Official opening of the WWII German Hospital Bunker
Visit Alderney are excited to announce the official opening of the WWII German Hospital Bunker to the public on Saturday July 6.
The large bunker, hidden away off Longis Road, has been transformed over the last six months to create a premier visitor attraction.
The hospital was built by forced labourers under the German occupying power in 1943 and was used by the German army. There were bunk beds for up to thirty patients, separate rooms for the doctors and medical orderlies, an admissions room and a treatment room capable of dealing with major operations. It is the only bunker of its design in the Channel Islands, known as a ‘118b’ type bunker.
The bunker has a number of information boards as well as a staged treatment room which includes an operating table.
There will also be a room dedicated to the shelling of Alderney by HMS Rodney which will opened separately on August 12th, the 80th anniversary of the bombardment.
Visit Alderney would like to thank historian Colin Partridge and our dedicated volunteers Nigel Clarke, Andy Mileham, Neil Collings and John Walker, without whom this project would not have been completed. Also, thanks to various island contractors, States Works and George Capazario for his specialist WWII wiring, Blanchard for sponsoring the paint supply, David at the Mignot Hospital for props and finally to AEL for their generous sponsorship to cover ongoing electricity costs.
The Visit Alderney team, volunteers and States Members Boyd Kelly and Alex Snowden will be at the bunker from 10.30am on Saturday 6th July to greet visitors. The President will officially ‘cut the ribbon’ to open the bunker at 10.45am.
Caroline from Visit Alderney said: “We are excited to be opening the hospital bunker to the public where both visitors and residents can learn more about WWII Alderney. As always, we are very grateful to the volunteers who continue to help with these projects and to historian Colin Partridge for his invaluable insights into the bunker’s past and his ability to explain it so clearly. Restoring this building not only safeguards it for the future but also adds another fascinating visitor attraction in our ongoing attempt to improve Alderney’s tourism offering.’’
Image credits: Lucie Stribrska / VisitAlderney.com
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