Hidden WWII Bunker Discovered Beneath Jersey Home, Transformed into Games Room
st. Helier, Jersey – A Jersey couple renovating their home made an astonishing discovery: a well-preserved German WWII bunker hidden beneath their property. The bunker, unearthed after a painstaking search involving the removal of over 100 tons of earth using a grabber, is now being converted into a leisure space featuring a snooker table and gym.
The initial clue came from the homeowner’s father, who recalled stories of rooms existing under the house that had later been deliberately filled in. Inspired by this, the homeowner, along with friend Shaun, embarked on the search, ultimately revealing a network of chambers. The bunker consists of two rooms and a connecting corridor, bearing numerous German inscriptions on the walls. One inscription, “Achtung Feind hort What,” translates to “Take care, the enemy listens,” highlighting the wartime paranoia and security measures in place.
Jersey, a Channel Island, was occupied by German forces between 1940 and 1945 as part of operation Overlord, a massive fortification project transforming the islands into an “indispensable fortress.” The Germans constructed an extensive network of bunkers, tunnels, and fortifications – known collectively as the Atlantic Wall – to defend against a potential Allied invasion. Historians estimate over 600 bunkers and fortified positions remain on Jersey alone, a testament to the scale of the German effort. The bunkers were built by Organisation Todt, a Nazi civil and military engineering association.
The discovered bunker is believed to have been part of this larger defensive system, perhaps used for observation or as a dialog post.While the exact purpose of this particular bunker remains under examination, its preservation offers a rare glimpse into the lives of soldiers stationed on the island during the occupation. The couple’s decision to repurpose the bunker reflects a growing trend of adapting historical structures for modern use, preserving a tangible link to the past while creating functional spaces.