the pictures on google maps are a few years old as I noticed my VW campervan is still parked outside my block of flats and I got rid of that years ago! Anyway I hope somebody has some suggestions as to what this arrangement of items in the field is cos I am very puzzled.[/URL]

stutterdog · Post by **stutterdog** » Tue 16 Jun, 2009 1:59 pm

I think these objects in the picture at the field in Rodley are Gypo caravans illegally camped.

railnut · Post by **railnut** » Wed 17 Jun, 2009 11:06 am

Part of an earlier thread was correct in that it was taken when an auction was held at Rodley Fold after Leonard Sharpe passed away in 2005. The sale being in 2006. The aerial photo would be taken as the items were being setup for the sale. Hope this puts the thread to bed!

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Wed 17 Jun, 2009 11:20 am

Well that's speculation killed by facts!