A couple have discovered and dug up a WW2 German bunker which was hidden underneath their home in Guernsey.
Shaun and Carrie Tullier bought the house in the Torteval area of the island in 2021.
Although they were aware it was built on a former gun emplacement, they had no idea about the extent of the structure until a former owner’s daughter gave them the tip-off that there may be more to the site’s story.
Some exploration revealed a door leading deep underground and they were blown away by what was actually there.
Over the last couple of years, Shaun has removed many tonnes of soil to uncover the bunker, hiding a dark part of the island’s history.
Shaun explains: “When we first came down here, there were an awful lot of bottles. I think it had been used for recycling, with people just throwing down their rubbish … we had to crawl in.
“We found some bullet casings and writing on the walls, which was amazing in itself.
“I’m trying to preserve the past, otherwise it just gets lost.”
The bunker winds down 26 feet and reveals two large rooms with a corridor connecting them, as well as what Shaun describes as a “rifle point”, where an inhabitant could fire at anyone entering.
Above the main entrance, there is German writing which reads “Achtung Feind hort mit!” or translated, “Beware, the Enemy is Listening!”.
Shaun believes ammunition was kept in the smaller of the two rooms, with beds and a table in the other.
The underground labyrinth has everything from escape hatches to original door frames, still intact after years of darkness, now being brought into the light.
The discovery has made headlines around the world in the 80th year since the Channel Islands were liberated following five years of German Occupation.
Shaun explains: “I’ve had people texting me from Germany and New Zealand as well.
“It is a bit mad but a lot of people are interested.”
Shaun hopes to repurpose the main underground room into a gaming space with a pool table – and even host his birthday party at the site later this year.