History man Dan shown one of four Batterie Mirus bunkers
MILITARY historian and television presenter Dan Snow was given a tour of its Batterie Mirus bunker by Festung Guernsey yesterday.
It was part of a three-day visit to the island, which will result in media on the presenter’s History Hit subscription channel and the Islands of Guernsey.
Festung Guernsey is a voluntary organisation that works to preserve and record the Bailiwick’s Second World War history.
It is responsible for one of the four batteries of the Mirus, which is the Bailiwick’s largest military site.
The four bunkers each have about 20 rooms and could house more than 70 soldiers.
Festung project co-ordinator Steve Powell was involved with the visit.
‘Dan is a great supporter of ours and the work we do,’ he said.
Mr Snow last visited the Bailiwick in 2019, which included a visit to Alderney and the German Underground Hospital in Guernsey.
‘He enjoyed it so much, he wanted to come back,’ Mr Powell said.
‘We took him to Mirus and he loved it. He found it fascinating.’
Festung have been involved with trying to preserve the Mirus bunker for 10 years.
Mr Powell said Mirus had been chosen as the best site to show off, as it was the biggest and the best.
‘It always blows people’s minds.’
It is hoped the footage will be posted online within the next three or four weeks.
It is one of a number of projects with which the volunteers are involved.
A long-running project to get power out to the Fort Hommet headland is making progress.
It is hoped work will start this month, with the funding able to get the cable as far as the main car park.
That should be operating this year, and will allow the bunkers to have power, rather than using generators.
It is hoped the final stage to take the cable out to the end of the headland will take place next year.
The German Underground Hospital, which Festung Guernsey runs, is open, but Mr Powell said visitor numbers were down on 2019.
He hoped they would rise as the summer went on.
Visit not all about history
DAN SNOW spent three days in Guernsey.
He started his trip on Monday with a visit to Herm, where he was given a tour by guide Gill Girard and used the Visit Guernsey walking app.
On Tuesday he went coasteering with Outdoor Guernsey and
then wild swimming at Moulin Huet with Guernsey Swim Adventures.
On Wednesday, he was shown various of the island’s military history sites.
The footage from the visit will feature in online videos for his subscription site and Islands of Guernsey.
The trip was organised by Visit Guernsey and the itinerary by Orchard.
Open day is scheduled
FESTUNG Guernsey is holding an open day at Batterie Mirus, between 1pm and 5pm on Saturday 23 July.
Parking will be available at La Houguette School, with signs directing people towards the Rue de L’Arquet bunker site.
Attendees are asked to give a donation.
