Paris fell in June, and by the end of the summer, German bombers were attacking Britain’s harbors and cities, and it seemed possible that Germany might invade England. Jim126/In 1940, the Nazi Army was sweeping quickly across Europe, into Norway, Denmark, and France. “It’s like the jewel in the crown if you find one with the roof still on,” says Tom Sykes, the founder of the British Resistance Archive, a network of researchers documenting this history and its remains. One of the only reasons they’re known at all is that historians, enthusiasts, and veteran Auxiliaries has been documenting the history of these covert units and seeking out the remains of their secret underground bases-when they can find them. For decades, they remained hidden in the woods: the men meant to use them had been told to keep the bases a secret, and they did. After the war, they were supposed to be destroyed, but many were not.
Jim126/The bases weren’t meant to last, either. These local Auxiliary Units weren’t meant to last more than a few weeks: they might slow the Nazi army down, but they’d likely die fulfilling that mission. The bases are usually located in woody areas convenient to arterial roads, railway lines, and the other domestic infrastructure they were meant to disrupt.ĭuring World War II, the British Army built more than 600 of these underground bunkers-possibly upwards of 1,000-to serve as bases for small groups of fighters who’d be mobilized in the event of a German invasion. The enthusiasts working to document these bases-and the clandestine Auxiliary Units that manned them-know what they’re looking for, though. To the untrained eye, their entrances might look like random holes in the ground. In the years since they were built, starting in 1940, many of them have collapsed or fallen into disrepair. While the bunkers are no longer camouflaged today, they still guard their secrets. It’s almost impossible to find one of Britain’s secret, underground military bases unless you know what to look for.
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