This morning we caught the number 28 bus to Jersey War Tunnels.

The Channel Islands were the only Sovereign territory to be occupied by the enemy during the second world war. Once it became obvious that the German invasion of France was inevitable, a decision was taken to demilitarise the islands. This meant that they would not be defended in the event of attack. Thousands of residents chose to evacuate to England.

Many more chose to stay however. England was being bombed after all, and Jersey was not.

The Germans set about turning the islands into a fortress, determined that they should not be retaken by the British. Part of this plan was the construction of a large underground hospital, and the remains of this is what we’re visiting today. I won’t reproduce the history of the occupation – Jersey Heritage has a good article here. Here are some pictures.

The tunnels are vast – we walked about a kilometre. It’s also very cold down there – between 5 and 10 degrees. There’s a nice visitor centre and a cafe where we had lunch.

A good day out, and very educational.