German soldiers’ murals seen for the first time in 30 years

Captured images during the dig mean these remnants of island history can now be appreciated by enthusiasts far and wide.

The Wn. Margen bunker at Vazon was last entered in the 1980s and this year was the location for the group’s dig.

The bunker was chosen because there were reported to be murals created by German soldiers during the Second World War inside.

Festung project coordinator Paul Bourgaize said they do not often see murals inside bunkers, although there are some in a personal bunker being restored at Fort Houmet.

‘So it would be a treat for members to see first hand,’ said Mr Bourgaize

And a treat it was when the members found more than they bargained for. ‘Most of us had not seen them and I certainly didn’t expect the murals in the entrance as I understood they were in the crew room and gun room only,’ he said.

On starting the dig, the bunker entrance proved an extra challenge having been concreted up.

‘Normally a small excavator is required, and as it happened we had the required machinery on hand. We also went prepared with a pump in the event the bunker was badly flooded,’ said Mr Bourgaize.

Thanks to the equipment on hand, they were inside the bunker within an hour.

As well as being an exciting opportunity to see relics of Guernsey’s past, the information gathered during the digs is important for recording and preserving history and is used in the Festung Guernsey archive digital survey.

‘With advances in camera quality we get better images for our archive, plus a complete record of the condition of the bunker for future reference.

‘We were also able to share the pictures on our Facebook page so everyone can enjoy them, and they have reached over 50,000 people already,’ said Mr Bourgaize.

Festung – whose name translates from German to English as fortress – is an initiative by professional groups and individuals with an interest in Second World War fortifications in Guernsey.

‘We have fairly complete records of what bunkers are where and what type they are. Where there are no records available, we will quite often consult with our aerial reconnaissance expert who can study wartime RAF recce photos if we need to find an entrance,’ said Mr Bourgaize.

Their aim is to make examples of Guernsey’s important Second World War fortifications available to the public, visiting historic societies and academics.

Mr Bourgaize said one of the next plans was to open permanently an identical bunker at L’Ancresse East towards the end of the year, subject to planning approval.