Having just retired as a security officer my last assignment was at blyth at the wellsley nautical school which
was the base for the armed forces and also Home Guard during the war , then became a home for the bad lads which I beleive was run by the probation service until it was taken over by sunderland council ,only six
bad lads were still on sight when I arrived but were transfered elsewhere seeing they were closing it down .
After a while after closing we had a visit from ex navy personnel who were stationed there during the war
and was informed that as well as the tunnel underneath the school which was used for the transfer of
amunitions to the shore batteries , we were told that there was also an underground submarine base there
which housed three T-Class submarines in a specially built dock ,this had work and engineering shops ,stores
generator rooms for lighting , cook house and mess room . The entrance seemingly run out under water past
the blyth harbour entrance and was kept secret all these years . Only the need to know new of its existence
for security reasons during the war .Apparently the tunnel and entrance are still there but is sealed off and
the underwater entrance is well silted over through the years . Its a pity that it was sealed off as it could have been a part of history maybe run by ex forces personnel as a museum to let people see what it was like
in those dark days .
was the base for the armed forces and also Home Guard during the war , then became a home for the bad lads which I beleive was run by the probation service until it was taken over by sunderland council ,only six
bad lads were still on sight when I arrived but were transfered elsewhere seeing they were closing it down .
After a while after closing we had a visit from ex navy personnel who were stationed there during the war
and was informed that as well as the tunnel underneath the school which was used for the transfer of
amunitions to the shore batteries , we were told that there was also an underground submarine base there
which housed three T-Class submarines in a specially built dock ,this had work and engineering shops ,stores
generator rooms for lighting , cook house and mess room . The entrance seemingly run out under water past
the blyth harbour entrance and was kept secret all these years . Only the need to know new of its existence
for security reasons during the war .Apparently the tunnel and entrance are still there but is sealed off and
the underwater entrance is well silted over through the years . Its a pity that it was sealed off as it could have been a part of history maybe run by ex forces personnel as a museum to let people see what it was like
in those dark days .
