Article about: Many years ago I was able to get permission to help myself to any items that were left in one of the German tunnels here in Jersey, Channel Islands. Needless to say with the keys to the gate
Many years ago I was able to get permission to help myself to any items that were left in one of the German tunnels here in Jersey, Channel Islands. Needless to say with the keys to the gates in hand and an empty VW Kombi I made best use of the time and filled my van many times taking rusty relics home to my parents house. MY fathers green house and shed were filled with all manner of kit. Mg mounts, racks for mortar bombs, back pack cable layers, cable laying devices to go on horses, back pack soup kitchens, large bottles for 2 man flame thrower...... all sorts of wierd and wonderful kit. Over the years I traded some of it and other bits are lost to the mists of time but one piece I did get and always liked was mount for a MG.34 from a Tobruk position. This one was especially nice as it still had both the protective shields on it that most in fact never had. At one time I did a trade on it for something else. The chap who had it off me spent quite some time restoring it and it looked really great. A few years later I traded it back and still have it. Its a fairly scarce item and I know its been restored paint wise but it was looking really bad in the state I got it, so in my view its better as it is now. I wish at the time I had had a camera to photgraph the rusty pile of kit I got out of the tunnels but in those days camera's were a lot scarcer than today and films and developing cost a small fortune when there was kit to be bought and paid for.
I have attached a few pictures of the mount with a mg on it, I hope you like it,
All the best from Jersey,
D
If there had of been a train full of gold in the tunnels, it would have been well gone by the time I got to go into the tunnels. I would love to find some photos of the kit when it was all stacked up in the tunnels, before it got all rusty and strewn all over the place by souvenir hunters.
D
I have attached a well known photo locally showing Major Sargent (RAOC), who was in charge of the clear up of all German equipment on the Island as part of Force 135. He is seen here with a line up of 2cm flak guns which were put into the tunnels. Originally sealed into the tunnels these were removed during the early 50's during a scrap drive. So un
fortunately none survive. But it gives you an idea of what the tunnels were like back in the day, it would have been fascinating to see the kit just stacked up and unwanted!!!
all the best,
D
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