The Underground War

We were in total darkness when the sirens started until the flash of a bomb lit up the tunnel. A child whimpered. The wall in front of us had turned into a screen, flashing images of war and destruction.

Under the regal Dover Castle, the Secret Wartime Tunnels span for miles under the earth, first started in the medieval period to sally forth against the invading French, later used as barracks during the Napoleonic war, and finally as the pivotal base for one of the greatest feats of military planning in history – Operation Dynamo.

Many sections of the tunnels are still locked down or unexplored. It would be impossible to find anyone that left the path, the tour guide insisted. With that warning, we started down. Down and down, first by stairs too small for adult feet, then sloping onwards until we are over a mile beneath the surface. With every step and every warning, the light hearted air of a day trip to the coast wore off and silent revere tone descended on the group.

And revere is appropriate. Part memorial, part interactive museum, the tour guides, a voice over, and the tunnels themselves tell the story of the retreat from Dunkirk, where over the course of a week; more than 300,000 allied soldiers were saved from the oncoming Nazi forces.

The cool dampness of the air was a welcome reprieve from an otherwise oppressive August day, but the smell left more to be desired. The odour of old industry left to fester with little ventilation and a lot of moisture is hard to mask. An hour underground was difficult enough, let alone six years.

After the decent, a little levity is added in an unorthodox way – by ‘briefing’ guests on the backdrop of the war from a booming, Captain Mainwaring-esque voice accompanied by a video not too dissimilar to the Dad’s Army opening. Composition aside, the facts are laid bare for the group and, if you can by-pass the tacky productions, a detailed history of the most brutal conflict ever is carefully explained in easy language.

However, while the Second World War is the main focus of the journey, it isn’t the sole reason to visit the tunnels. Dover Castle’s history spans some 6,000 years and the tunnels themselves have been built on and improved since Henry II built the stone keep that sits on the site today. While you won’t learn much about other periods, the occasional glimpse of life from centuries gone help add to the awe of the tunnels themselves.

The main tunnel resembled a sewer in more than one way. The occasional drip could be heard between the booming voice of the video and the groan of the siren. The walls were clean enough in the light, but a closer look reveals their true nature. The darkness was absolute when the walls weren't lit up. But sewers don’t have flak guns
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Along the length of the great tube lies vitals objects from the war effort from both inside the tunnels and on the beaches of France. A death-toll is projected over images of death and destruction, rising for every day of Operation Dynamo. It didn’t take long to reaches more than 70,000.

It’s hard to do justice to the sheer scale of Operation Dynamo, especially on a guided tour that takes no more than an hour, but the experience of the Secret Wartime Tunnels does more to emphasise the horror and bravery at Dunkirk than any text book. From cell-like living quarters to the smell of damp mixed with oil, exploring these tunnels is an assault on the senses and an exploration of the mind’s capacity for empathy, despite the brisk nature of the visit.

As we climbed up and out, our emotional journey was concluded with a stark reality: a trip through a gift shop. Dad’s Army tea towels, Airfix models, and “Keep Calm and Carry On” tat lined the walls. Nothing, it would seem, is kept sacred from consumerism. Not even 70,000 lives.