What is being described as “a unique and spectacular find” has been discovered under a house in the West Flemish town of Tielt. A tunnel under the house in the Nieuwstraat is believed to have been used by the German occupying forces as an escape tunnel during WWI. The tunnel is 10 metres long and just 1.4 metres high. Archeologists say that they are 99% certain that it was used as an escape route.
During the First World War Tielt was an important logistical centre for the German army. They used the large town houses in the centre of Tielt as headquarters.
The house in the Nieuwstraat was a war room with a large scale model of the front. It was in this house the the first chlorine gas attack was planned and the decision was made to deploy flamethrowers.
Renovation work
Nowadays the house is a private home. In 2017 the owner of the house made a surprising discovery when they started to renovate the floor of the building. They saw a drain cover that they didn’t know existed, under which there is a shaft. Archeologist Sam De Decker told VRT News that “Using a ladder we climbed down and we reached a well”.
"Underneath that there is a 10-metre-long tunnel. We didn’t know anything about this structure and so we started to look into what it could be. We soon realised that it had been built in the 20th century. The fact that it is located under a commando post would point us towards the conclusion that it is an escape tunnel”.
"The passage is at the most just 1.4 metres high, making it not really comfortable to walk through. It is clear only to be used to escape in case of emergency.
Not 100% certain
Another archeologist Marc Dewilde says that there is no other explanation. "It would seem a little far-fetched to me to believe that it was to channel water to the well. The Germans were used to being prepared to escape if, for example there was an attack”.
Sam De Decker says that he and his colleagues are 99% certain that it was an escape tunnel. However, the fact that the tunnel had been bricked up after 10 metres and they don’t know where it originally led to leaves a little room for doubt.
"Soon some houses in the area will be knocked down and we hope that this will provides us will enough additional information to dispel that 1% of doubt that is still in our minds”.
A unique find
This find is said to be highly unique. “We don't know of any similar examples. There are rumours that there were also tunnels in Ghent, but that has never been confirmed. It is the very first time we are actually able to examine a tunnel like this and be almost certain that it was an escape tunnel. We have also look abroad, but did not find any similar examples."