States of Alderney President William Tate yesterday cut the bandage to officially open the island’s restored WWII German Hospital Bunker to the public.
The large bunker, hidden away off Longis Road, has been transformed over the last six months to create a premier visitor attraction alongside other heritage sites such as the 4th Century Roman Fort, grand Victorian forts and numerous German defences including ‘The Odeon’ naval range-finding tower.
States Member Boyd Kelly paid tribute to historian Colin Partridge and a team of dedicated volunteers who helped transform the Hospital Bunker, along with various island contractors and sponsors.
The hospital was built by forced labourers in 1943 for use by the German occupying forces. There were bunk beds for up to thirty patients, separate rooms for 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 with two-metre thick reinforced concrete walls and roof.
The bunker has a number of information boards as well as a staged treatment room which includes an operating table.
A room dedicated to the shelling of Alderney by HMS Rodney will be opened separately on August 12th – the 80th anniversary of the bombardment.
The Visit Alderney team and the Economic Development Committee are grateful to George Capazario of G.C. Electrical for his specialist WWII wiring, Blanchards Building Supplies for sponsoring the paint supply, the Mignot Memorial Hospital for props, and AEL for generous sponsorship to cover ongoing electricity costs.
Main Image credit: Lucie Stribrska / VisitAlderney.com
