During the Great War or World War I many underground constructions have been built for protection from shelling. They were an important part of the trench warfare as they were used as an area to rest and carry out other activities such as eating. They would usually range in size from smaller constructions that could hold several men to larger entities that could hold thousands of soldiers. In the context of tunnel warfare the construction of underground facilities was very extensive. About 180 dugout sites have been located in the Ypres Salient and since the 1990s some of them were entered (Doyle et al. 2002, 2005). During use these dugouts which are typically timber based tunnels were kept dry, however got fully submerged when no longer in use. These wooden constructions remained under groundwater level and are very well preserved after approximately 100 years. Several of these constructions have been documented and one specific one is very much highlighted in 2017. As the ‘Zonnebeke Church Dugout’ is intended to open up for the public for some months and this construction was checked on different parameters. Wood species identification confirmed the considerable presence of wood from overseas origin, here Jack pine (Pinus banksiana). Although several low durability wood species have been used the decay rate found on the material is minimal and structural integrity analysis allows to ensure safe passage for visitors to the dugout.

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