THE HOSPITAL THAT NEVER WAS! (Jersey War Tunnels (Jersey, Channel Islands))

Member Name: hazydaze123

Product:	Jersey War Tunnels (Jersey, Channel Islands)
Date:	23/05/09 (152 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very thought provoking; a moving experience

Disadvantages: Downright cold ! Take a jacket with you !

Having visited the Channel Island of Jersey many times over the past 25 years, I have always been inspired by the Jersey War Tunnels, formerly known as the German Underground Hospital.

We decided to visit Jersey again last year, but unfortunately, the British summer had been a non-starter and the appalling weather decided to make its way down to the Channel Islands. Needless to say, there was no chance of soaking up the sun on the beach, so we had no alternative but to explore the indoor attractions. It had been several years since we visited the War Tunnels so thought this would be a good opportunity to see if it was still as interesting and enjoyable as in previous years.

***What are the Jersey War Tunnels?***
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As I have already mentioned, the War Tunnels were formerly known as the German Underground Hospital. However, this kilometre of underground tunnels, excavated through thousands of tonnes of rock and lined with 6000 tonnes of concrete, were originally built as a bombproof barracks, together with a weapons store, rather than a hospital. It was prior to the completion of the barracks that the Second World War broke, the German forces occupied the Channel Islands and it was decided that the barracks would be used as a casualty clearing station in the event of an allied invasion. To this day, you can still see the fully equipped operating theatre, wards, radio control room and officer's room, though admittedly, some of these rooms have been re-created with special sound effects and props to give a, shall we say, realistic feel.

For three years, slave labourers from Europe, together with Russian and Polish prisoners-of-war, were forced to dig bare-handed through the concrete to create the tunnels, many being cruelly treated by the officers and many more losing their lives in the appalling working conditions.
Despite the atrocious conditions in which these men had to work, the hospital was never used. The anticipated invasion never happened, the war ended and the Channel Islands were liberated.

***My Experience***
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The War Tunnels are approached along a fairly winding road, quite typical of the roads in Jersey. On driving into the car park, our first glimpse of the War Tunnels was the familiar site of the white archway dug into the hillside, with a red cross above the entrance. After parking the car, we went into the reception to purchase our tickets. In addition to our entrance tickets, we were each handed an Identity Card, which I will explain about later in the review. On leaving the reception area, we walked the very short distance to the entrance to the War Tunnels where we handed in our tickets.

On walking into the tunnel, the first thing that I noticed was how cold it was and I was hit by the damp, musty smell, hardly surprising considering we were underground surrounding by concrete tunnelled walls. The first section of the tunnel portrays life on the island under the German occupation. The first 'display' on the approach into the main tunnel area shows enlarged photographs of the onset of war and the effects it had on islanders, together with written explanations as to what was portrayed in each picture. Cine footage is played on the bare brick wall at the end of the tunnel to the sound of war time music and Hitler giving one of his speeches. I must admit it was quite an eerie feeling hearing such music, together with the sounds of the marching Nazis, in this cold, stone-walled environment, especially knowing what went on down there over sixty years ago.

As we travelled along the tunnel complex, it was easy to imagine this cold, stark environment as a hospital. Small rooms run off each of the tunnels, which I assume were intended as hospital wards. Nowadays, the rooms are used as exhibition areas showing various stages of the war and the islands under occupation, both in extremely large picture boards and video footage. In one room, I watched a video playing of interviews with islanders who were growing up on the island during the war, where they explain what life was like under the German rule, and how they managed to live in such circumstances. In my opinion, these islanders who spoke about their experiences are such strong people to have lived through such a harrowing time and still be able to talk about events to this day.

One section of the tunnel, which I found particularly impressive, not to mention moving, was the unfinished chamber. This part of the tunnel has been left as it was when the slave labourers put down their picks for the last time. You can quite clearly see the bare wall of rock where large sections have been cut out manually by these poor workers and it so easy to imagine what hell they went through, being forced to cut away at the rock face in such terrible conditions. Also visible is the railway track that was used to transport the workers into the tunnels and take the excavated rocks back out. This impressive display has magnificent sound effects of the clanking of picks against the bare rock - certainly one of the best features in the tunnels as it gears away from the tourist attraction side of things and actually gives you a feeling that you were living the terror.

As we moved along through the tunnel, we could see the operating theatre, still with the surgical instruments on show. We could see the German officers' room with mannequins of the officers standing round a large table, planning their next course of action. The Radio Room was extremely small and portrayed an officer sitting at an old fashioned desk working away. Also on show was a small kitchen with unfinished meals on the table, depicting how people were forced to leave their homes without warning.

One of the large exhibitions within the War Tunnels focuses on the life of Violette Szabó. I won't go into too much detail on this section as it is quite an in-depth area, but very briefly, Violette Szabó was a French secret agent during the Second World War. The exhibition tells her story and how she was caught and executed in the Ravensbrück Concentration Camp. Her work was duly recognised and her daughter, Tania, was presented with the George Cross on her mother's behalf.

***The Garden of Reflection***
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Situated beside the Cafe, the Garden of Reflection is a fairly recent addition to the Jersey War Tunnels, being established only four years ago. The idea of the garden is to provide a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere where visitors can read about various aspects of the war. These snippets of information are engraved onto fifty steel plaques around the garden. Also contained within the garden are a further fifty plaques each bearing the name of an islander who died under the German occupation. Access to the garden is free and I would personally recommend looking around after you have been into the War Tunnels as its relaxing ambience is such a contrast to the stark environment within the tunnels.

***War Trail***
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The War Trail is another relatively new addition to the Jersey War Tunnels. Unfortunately, I am unable to comment with any certainty on this aspect of the exhibition as we did not venture out onto the trail due to the persistent rain. However, this is located in a wooded area close to the tunnel entrance and was once occupied as a German anti-aircraft gun battery during the occupation. Apparently, the gun positions, trenches and German personal shelters are still visible through the undergrowth. The area has been left as it was at the time of the island's liberation and is now a haven for local wildlife.

We are hoping to visit the War Trail in the future and I will then update this review with my personal experience and opinion.

***So What Happened to You?***
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I mentioned at the beginning of this review that, on purchasing our tickets, we were each handed an identity card. It was only at the end of our tour that we realised the reason for this. To end our visit, we decided to wander up to the cafe for a lovely Jersey cream tea (as you do!) To our amazement, the walls of the cafe were covered in identity photographs of some of the islanders who were living on Jersey during the time of the occupation. The idea is that you look around the walls to find the person who is on your identity card. Once the person is found, you can then read the caption against the photograph which explains what happened to that person, whether they survived the war, whether they were sent off to fight on the mainland etc. I found this really interesting and, whilst I was looking round for my identity photo, I couldn't help but hope that I survived.

***Cafe***
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This really is a delightful way to round off a trip to the Jersey War Tunnels. The cafe is built quite high up onto the hill, but is accessible by concrete steps or a lift. The cafe itself is very light and airy and there are also seats and tables outside if you want to take advantage of any nice weather that decides to come your way. The cafe boasts a wide, varied menu serving both hot and cold food, with a selection of freshly baked pastries and cakes.

***Facilities***
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The Jersey War tunnels has all the facilities you would expect to find in such a tourist attraction, including baby changing facilities and disabled facilities. As I mentioned, although the cafe is built fairly high up, there is lift access so this would not cause any problems for disabled people. For people with wheelchairs or buggies, you should not encounter any problems with making your way around. The War Tunnels themselves are actually flat so there are no nasty stairways to climb up.

There is also the obligatory shop where you can purchase various souvenirs. However, I found the goods quite expensive and refrained from actually purchasing anything.

***Entrance Fees***
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I thought the fees were quite expensive initially, but when you consider the extent of the exhibition, together with the fact that entry into the War Trail and Garden of Reflection are free, you do get a good deal for your money. At the time of writing, the entrance fees are:-

Adults £9.30
Children £5.30
Senior citizens £8.50
Students £6.30

***Opening Times***
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The War Tunnels are only open between the months of February and December from the hours of 10.00 am to 6.00 pm. During this time, there are three days when the War Tunnels are closed, namely Liberation Day, Battles of Flowers Day and the Battle of Britain Day.

***Contact Details***
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Les Charrières Malorey
St Lawrence
Jersey
Channel Islands JE3 1FU

Telephone +44 (0)1534 860 808
Facsimile +44 (0)1534 860 886

E-mail
info@jerseywartunnels.com
www.jerseywartunnels.com

***My Overall Opinion***
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I would advise anyone to add the Jersey War Tunnels to their 'things to do list' if holidaying in Jersey. Whilst it is a very moving experience walking through this tunnel complex, seeing how the labourers were treated and the effects the war had on the islanders, it is also a fascinating experience to see the various exhibits in an original wartime environment rather than the usual modern day museum.

I would however say that, in hindsight, it is not particularly suitable for young children. It is not an overly unpleasant environment and is fairly well lit, but I imagine it would not hold the interest of children under the age of maybe ten years old.

Thanks for reading.

Oh, and by the way, for anyone who is interested - my wartime identity photo confirmed I did indeed survive the war and lived until well into my 70's!!

Thank you for reading.

(Reviewed on Dooyoo and Ciao)

Summary: A very interesting hospital!