Visited With SlimJim
This one had been on both of our lists for some time so we where very glad to have finally done it.
We both agreed it was quite a change from the usual WW2 underground stuff which we had done in the past, it has (as far as i am aware) a pretty unique layout, We have never seen a (machine gun nest under the ground before either).
Brief History
This site was effectively a Maritime intelligence Centre & Naval command headquarters 60 feet below ground. It was kept pretty secret even up until 1993 both the imperial war museum and the MOD denied its existence.
If you entered room 16 of the Guinness trust holiday home in November 1941 you would be heading down the stairs to an 'impenetrable fortress' and home to the most sophisticated and contemporary communications devices. Forward was equipped with two telephone exchanges, its own W/T office with 11 radios, a VF line telegraph terminal, 10 teleprinters and 2 typpex machines, today this sort of technology is in your pocket but back then it was huge!
Looking after all this was paramount there where two pillboxes up top which where access from the bunker and an underground machine gun post which pointed straight up the east entrance stairs and if the Germans made it past that there was a large pit at the bottom of the stairs too!
Once the war was over HMS Forward was decommissioned on 31st August 1945.
I didnt get loads of photos but heres a few -
This is the West Entrance tunnel
Main entrance by Dick Derpin, on Flickr
West tunnel again but taken from the air-conditioning plant room
Mo Vents by Dick Derpin, on Flickr
Air-conditioning plant room
Air-conditioning room by Dick Derpin, on Flickr
Machine Gun nest entrance, at the bottom of the stairs there would have been an air-lock
Machine Gun Nest by Dick Derpin, on Flickr
Port
Machine gun port by Dick Derpin, on Flickr
This is the GPO room, after they had built the bunker they realised the equpipment was too tall so they had to dig a 'pit' to put it in.
GPO Room by Dick Derpin, on Flickr
This one had been on both of our lists for some time so we where very glad to have finally done it.
We both agreed it was quite a change from the usual WW2 underground stuff which we had done in the past, it has (as far as i am aware) a pretty unique layout, We have never seen a (machine gun nest under the ground before either).
Brief History
This site was effectively a Maritime intelligence Centre & Naval command headquarters 60 feet below ground. It was kept pretty secret even up until 1993 both the imperial war museum and the MOD denied its existence.
If you entered room 16 of the Guinness trust holiday home in November 1941 you would be heading down the stairs to an 'impenetrable fortress' and home to the most sophisticated and contemporary communications devices. Forward was equipped with two telephone exchanges, its own W/T office with 11 radios, a VF line telegraph terminal, 10 teleprinters and 2 typpex machines, today this sort of technology is in your pocket but back then it was huge!
Looking after all this was paramount there where two pillboxes up top which where access from the bunker and an underground machine gun post which pointed straight up the east entrance stairs and if the Germans made it past that there was a large pit at the bottom of the stairs too!
Once the war was over HMS Forward was decommissioned on 31st August 1945.
I didnt get loads of photos but heres a few -
This is the West Entrance tunnel
Main entrance by Dick Derpin, on FlickrWest tunnel again but taken from the air-conditioning plant room
Mo Vents by Dick Derpin, on FlickrAir-conditioning plant room
Air-conditioning room by Dick Derpin, on FlickrMachine Gun nest entrance, at the bottom of the stairs there would have been an air-lock
Machine Gun Nest by Dick Derpin, on FlickrPort
Machine gun port by Dick Derpin, on FlickrThis is the GPO room, after they had built the bunker they realised the equpipment was too tall so they had to dig a 'pit' to put it in.
GPO Room by Dick Derpin, on Flickr
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Great splore, but I wasn't able to get many pics out of it. I think I was just enjoying the explore side of it too much.
