Broadcaster and historian Dan Snow keen to return to island
MORE than 40,000 people have already viewed a new documentary about the Occupation by broadcaster and historian Dan Snow.
It was uploaded to Mr Snow’s Youtube channel History Hit two weeks ago.
It shows the presenter exploring the Mirus Battery and Underground Hospital with Tours of Guernsey guide Amanda Johns, and Occupation experts Steve Powell and Pierre Renier from Festung Guernsey.
Miss Johns enjoyed her time working with the presenter.
‘He was extremely down to earth, and very knowledgeable about Guernsey,’ she said.
‘He thought Festung Guernsey was doing an amazing job preserving the island’s Second World War heritage and that Guernsey has an amazing story to tell. I know he’s really keen to return to the island.’
Festung Guernsey is a voluntary organisation that works to conserve and record the Bailiwick’s Second World War history.
Steve Powell from the group was happy to be involved in the filming, which was shot over three days in July.
‘It’s been great to raise the profile of what we are doing,’ he said.
‘The film has been getting a lot of coverage and it’s really helped raise awareness.’
Mirus is the largest battery in the Channel Islands, and although the huge 15-metre guns were removed soon after the end of the war, the reinforced concrete structures that housed them remains.
The Underground Hospital, which is one of Guernsey’s best-known tourist destinations, consists of more than 75,000 square feet of tunnels.
Mr Powell said that both locations had intrigued the TV presenter.
‘Dan was amazed at the sheer scale of construction at both sites, he couldn’t believe that the underground hospital had accommodation for casualties right next to ammunition storage.’
The historian was interested in some of the more uncommon relics of the Occupation.
‘There are some murals at Mirus that Dan was particularly impressed with.
‘He said he’d never seen anything like them anywhere before’.
Mr Powell was equally sure that it would not be the last film the historian makes about the island.
‘It’s highly likely that Dan will be back early next year, and we are really looking forward to working with him again.’
