# WW2 Air Raid Shelter under my garden!



## PinkMini (Aug 3, 2009)

Firstly thankyou to Kelly (VWchick) for telling us about this, there's no way we would have guessed what was under that teeny drain cover (now known to be an escape hatch) in my garden! My flat is in a big old school/college building which is presumably why this was built in the first place.

I think this has been posted before so I wouldn't ramble on...It was a spur of the moment kinda thing with VWChick, Skins and JayM plus a few other not on the forum, so not great photos but here goes...


Would you have guessed what was under here?! The entrance was a bit of a bitch!






And thanks to all the recent rain it wasn't exactly dry, but having discovered it, there was no way we weren't going in! 

























At the end of the tunnel, we came across this....it took me a few seconds to realise what it actually was before freaking out big time! Lol!




It's not actually as sinister as it seems : 
"On Thursday 14th October 1999 Mrs Perl Merrett and her daughter Karen stepped back into time when they visited a World War II underground air raid in the picnic grounds of the **** Road Annexe of Plymouth." and "Perl lays her wreath underground to the memory of the civilian population of Blitzed wartime Plymouth. This wreath will remain here for a very long time, it's placed in an air-lock entrance to the underground air raid shelter, there already is a time capsule placed there in 1993 by Steve Johnson and the College of Further Education" (from Steve Johnson, Cyberheritage)











Thankfully my house was fairly close for a change of dry clothes


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## Krypton (Aug 3, 2009)

wow, this is pretty cool. Especially as you had no idea it was there.

Jack


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## PinkMini (Aug 3, 2009)

Cheers dude! Yeah it was a total shock, many a BBQ we have had on that exact "drain cover" 

Crazy stuff! 

I'd love to find out what was on the other side of the bricked up bits!


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## Krypton (Aug 3, 2009)

PinkMini said:


> Cheers dude! Yeah it was a total shock, many a BBQ we have had on that exact "drain cover"
> 
> Crazy stuff!
> 
> I'd love to find out what was on the other side of the bricked up bits!



Theres only one way to find out - take a sledge hammer to it!!!!!!!!


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## PinkMini (Aug 3, 2009)

Very tempting....hehe!


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## cogito (Aug 3, 2009)

Holy carp! 

Now don't we all wish we had something like that in our garden?!


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## v-w-chick (Aug 3, 2009)

im sooo glad we went to look   
it was as kool as i fout.
abit sad i didnt go down, but we will again. just had new new boots on lol. 

3 ppl died down there and it took a hit during the war thats why its been bricked up. so who knows wots behind there.

such good stuff.


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## Badoosh (Aug 3, 2009)

The things you find in your back garden eh! Thanks for posting the pics up. Shame it's got so much water in there but at least this is another fine example of shelter that hasn't been demolished in Plymouth.


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## DigitalNoise (Aug 3, 2009)

Wow, now that's prety cool! I'd love to move down to Plymouth, seems like these are everywhere!


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## DigitalNoise (Aug 3, 2009)

Just found this whilst looking for something completely unrelated on the net... 
Look familiar?


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## kernowexpeditionary (Aug 3, 2009)

nice to see it again, i believe 3 people died behind that bricked up wall...


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## kernowexpeditionary (Aug 3, 2009)

more pics here http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=4843


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## Urban Mole (Aug 3, 2009)

Wow, Id love to have something like that in my garden, or my neighbors, or anywhere, Id still get in there, just like Kernow did 
And Id also be doing something about that wall too...


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## Urban Mole (Aug 3, 2009)

Found this on the above mentioned site by DN;






I wonder if they ever did break through it?


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## kernowexpeditionary (Aug 3, 2009)

nah m8, that section is still bricked up,


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## Badoosh (Aug 3, 2009)

Urban Mole said:


> Found this on the above mentioned site by DN;
> 
> 
> 
> ...



As Kernow says it's still bricked up. Should it stay that way or left another generation of explorer to find out what lies behind....after all people did die when that part of the shelter took a hit!

Here's a to some of the pics when it was first unearthed since it's closure, all photos stated Kings are from this shelter;

http://www.cyberheritage.com/shelter/index2.html

Did you find much grafitti when you were down there Kernow?


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## kernowexpeditionary (Aug 3, 2009)

tbh m8 i didnt see much, it was my first major shelter, entry was so dodgy and the water was really deep (it was feb and water was up to my waist in parts!) so i didnt really have chance to look as i just wanted to get in & out!

up for a revisit tho!


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## graybags (Aug 3, 2009)

*Shelter*

I still have that very press cutting !

He didn't do things by halves, did Steve

that's a serious tunnelling tool !!

G


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## Badoosh (Aug 3, 2009)

kernowexpeditionary said:


> tbh m8 i didnt see much, it was my first major shelter, entry was so dodgy and the water was really deep (it was feb and water was up to my waist in parts!) so i didnt really have chance to look as i just wanted to get in & out!
> 
> up for a revisit tho!



Understandable, not exactly a walk in the park like Devonport! Interesting how it's so waterlogged in there given it's location. I'm wondering if the water ingress is from the blocked section. Maybe a water pump is needed for another visit, i think Pink Mini should organise a BBQ


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## lilli (Aug 3, 2009)

Thats amazing


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## v-w-chick (Aug 4, 2009)

it was weird cus they found the wreath , the once out of the shelter we then did our research lol
and thats when we came across the lady that had put it there in 1999.
i think it will b a mess behind the wall.
needs to b done at night 

bbq at night sarah (pinkmini)


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## v-w-chick (Aug 4, 2009)

DigitalNoise said:


> Just found this whilst looking for something completely unrelated on the net...
> Look familiar?



digitalnoise (Y)

yes we came across this after sarah thought it may have to do with death. so we did our research and foung that the lady had put it down there in 1999, in memory.
its a great example of a sqaure shelter.


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## v-w-chick (Aug 4, 2009)

Urban Mole said:


> Found this on the above mentioned site by DN;
> 
> 
> 
> ...



i get the feeling they did, and blocked it back up again. or they left the stuff and blocked it back up :S


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## sqwasher (Aug 4, 2009)

Blimey thats a nice & handy 'local' explore if ever there was one-good on ya for getting in there.


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## Badoosh (Aug 4, 2009)

v-w-chick said:


> i get the feeling they did, and blocked it back up again. or they left the stuff and blocked it back up :S



Steve left the bricked up part as it was Kelly, so nobody has actually seen what's behind it since that section was blocked.


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## night crawler (Aug 4, 2009)

Cool find right on the doorstep


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## kernowexpeditionary (Aug 4, 2009)

that section must remain blocked too...


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## extrogg (Aug 4, 2009)

I agree..out of respect for those that died its best left as it is.


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## DigitalNoise (Aug 4, 2009)

Yeah, me too. As cool as it may be, in all reality it is not worth smashing that through. Wish I had something like this near me, all I can find are buried, sealed stantons.


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## extrogg (Aug 4, 2009)

Ill put money on there being old air raid shelters in Reading...have a look at your Local Records Office and see what turns up..you never know


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## Badoosh (Aug 4, 2009)

If anybody decides to knock through the wall then it has to be for the right reasons, not some urbexer just on a mission to get a better post. People died there & it should be treated with such respect. Leave well alone in my opinion!


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## kernowexpeditionary (Aug 4, 2009)

that bricked section is history itself, when a shelter was hit, the damaged section was blocked and the shelter continued as a smaller one, exactly the same as the more famous Portland Square.


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## Badoosh (Aug 4, 2009)

kernowexpeditionary said:


> that bricked section is history itself, when a shelter was hit, the damaged section was blocked and the shelter continued as a smaller one, exactly the same as the more famous Portland Square.



Exactly, & a very interesting story. You can only imagine how terrified people must have been after the hit, knowing that they would probably have to take refuge in the remaining part in the knowledge that friends or neighbours lost their lives. Every shelter we have been in we have always taken a minute or two to turn off the torches, observe complete silence & show respect for the generations before us who had to endure the devastation that rained from above or the threat of, & try to imagine how they must have felt.


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## PinkMini (Aug 5, 2009)

I completely agree KE and Badoosh, I have no plans of breaking through the wall, tbh i'd be too scared of what I may find...just curious to know if anyone did know what was behind it. 

Where is the time capsule that was mentioned??


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## PinkMini (Aug 5, 2009)

BBQ FTW, just gotta wait for some sunny weather.....


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## Badoosh (Aug 5, 2009)

PinkMini said:


> I completely agree KE and Badoosh, I have no plans of breaking through the wall, tbh i'd be too scared of what I may find...just curious to know if anyone did know what was behind it.
> 
> Where is the time capsule that was mentioned??



The time capsule was hidden away for future generations to find. Looking at the level of water in your pics it's probably a little wet now.


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## DigitalNoise (Aug 5, 2009)

extrogg said:


> Ill put money on there being old air raid shelters in Reading...have a look at your Local Records Office and see what turns up..you never know




Yeah, there's quite a few, but they're either stantons, or surface shelters. The record office wasn't too much help, but I will be returning. I've been working on it for a good year or so , would be great to find a biggy.


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## prendy79 (Aug 5, 2009)

What a cool find,plymouth seems to have tonnes of shelters to offer.

I'm a bit split on the whole removal of the blocked up part.

I completely agree with the arguement that the dead should be respected and it should be left blocked up,but on the other hand a part of me really wants to see the lady who's belongings are buried down there get her stuff back after such a long time. I'm sure it would probably bring closure on a very important part of her life and i'd like to think she'd be greatfull enough to donate the belongings to a local historian or museum after she has passed on.


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## v-w-chick (Aug 6, 2009)

yeh i feel it shud b left too. mayb we can squeeze a camera thro that little gap and take a few pics.
might show something.
BBQ weather today ay sarah


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## PinkMini (Aug 6, 2009)

I know, it was lush today, but I wasn't at home! 

From my rough memory before freaking out at the wreath, the bricked up bit wasn't too neat, there may well be a gap to take a pic through, we'll have to have a closer look next time.


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## kernowexpeditionary (Aug 6, 2009)

pretty sure where the wreath is located was an enterance - blocks dont look wartime to me...


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## PinkMini (Aug 6, 2009)

I thought that, hence I so curious as to what's behind it! I'm confused as to where this time capsule is too??


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## Badoosh (Aug 6, 2009)

PinkMini said:


> I thought that, hence I so curious as to what's behind it! I'm confused as to where this time capsule is too??




Behind the wall will look something like this...a nice heap of rubble from when the entrances were knocked in.


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## extrogg (Aug 6, 2009)

Lots of rubble!


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## extrogg (Aug 6, 2009)

Now then kids listen to this simple message from Officer Barbrady



"OK People, move along, nothing to see here!"


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## PinkMini (Aug 7, 2009)

Ah  Nothing too exciting then.

Are the bricked up bits other entrances then? Or it is where the tunnels have been hit, collapsed then been covered? Or more tunnel that has just been blocked off? (sorry for sounding so think!)  
I always presumed the tunnels went further than what we can get to today, but maybe not? How did they fit 1200 people in there?!?


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## v-w-chick (Aug 7, 2009)

no sarah it says most school only held up to 200-300 people. so your wud have been a smaller one, to one found in central park. its abit like my old school once only the one i went in was arched shelter.


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## kernowexpeditionary (Aug 9, 2009)

little more info in this site - and as often is the case, credit to [email protected] for original info...

"POSTSCRIPT: Until recently I believed that although this shelter took a direct hit on Tuesday 22nd April 1941 causing many injuries, there were in fact no fatalities. Sadly I have now be seen to be wrong. Thanks to the researching diligence of Tony Dean of Plymouth, it now has to be recorded that that hit caused the death of 3 of our citizens.

In Memoriam

Mrs Olive Spracklan 38

Phyllis Shortman 19 - a member of the ATS

Edwin Brazier 38 - a Supply Assistant at HMS Drake

Mrs Spracklan`s body was recovered immediately after the incident and it was presumed to be the one and only fatality. It was not until the 11th June 1941 that the bodies of Edwin Brazier and Phyllis Shortman were found and removed. Urgent repairs to the shelter to keep it fit for continued public use caused the bodies to be discovered by workmen. "


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## PinkMini (Aug 10, 2009)

Ah, I knew I'd read that somewhere, but couldn't find it again to post. Thanks KE


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## v-w-chick (Aug 10, 2009)

see sarah if we knock down walls we might find sumthing we wish we hadnt found heheh . but will defo poke camera thro


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