Rick W Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 The Channel Islands are often overlooked as an outpost of the UK that was occupied during WW2. I went there many years ago, and there is probably more standing there than anywhere else. The Mirus Gun Battery disguises as a bungalow always stuck in my mind. You can still go there and explore the underground complex, at the bottom of some allotments! If I got this right copy the link. I will dig out some photos at some point http://www.guernsey.net/~cedavey/occupationzone/fortess%20a4.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted May 25, 2007 Author Share Posted May 25, 2007 Not something you would normally see... http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/rik242_2006/_41125321_jersey_pa203.jpg[/img] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford 369 Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 It is indeed possible to visit Mirus battery,I went there myself last year however I would advise anybody wishing to visit to contact the CIOS Guernsey branch for help as 1 gun position is in a school another is used for paintballing the third is on private farmland and the owner is often out shooting rabbits etc and the fourth is on private land and not accessible. I found the CIOS to be very helpful and 2 members showed my father and I 3 of the 4 gun positions one of which they intend to restore in the future Whilst you are in Guernsey you will find many other interesting sites ,look for fort Hommet and the restored fire control tower both of which are linked to the occupation museum in the village of Forest , Nigel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted June 1, 2007 Share Posted June 1, 2007 Agreed there are plenty of places to visit. When I visited in 1988 there was a military hospital buried in a tunnel system. I imagine that with the explosion in tourisn in the intervening years, these things are all in a much better nick than they were 20 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 Alternatley go visit the BIG Rock Jersey. There is the choice of about a dozen obvious sites, and some not obvious. also have a look at this site. http://thisisjersey.com/hmd/ Crapud's rule :yesmaster: :naughty: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford 369 Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 contact Jersey tourist info in Liberation Square St Helier and ask for the CIOS fortifications leaflet and this will give you a good start on what to see Nigel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 Nigel. CIOS have a Jersey site. Tourism's site is at http://www.jersey.com/ I am also a 'Friend of Jersey' Tourism, so must declare bias.There are also a number of private musuems and collections. The best being Ian Cabot's museum at St Ouen, the L'Etacq end. TWO 3 WHEEL ENIGMAS!! There are also feild works at L'Aleval, known as the 'German Road' and above it at Les Gillietttes. The north coast from Les Lande's round to St Catherine's has various sites on the coast. La Houge Bie has the prehistoric monument and a bunker. As you might gather plenty to see. The Island is 5 miles x 11, bigger when the tide goes out :-D There are also Napolionic and earlier forts, including Martello towers, St Aubin's Fort Elizebeth Castle and Mont Orguil (NOT GOREY Castle!!) Have a nose at Google earth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford 369 Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 thanks for the reply Tony I should have explained that I have been travelling to Jersey once or twice a year for the last 20 or so years and have been a member of the CIOS for 7or8 years. I agree with you about Ian Cabots museum and have also seen many other bikes and motorcycles as well as militaria at his house when he has been advertising militaria for sale. Over the years I have visited many places and met many interesting people ,I well remember the strawberry farm ,hogue bie bunker and the Island fortress museums not forgetting the excellent St Peters bunker and Jersey motor museum all sadly now closed but have also witnessed the excellent work of the CIOS particularly at Corbiere and Noirmont Point. I hope to return later this year to see what else has happened and the great thing about Jersey is that there is also so much for the rest of the family if they get bored of bunker hunting ,the only problem is every time we go my wife suddenly NEEDS more jewellery!! cheers NIgel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 Hey Nigel, you should join Friends of the Island, no cost. http://www.friendsofjerseytourism.com/ ian had the St Peter's hotel bunker, but it kept flooding, hence the move. I hear he's sold the Command Car to Richard Le Brocq. Did you know the St Peter's Hotel had a quad 20mm mount on the roof? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford 369 Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 Tony I will look at that Jersey tourism site,as for the AA gun on the hotel roof it rings a bell but I will have to look through some books to see what I can find we will probably stay in St Peters later this year at the le Charrieres hotel and I can take a first hand look Nigel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 At least you don't call it 'Last Chariots Hotel' :-D Must know the rock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford 369 Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Had a quick look through some books sunday evening but can find no mention of AA gun on the roof at St Peters so will have to keep searching. Also I did not realise Ian Cabot had St Peters bunker I thought it was always Richard Maynes but that is probably because a mention of it in the Channel Islands Occupation then and now states this ,but then again my copy is dated 1979.Does Ian still lease the bunker but not use it?I suppose the flooding must have been due to the car park of the motor museum sloping towards the bunker! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 I'm not sure what the situation is now. With the build up of road levels etc, I think it just became untenable. I remember it when I was a kid.The display is now at St Ouen. Did you know the Mirus guns, biggest in the channel islands were 30.5 ex Russian Battleship St Petersburg. When they were cut up BOC had to come up with a special gas mix because the steel was so hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford 369 Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 When I was in Guernsey last year I had organised a visit to Mirus with 2 chaps from the CIOS who showed my father my 8 year old daughter and myself around 3 of the 4 sites and on return to our hotel in the evening I got talking to a local enthusiast called Lee who told me he had some pictures of the guns being removed by a local company (John Upham).Sure enough the very next evening he showed up in the hotel bar with the pictures . what made this event evev more surprising is that later in the evening he asked where I was from and I told him it turned out during the 1950s he worked in Watford which is only a couple of miles from where I live and in fact lodged in a house in the next street to an aunt of mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 We Islanders get everywhere. People ask 'Why did you leave?' Well it's 11 miles long and 5 miles wide. Try to get to Richard's show, if nothing else thanks to sensible rules, the shooting will be fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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