A new museum is being proposed at the Jersey War Tunnels site to display previously unseen archive stock and artefacts, and to house the War Tunnels’ current and future acquisitions.
Whilst occupation period exhibits will be enhanced and added to through continual upgrades to existing Tunnel displays, the attraction now intends to widen its curatorial remit to expand its collection to include wartime off-island collectibles and artefacts from the wider WWII conflicts.
By doing so, Jersey War Tunnels hopes to increase its appeal to both Jersey residents and the growing number of overseas visitors with the aim of restoring visitor numbers to pre-pandemic levels. Plans and supporting consultants’ reports are currently being finalised for submission to the Planning Department and for stakeholder consultations.
Jersey War Tunnels has announced the successful acquisition of an exceptionally rare original ‘Top Secret’ Operation Nestegg document, the pivotal Allied plan for the liberation of the Channel Islands, alongside three rare and original D-Day Landing Craft maps for Juno Beach, Gold Beach, and Sword Beach. These purchases represent the beginning of a significant acquisitions program to enrich and broaden the scope of the museum’s wartime collection.
While copies of the Operation Nestegg document are already held in Jersey, this newly acquired example is an original wartime copy, carrying the immediacy and authenticity of a document that was part of the actual Allied planning process, and is dated November 1944.
The acquisitions were made at auction last week, ensuring these historically important items will remain in the Channel Islands for future generations to study and experience.
The three D-Day maps were formally used by Sub-Lieutenant Walter Page (1916 – 1996) of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, who served as part of the crew on Landing Craft Tank LCT-2138 during the Normandy invasion on 6 June 1944. Each map carries invasion planning detail, marked Top Secret, and reflects information current up to April 6, 1944. The Gold Beach map, measuring 91cm x 59.1cm, for the ‘Gold Area’ and is a remarkable survival from one of the most significant military operations in history.
Lance Trevellyan, owner of Jersey War Tunnels, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured these exceptional items, which are of huge historical significance both to Jersey and to the wider story of the Second World War. Bringing the Operation Nestegg document and the D-Day maps home to the Channel Islands ensures they are preserved for future generations, rather than disappearing into private collections. Our mission has always been to protect and share the stories of the Occupation and Liberation, and acquisitions like these enhance our mission to place Jersey firmly on the map as a destination for world class WWII history.”
Pictured: The proposed new museum
