Watch Diggers' century-old graffiti found in Naours underground city in New Channel | Channify

Under the village of Naours near the Somme battlegrounds is a subterranean city of hundreds of caves and tunnels. Four years ago the signatures and names of Australian WWI soldiers were found on the walls of the network that sits 30 metres underground and extends for three kilometres. Archaeologist Gilles Prilaux has found roughly 2,000 names belonging to Australians and has researched their history and background. More than 295,000 Australians served on the Western Front between 1916 and 1918 and 132,000 of them were wounded and 46,000 lost their lives. The caves were originally a limestone quarry that became a hiding place for villagers during the Middle Ages. By the 17th century evidence suggested it had a population of 3,000. Before WWI the Naours Caves had become a tourist attraction. During the war Australian soldiers on leave from the trenches would head there for sightseeing. The Australian Government is working with French officials and Naours Cave operators to protect the fragile graffiti. Read more here: