Tony B Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 Just bought this £4.99 on amazon on the recommedation of a friend. This is the story of the Australian No 1 Tunneling Company's actions in 1917. The story is based on the life of Captain Oliver Woodward, a mining enginner and explosive expert. Like most Australian films on the Great War, it isn't recommended for family viewing, but is acurate and well made. The story is underplayed, no histrionics or blood and glory set pices but the action sequences are far superior to Hollywood output. Unusally the story also gives quite a lot of weight to the German point of view. Well worth a fiver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 Just bought this £4.99 on amazon on the recommedation of a friend. This is the story of the Australian No 1 Tunneling Company's actions in 1917. The story is based on the life of Captain Oliver Woodward, a mining enginner and explosive expert.Like most Australian films on the Great War, it isn't recommended for family viewing, but is acurate and well made. The story is underplayed, no histrionics or blood and glory set pices but the action sequences are far superior to Hollywood output. Unusally the story also gives quite a lot of weight to the German point of view. Well worth a fiver. I've seen it and liked it. I've been onsite but didn't realsie its significance then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted December 25, 2014 Author Share Posted December 25, 2014 I know the site resonably well. This film has made me understand more of what it may have been like, and I wouldn't have wanted to be there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scivo18 Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 I am lucky enough to have worked with some of the people that made this film.. The costume designer worked on the pacific and and another film i hired my jeep to, he actually had an on camera part as the chaplain in hill 60... I really enjoyed the film and have watched it a couple of times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted December 25, 2014 Author Share Posted December 25, 2014 I am lucky enough to have worked with some of the people that made this film.. The costume designer worked on the pacific and and another film i hired my jeep to, he actually had an on camera part as the chaplain in hill 60... I really enjoyed the film and have watched it a couple of times That is a great scene. Everyone bareheaded in the pelting rain covered in mud, exept for the Colonel under his brolly. No one could say the actors didn't enter into the spirt of the film. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynx42 Rick Cove Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Tony, the correct title of the movie is "Beneath Hill 60", not "Underneath hill 60". that aside, it is a great story and I have some original trench maps of the "Hill 60" area. I have been fascinated with that story since I was a kid and went to the Hill 60 area in 2009. I never understood that there was not actually a hill in the area, but that they were tunneling through spoil from a railway cutting. There were numerous mines in that area and two have not been blown and could go at any time. The actual explosion was felt and heard in England. Regards Rick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 Hill 60 was one of a series of twenty one mines dug before the 3rd Battle of Ypres, aka Passchendale. Ninteen were blown, two had been abandoned. One went off in June 1955 following a lightning strike, the other is still lurking out there. Some claim the noise in 1917 was heard in Dublin. There is an intresting bit in the writing of one of the firing officers. 'Watches were issued the night before. I was told to allow thirteen seconds beyond firing time'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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