Autumn had arrived and the Diggers was itching to get out to the forests doing what they do best. After discussing it with Talis , the Boss , we decided a fitting date and invitations went out to the International team and in middle of October we arrived from all over Europe and met up in Riga ready for an expedition. The first evening was spent chatting and laughing over some good food and a few drinks , but next morning we was up early and met with the Boss and some of the Latvians and we drove out of Riga as the morning sun poured its yellow rays through the narrow cobblestone streets of the Old Town. After a short drive we parked by a monument in the forest commemorating the Latvian Riflemen who fought for their country in the winter of 1916-17.
Around Christmas 1916 the site witnessed some fierce battles as two Latvian Rifle Regiments attacked and broke through the German dug outs on the sandy highrise. The Germans did not expect the attack as it was early morning and a snow blizzard with temperatures down to -35 degree Celsius. The Latvians took over the positions and held them through the German counter attacks in January 1917. After the battles fallen soldiers from both sides lay where they fell and some was later picked up and thrown into shell craters and trenchlines where still hundreds if not thousands is still missing.
Vlad , a digger from the Latvian team , had spent a lot of time in the forests here on Machinegun Hill locating many of these soldiers and now we was here joining up with the Latvian and Lithuanian teams of Legenda to help recover these lost souls.
Around Christmas 1916 the site witnessed some fierce battles as two Latvian Rifle Regiments attacked and broke through the German dug outs on the sandy highrise. The Germans did not expect the attack as it was early morning and a snow blizzard with temperatures down to -35 degree Celsius. The Latvians took over the positions and held them through the German counter attacks in January 1917. After the battles fallen soldiers from both sides lay where they fell and some was later picked up and thrown into shell craters and trenchlines where still hundreds if not thousands is still missing.
Vlad , a digger from the Latvian team , had spent a lot of time in the forests here on Machinegun Hill locating many of these soldiers and now we was here joining up with the Latvian and Lithuanian teams of Legenda to help recover these lost souls.
The forest is full of trenchlines , bunkers and craters.
A memorial for the Latvian Riflemen.
While waiting for the rest of the team to arrive we climbed the 27 meter tall tower for a great view.
The Boss giving instructions for the day.
Arno opening up a hole where Vlad believes there is fallen soldiers.
Konstantin and part of the team opening up a pit.
The team spread out in smaller groups and began opening up trenchlines and shell holes , while some took detectors and searching probes trying to locate more of the missing soldiers. As the morning went on the piles of yellow sand was high and bones of the missing soldiers started to show so the work slowed down as we carefully cleared them from the soil , showing how they were laying and what items they had on them when they were buried. We always take great care searching for any item that can identify them such as medals , awards , wedding rings or other equipment engraved with their name.
Working like this makes the diggers hungry and Roberts was busy preparing us a hot meal and when Talis called out to us we gathered up and was fed.
In the evening we had uncovered lots of fallen soldiers but as darkness came fast we didn`t have time to complete the work. We drove to our Resort in Kurland and was greeted by our host Kristine at Radi where we had an exellent dinner and a good nights rest in soft beds.
Working like this makes the diggers hungry and Roberts was busy preparing us a hot meal and when Talis called out to us we gathered up and was fed.
In the evening we had uncovered lots of fallen soldiers but as darkness came fast we didn`t have time to complete the work. We drove to our Resort in Kurland and was greeted by our host Kristine at Radi where we had an exellent dinner and a good nights rest in soft beds.
Some of the diggers found a horse.
A destroyed spoon from a soldier.
Arisaka rifle rounds.
Driveband from a smaller shell.
A small German cemetery in the forest.
Roberts Duks , our field chef cooking up something tasty.
Refuelling.
Hans grabbing a bite.
Fresh and ready for digging.
Regina , Vilma and me at work. It is an honour working alongside experts as these two :)
Kitty waiting patiently for a snack.
Early next morning we had a big breakfast and hurried back towards the Machinegun Hill to continue the work. The forest floor was still misty from the night as we climbed down into the opened shell holes with our brushes and tools and we began clearing bodies from sand. In the crater me , Anton , Anders , Arno and a few of the Lithuanians was working a mouse had crawled down and it made us jump as it ran out of the eye of a skull and into the next one. We lured it out and got it safely out from the crater so we could work undisturbed. In the crater was 18 soldiers and most of them was badly damaged by shrapnel and detonations and many of them still had a lots of their equipment on them , ammo and gasmasks , and some of their woolen greatcoats was still intact.
Around lunchtime a school class came by on an excursion and got a memory for a lifetime when they stood around a large pit with lots of fallen and got a small lecture by Viktors Duks. Also a team from the Latvian National TV visited and did a lot of filming and several interviews of us.
In the afternoon most of the soldiers had been exhumed , 62 in total , and on two of them we found numbered awards so at least those two will be identified.
We had found some live explosives that we collected around a tree and in the evening police and EOD came to collect those as they still can be very dangerous and the forest is frequently visited by tourists , mushroom pickers and hikers so it is best to get those things removed safely.
Back at the resort we had a great dinner and a small celebration for a successfull two days work.
Around lunchtime a school class came by on an excursion and got a memory for a lifetime when they stood around a large pit with lots of fallen and got a small lecture by Viktors Duks. Also a team from the Latvian National TV visited and did a lot of filming and several interviews of us.
In the afternoon most of the soldiers had been exhumed , 62 in total , and on two of them we found numbered awards so at least those two will be identified.
We had found some live explosives that we collected around a tree and in the evening police and EOD came to collect those as they still can be very dangerous and the forest is frequently visited by tourists , mushroom pickers and hikers so it is best to get those things removed safely.
Back at the resort we had a great dinner and a small celebration for a successfull two days work.
Aleksandr.
Daniel in his Russian partizan camo gear.
Video of the mouse hiding in the skull :
Rifle ammo and piece of a knitted glove.
A few of the 62 soldiers recovered.
A numbered St. Georges cross identified one of the fallen soldiers.
Ainis.
A school class got a memory for life.
Andris livestreaming and Latvian journalists covering our work.
Piece of drive band from a navy artillery shell.
A numbered award will provide identification for one of the soldiers.
A pocket watch found on one of the soldiers.
Imperial Russian belt buckle.
The recovered soldiers remains collected in body bags from the Latvian Wargrave Commission.
Part of the team.
A little something collected for the bomb disposal crew.
E.O.D logo.
Two happy diggers , me and Jonny Bay.
Video below made by Jonny Bay:
A long day in the forest eats away the energy.
With the work on Machinegun Hill done we was heading out to Zvarde forest in Kurland on the morning of day 3 to search for missing soldiers from WW2. Kurland saw heavy battles in 1944 and 45 with tens of thousands fallen on both sides as the Red Army numerous times tried to break the German lines. Zvarde lay in the midst of the area where the Red Army concentrated their attacks and fallen soldiers can be found anywhere. We had a small digger machine to help us open up deep trenchlines and bunkers as the soil there is heavy clay which is difficult to dig. The area had before the war belonged to a milk factory and its bullet ridden ruin is still standing. The grassy fields for the cows is today a rather thick forest but one can still see where the trenchlines zigzagged their way along the road. The detectors picked up signals everywhere and mostly shrapnel and casings from numerous wepons was found , together with live anti tank rounds , mortar and artillery grenades that we collected for the EOD.
Anders and Steve.
Some of the guys heading into the forest.
The Boss with his morning coffee ready for a new day.
The battle ridden milk factory ruin.
Destroyed by shrapnel.
A live mortar round.
A box of PPSH ammo.
A .50 made by Remington Arms.
For the next two days the forest became a busy place with diggers following the trenchlines the excavator had opened up and here and there a soldier was found and carefully exhumed. Next to the ruin three soldiers was found atop of eachother in a well shaft , and a small silver medallion and rubber boot soles indicated they were Red Army soldiers. Further into the forest in a shallow irrigation ditch one of the diggers found another Red Army man laying where he had fell. Andris and Toms went around with camera making livestream videos which you can watch on Legendas Facebook page : www.facebook.com/Legenda.Diggers/
In one of the trenchlines opened up a badly damaged German soldier was exhumed and an Erkennungsmärke bent by a detonation was found near him. Other items found in and around the trenchline cleary showed the force of a shell impact. Several fired casings from different weapons also told a story about heavy fighting. Following the same trenchline a bunker or dug out was opened and there another German soldier was found , still with his rifle , gasmask , M24 hand grenade and helmet. His Erkennungsmärke was also on him so he is no longer a M.I.A. Two woolen M43 caps with the mushroom badge from Div. 205 was also found there.
Some of the diggers found interesting things while metal detecting around in the forest , a LP 42 Leuchtpistole and a great looking German helmet with a rubberized winter cover being the two most interesting finds.
It had become sunday late afternoon and the work came to an end for this time with 10 soldiers recovered , 8 Red Army soldiers and 2 Germans , that will all be laid to rest in War Cemeteries in Latvia.
The last day is always a mix of feelings as it is time for Goodbyes , but hot showers and the bed at home is luring in the distance and this sunday was just like that.
People had flights to catch and in the evening me , Anders and Anton had a dinner and a few drinks together before we called it quits. My flight was early Monday so I took a taxi to the airport where the custom officials checked all my pockets and belongings before they let me into the boarding area. As I walked towards my gate I felt a hand on my shoulder and a voice saying "Please stop , Airport security !" I knew I wasn`t bringing anything illegal but I still jumped a bit , turned around and saw the laughing face of Anders who was waiting by his gate :D We got to say another goodbye before I boarded my plane back home to the North where my Girlfriend and kitties was waiting for me with hugs and a nice dinner.
Thanks to all involved for a very nice expedition , and until next time : Keep Smiling ! :)
In one of the trenchlines opened up a badly damaged German soldier was exhumed and an Erkennungsmärke bent by a detonation was found near him. Other items found in and around the trenchline cleary showed the force of a shell impact. Several fired casings from different weapons also told a story about heavy fighting. Following the same trenchline a bunker or dug out was opened and there another German soldier was found , still with his rifle , gasmask , M24 hand grenade and helmet. His Erkennungsmärke was also on him so he is no longer a M.I.A. Two woolen M43 caps with the mushroom badge from Div. 205 was also found there.
Some of the diggers found interesting things while metal detecting around in the forest , a LP 42 Leuchtpistole and a great looking German helmet with a rubberized winter cover being the two most interesting finds.
It had become sunday late afternoon and the work came to an end for this time with 10 soldiers recovered , 8 Red Army soldiers and 2 Germans , that will all be laid to rest in War Cemeteries in Latvia.
The last day is always a mix of feelings as it is time for Goodbyes , but hot showers and the bed at home is luring in the distance and this sunday was just like that.
People had flights to catch and in the evening me , Anders and Anton had a dinner and a few drinks together before we called it quits. My flight was early Monday so I took a taxi to the airport where the custom officials checked all my pockets and belongings before they let me into the boarding area. As I walked towards my gate I felt a hand on my shoulder and a voice saying "Please stop , Airport security !" I knew I wasn`t bringing anything illegal but I still jumped a bit , turned around and saw the laughing face of Anders who was waiting by his gate :D We got to say another goodbye before I boarded my plane back home to the North where my Girlfriend and kitties was waiting for me with hugs and a nice dinner.
Thanks to all involved for a very nice expedition , and until next time : Keep Smiling ! :)
Dainis and Vilma.
Lid from latvian made toothpaste.
Anton with the lighter he found.
Vilma at work in the well shaft.
Silver medallion found on one of the fallen.
Roberts and Toms.
Red Army soldier exhumed from a shallow irrigation ditch.
One of many mortar tail fins found.
Opening up a trenchline.
German messkit with most of its color intact.
Panzerfaust tube destroyed by detonation.
German canteen.
German messkit.
Jonny Bay and Steve Newman working.
Alberts and Mindaugas in conversation.
M39 egg grenade.
Destroyed M39 egg grenade.
Part of K98 ammo pouch.
EKM of a missing soldier found in the trenchline.
Soldiers spoon bent by detonation.
Mud man.
Destroyed German helmet and liner.
K98 bayonet.
German soldier Missing in Action for some 70 years.
M43 with part of the badge of div. 205.
M43 with the mushroom badge.
Video of the M.I.A :
Our exellent chef.
The Boss inspecting the food.
Nice lunch was served.
Anton and Anders searching.
A small belt buckle.
Soviet coin.
The Boss being a kid.
Shell casings.
Part from German radio.
German radio tube.
Transport cap for artillery shell.
Live grenade shell and mines.
Our excavator operator figured a T-34 hubcap made a nice helmet.
Destroyed shrapnel shell.
Bonaparte , the new digger dog.
A live tracer shell.
A smashed up German helmet.
LP 42 Leuchtpistole.
RG-42.
A great find made by Viktors Lelis.
View from my hotelroom.
Riga is a nice place to relax after an expedition.
As a nice gesture the hotel upgraded me to a fancy room.
Almost home.
Badge for finding lost soldiers.
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