Just returned from a family holiday to Guernsey. While there I fancied getting underground so visited a couple of German tunnel sites that are open to the public.
The Underground Military Museum is accessed from the western end of the harbour front at St. Peter Port. The tunnels are not very extensive and were used as a fuel depot, I think. The site is shaped like an E and one of the three original fuel tanks is still in place. The rest of the tunnels are full of displays of military and occupation items plus other items (uniforms, helmets, rifles, etc.) from the First World War and earlier. Sorry for the poor quality of the shots. They were taken with a cheapo digital with a tiny flash – I've lightened them before posting.
Main Tunnel
Original Fuel Tank
If you want to learn a little bit about what it was like to live under German occupation it's very interesting but didn't really satisfy my need for keeping out of the sun.
A couple of days later I visited the German Military Underground Hospital which is tucked away in a valley in the center of the island. This is much more extensive, having about 1.25 miles of tunnels. In contrast to the museum, the hospital is very empty. Most of the equipment was removed by the Germans to surface hospitals and British forces took the rest after liberation. There is one ward with original, steel bed-frames and a couple more with reproduction wooden ones. There are also a few large items of equipment, such as field kitchens, stashed here and there. Obviously bits and pieces collected and nothing to do with the actual hospital.
A slightly strange old geezer took my money and then seemed to ‘sing' instructions to me. The ticket was to be handed to a well wrapped-up old lady as I left so they could tell if there was anyone still in there when they locked up. The complex was built in two parts. The first is marked out with numbered information boards, usually only telling you what the room was (Ward, Operating Theater, Cinema etc.) and I should follow these in sequence. I bought an information leaflet for 10p that had an original German plan of the site on the back. ‘The numbers on the plan don't necessarily correspond with the numbers you follow' the guy told me. There is no information whatsoever on the second section, which wasn't started until the first section was completed. It seems that it was used as an ammunition store but all files relating to the second section were dumped in the sea before the British forces reclaimed the island.
The hospital took 3.5 years to complete and was built my foreign slave workers, along with a few islanders. The islanders refused to work there any longer after a major collapse occurred that killed some of the slave workers. It was only in use for 3 months (or 9 depending on which part of the leaflet you are reading) following the D Day landings. When the Germans realised that the British weren't going to forcibly liberate the islands they moved the patients to surface hospitals, taking most of the equipment with them.
Here's a few photos of the place.
Corridor
Ward in Second Section
75' Escape Shaft
Kitchen
Unfinnished Tunnel
Gours on Steps
Calcite and Broken Straws
Flowstone
I enjoyed my visit but I was a little underdressed in shorts, t-shirt and sandals – my hands had gone slightly numb by the time I got out.
The Underground Military Museum is accessed from the western end of the harbour front at St. Peter Port. The tunnels are not very extensive and were used as a fuel depot, I think. The site is shaped like an E and one of the three original fuel tanks is still in place. The rest of the tunnels are full of displays of military and occupation items plus other items (uniforms, helmets, rifles, etc.) from the First World War and earlier. Sorry for the poor quality of the shots. They were taken with a cheapo digital with a tiny flash – I've lightened them before posting.
If you want to learn a little bit about what it was like to live under German occupation it's very interesting but didn't really satisfy my need for keeping out of the sun.
A couple of days later I visited the German Military Underground Hospital which is tucked away in a valley in the center of the island. This is much more extensive, having about 1.25 miles of tunnels. In contrast to the museum, the hospital is very empty. Most of the equipment was removed by the Germans to surface hospitals and British forces took the rest after liberation. There is one ward with original, steel bed-frames and a couple more with reproduction wooden ones. There are also a few large items of equipment, such as field kitchens, stashed here and there. Obviously bits and pieces collected and nothing to do with the actual hospital.
A slightly strange old geezer took my money and then seemed to ‘sing' instructions to me. The ticket was to be handed to a well wrapped-up old lady as I left so they could tell if there was anyone still in there when they locked up. The complex was built in two parts. The first is marked out with numbered information boards, usually only telling you what the room was (Ward, Operating Theater, Cinema etc.) and I should follow these in sequence. I bought an information leaflet for 10p that had an original German plan of the site on the back. ‘The numbers on the plan don't necessarily correspond with the numbers you follow' the guy told me. There is no information whatsoever on the second section, which wasn't started until the first section was completed. It seems that it was used as an ammunition store but all files relating to the second section were dumped in the sea before the British forces reclaimed the island.
The hospital took 3.5 years to complete and was built my foreign slave workers, along with a few islanders. The islanders refused to work there any longer after a major collapse occurred that killed some of the slave workers. It was only in use for 3 months (or 9 depending on which part of the leaflet you are reading) following the D Day landings. When the Germans realised that the British weren't going to forcibly liberate the islands they moved the patients to surface hospitals, taking most of the equipment with them.
Here's a few photos of the place.
I enjoyed my visit but I was a little underdressed in shorts, t-shirt and sandals – my hands had gone slightly numb by the time I got out.
