The bodies of 125 World War One soldiers take been discovered entombed in a perfectly preserved German language trench system 101 years after they were killed.

Most of the men, who were British, German, French and South African, were found where they brutal during some of the most ferocious fighting of the state of war.

Other skeletal remains were buried in mass graves aslope religious artefacts placed at that place by their comrades.

The formidable trench fortification on elevation of a hill in a village near the city of Ypres in Flanders, Belgium, remained covered over and untouched since the cease of the disharmonize.

The circuitous network of fighting and communication trenches was first uncovered in 2015 by archaeologists brought in to examine a field due to be built on as part of a housing development.

Effectually 125 bodies accept been constitute (

Prototype:

DigHill80/BNPS)
The site has been described as like hell on earth (

Epitome:

DanMorelle/BNPS)

Immediately adjacent to the immaculately-kept gardens of properties on the edge of the village of Wijtschate they institute 'hell on globe' - a site the size of two football pitches where the remains of 125 soldiers, some as immature as 15, were densely scattered.

Experts believe that approximately 100 of the dead are German, almost of them killed past shot or crush fire during the First Battle of Ypres in November 1914.

The ridge, known to the Allies every bit Hill 80, was held by the enemy until June 1917 when it was taken by British and Irish troops during the Battle of Messines.

But the Germans re-took information technology in 1918 which is when many of the British casualties were killed. Some of their remains were later on pulverised by the artillery bombardment from their own side.

Personal items take besides been establish (

Image:

PeterDoyle/BNPS)
The research area (

Image:

DigHill80/BNPS)

As well as bodies, the team of British, German language and Belgian archaeologists and historians have also found thousands of poignant personal effects of the men.

These include helmets, rifles, armament, search lights, water bottles, cooking utensils, coffee pots, watches, cap badges, toothbrushes and even a bottle of HP sauce and a tin of Andrews Liver Salts.

Recovered religious relics include crucifixes, rosary beads and a statue of Mary Magdalene.

Some of these were found in the German mass graves and highlight the strong religious beliefs held by the Bavarian soldiers who died there in 1914.

It is the biggest mass grave found on the Western Front since 250 bodies were uncovered at Fromelles in French republic 2009.

Religious artefacts were placed there past their comrades (

Paradigm:

DigHill80/BNPS)
A German language searchlight (

Prototype:

DigHill80/BNPS)

The unique and historic earthworks project, chosen Dig Hill 80, started in the jump of this year following a hugely successful crowdfunding campaign that raised over £150,000 to finance it.

TV historian Dan Snow and comedian and military enthusiast Al Murray are involved in the project.

The dig is now cartoon to a shut and the team are confident they accept recovered all of the remains that are buried in that location.

The relevant authorities, such as the Democracy State of war Graves Commission, have been notified of the finds and the difficult task of identifying the dead has begun.

It is hoped some of them men can exist buried with full military honours in marked graves.

Professor Peter Doyle, the lead archaeologist for Dig Colina fourscore, said: "This is more than than just a dig, it is an international project centred on education, peace and ultimately reconciliation.

"When you look at these mass graves and think of these young men, you know they had a mother and father who missed them. Yet they have never been given peace.

A Webley & Scott flare, used by the British (

Image:

DigHill80/BNPS)

"In some village in Bavaria for example, there maybe a war memorial with their name on.

"Now every one of these men accept the chance of beingness taken from this site and given a respectful burial with total military honours."

He added: "We removed all of the meridian soil to allow us to run into what was beneath.

"All trenches and bomb craters were thoroughly searched and all the remains were mapped, photographed and catalogued.

"All of the bodies have now been recovered. We didn't want to get out a man behind. We are looking at 125 soldiers and the vast majority of them are German.

"To put it into context, an average of 10 bodies a twelvemonth are usually institute in the area of Ypres.

"Some of these German soldiers killed in activity were dragged into this mass grave and buried past their comrades while they fought to concord the line.

The dig volition take years to consummate (

Prototype:

DigHill80/BNPS)

"The men were buried in uniforms and with their helmets. Not a lot of the compatible fabric has preserved, just material around the buttons.

"But the skeletal remains have been preserved in tact. By looking at them y'all can tell they are immature men.

"We have casualties who were killed and left in that position where the ground around them has been pulverised by beat out burn down, nosotros are looking at fragments of soldiers. It brings home the sheer intensity of the beat out fire.

"Simply something actually striking nigh this site is that you take perfectly-kept gardens and 21st century life right side by side to these mass grave and hell on world."