German Air Raid Shelter at Elizabeth Castle in Jersey
Whilst on a recent explore of German fortifications and bunkers in Jersey, I stumbled across what I assume is an air raid shelter at Elizabeth Castle. It appears to be of 1940s German wartime construction and was a short distance from some of the gun positions.
Improved and extended over the following centuries, Elizabeth Castle was the Island’s main fortress until the construction of Fort Regent in the early 19th century. The Castle was fortified by the Germans in the Occupation as part of the defences around the harbour and its approaches.
Elizabeth Castle and The Age of Artillery, www.historyalive.je
Thick concrete air raid shelter design
Square in shape, it had a couple of entrances with wooden doors which might have been added in more recent years. The doors were marked off to prevent access to tourists, but I was able to have a quick peek inside.
Wooden doors
Inside the Jersey air raid shelter
Whilst I didn’t enter the air raid shelter, I was able to take one photo of what it looked like inside. As you can see, it had a corrugated iron roof inside, and was full of junk – very much like the air raid shelters I have found in the UK!
The air raid shelter was never used
The Germans were worried that Britain would attempt to take back the Channel Islands. This never actually happened until the surrender of Germany in 1945, so this air raid shelter in Jersey was never used.
So worried were the Germans that an attack would come, that they built extensive tunnel networks into the hills of Jersey. One of the largest was an underground air air raid shelter which they later converted into a hospital – see photos here.
