The site of the crater was bought by an Englishman, Mr Richard Dunning, who feared that farming would steadily encroach upon it. It is the largest surviving mine crater on the Western Front, although some of the mines exploded beneath Messines Ridge in 1917 contained more explosive. It is the scene of a moving commemoration at 7.30 am, zero hour, on 1 July each year.
Although it is sometimes said that the bodies of many British soldiers were buried in the crater, in fact all that could be found were eventually buried in Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries. But evidently not all were discovered at the time, because remains of a British soldier were recently found on the lip of the crater. He was identified and buried with full military honours.
