the island ofjersey spent five years under nazi occupation during the second world war and slave workers from nations across europe were forced to dig thousands of metres of tunnels below ground. today, the jersey war tunnels are preserved as a monument to those who worked there. electrician steen le gresley was part of a team carrying out winter maintenance on the tunnels, when he thought he spotted a familiar face. robert hall has the story. the gateway to so much ofjersey s wartime history. the war tunnels burrowed deep into the hillside by an army of forced workers. back breaking months in the dark and the danger, underfed and ill treated. so many would never return home. there was a huge amount of fortification work done on these islands. it was intended directly from hitler that they would be an impregnable fortress. and tunnels like this were built both in guernsey and injersey to either store ammunition,
an impregnable fortress. and tunnels like this were built both in guernsey and injersey to either store ammunition, store rations, food, as a way of being completely impregnable to allied bombing and invasion. one of the stories told here centres on antonio martinez, who spent four years working in the tunnels. and it caught the eye of an electrician carrying out winter maintenance. steen le gresley recognised his own great grandfather, and he invited his great uncle to make absolutely sure. yeah, that s my dad. hard as nails, he was. he was a good father, he looked after us. we never had to worry. we were brought up respectfully. he told me, you treat older women as you would your mother, give them the respect you give your mother. you treat younger women as you would your sisters. you had to have a german soldier
gresley was part of a team carrying out winter maintenance on the tunnels, when he thought he spotted a familiar face. robert hall has the story. the gateway to so much ofjersey s wartime history. the war tunnels burrowed deep into the hillside by an army of forced workers. back breaking months in the dark and the danger, underfed and ill treated. so many would never return home. there was a huge amount of fortification work done on these islands. it was intended directly from hitler that they would be an impregnable fortress. and tunnels like this were built both in guernsey and injersey to either store ammunition, store rations, food, as a way of being completely impregnable to allied bombing and invasion. one of the stories told here centres on antonio martinez, who spent four years working in the tunnels. and it caught the eye of an electrician carrying out winter maintenance.