Latest news with #CarrieTullier
ITV News
5 hours ago
- General
- ITV News
Couple find huge WW2 Nazi bunker hidden underneath their home in Guernsey
A couple have discovered and dug up a WW2 German bunker which was hidden underneath their home in Guernsey. Shaun and Carrie Tullier bought the house in the Torteval area of the island in 2021. Although they were aware it was built on a former gun emplacement, they had no idea about the extent of the structure until a former owner's daughter gave them the tip-off that there may be more to the site's story. Some exploration revealed a door leading deep underground and they were blown away by what was actually there. Over the last couple of years, Shaun has removed many tonnes of soil to uncover the bunker, hiding a dark part of the island's history. Shaun explains: "When we first came down here, there were an awful lot of bottles. I think it had been used for recycling, with people just throwing down their rubbish ... we had to crawl in. "We found some bullet casings and writing on the walls, which was amazing in itself. "I'm trying to preserve the past, otherwise it just gets lost." The bunker winds down 26 feet and reveals two large rooms with a corridor connecting them, as well as what Shaun describes as a "rifle point", where an inhabitant could fire at anyone entering. Above the main entrance, there is German writing which reads "Achtung Feind hort mit!" or translated, "Beware, the Enemy is Listening!". Shaun believes ammunition was kept in the smaller of the two rooms, with beds and a table in the other. The underground labyrinth has everything from escape hatches to original door frames, still intact after years of darkness, now being brought into the light. The discovery has made headlines around the world in the 80th year since the Channel Islands were liberated following five years of German Occupation. Shaun explains: "I've had people texting me from Germany and New Zealand as well. "It is a bit mad but a lot of people are interested." Shaun hopes to repurpose the main underground room into a gaming space with a pool table - and even host his birthday party at the site later this year.
Telegraph
03-08-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Couple find Nazi bunker after digging under their home in Guernsey
A couple have discovered a Nazi bunker underneath their house. Shaun and Carrie Tullier bought their home in Torteval, Guernsey, four years ago and were tipped off by someone who used to live in the house about a wartime building being underneath it. After digging up their driveway, they eventually managed to unearth the bunker and now have plans to turn it into a games room and gym, although they will keep the original features. The bunker dates back to when Hitler's forces occupied the Channel Islands from 1940 until 1945. Speaking to BBC Channel Islands, Mr Tullier said he and his wife had been told about the site being used as a German gun emplacement, but they had a suspicion there was something else there. 'Ground gave way and doorway appeared' He added: 'From the outside, you could tell it was sitting on top of something. We've been doing up the house anyway, so I hired a digger and, with the help of a mate, we started digging up the driveway to see what was there. We kept digging for a while and then finally, the ground just gave way and this doorway appeared.' The bunker consisted of two main rooms, measuring 17ft by 10ft and 17ft by 20ft, and had features including an escape hatch and a tiled floor. There was also German writing on the walls, with phrases which included 'achtung feind hort mit', which translates to 'beware, the enemy is listening'. Dozens of tins and other debris had also been left behind inside the bunker. It is understood that the bunker's entrance was blocked up in the 1960s. Well built structure Mr Tullier said he was impressed with how well built the structure was, adding that the discovery of the bunker had piqued the interest of other people. He said: 'It's not just a games room - people come along and ask to see the history. 'I know it was a bad time for Guernsey [during the Nazi occupation], but I do find the history fascinating and I think we need to keep it so we remember what happened.' He said the structure was generally fairly sound, but said water that had gathered inside over the decades had to be pumped out. On June 15, 1940, Sir Winston Churchill ordered the withdrawal of military personnel from the Channel Islands, abandoning its 94,000 islanders to their fate. Some 25,000 chose to evacuate, but the remainder stayed on the undefended islands. On the evening of June 30, one month after the British evacuation at Dunkirk, German forces seized control. The occupation lasted until May 9 1945, when Guernsey and Jersey were liberated.
BBC News
03-08-2025
- General
- BBC News
'We dug under our home in Guernsey and found a German bunker'
A couple says they have been left gobsmacked after they dug under their house and discovered a Nazi bunker under and Carrie Tullier bought their home in the Torteval area of Guernsey four years ago and knew it had been the site of a World War Two German gun after being tipped off by someone who used to live in the house about a bunker possibly being underneath it, the couple decided to dig up the driveway and eventually managed to unearth the wartime couple said they had plans to turn the bunker into a games room and gym, but were also keen to make sure historic elements remained in place. Germany forces occupied the Channel Islands from 1940 until 1945 and, under Adolf Hitler's orders, turned the the islands into an "impregnable fortress".During the occupation, hundreds of islanders were deported to prisons in Europe and many who remained on the islands nearly occupation lasted until 9 May 1945, when Guernsey and Jersey were liberated. Sark was liberated a day later, while Alderney, where most of the islanders had been forced to leave their homes, could not return until 15 December now celebrate the end of the Nazi occupation with Liberation Day events in Guernsey, Jersey and Sark, along with Homecoming Day in Alderney. Mr Tullier said he and his wife had been told about the site being used as a German gun emplacement, but they had a suspicion there was something else there."From the outside, you could tell it was sitting on top of something," he Tullier added that it was when a previous occupant of the house told them in March 2022 a bunker might be underneath it, he decided it was time to investigate."We've been doing up the house anyway, so I hired a digger and, with the help of a mate, we started digging up the driveway to see what was there," he said."We kept digging down for a while and then finally, the ground just gave way and this doorway appeared." It is believed the bunker's entrance was blocked up in the 1960s and Mr Tullier said he was impressed with how well built the structure bunker consisted of two main rooms measuring 17ft by 10ft (5.18m by 3m) and 17ft by 20ft (5.18, by 6m), with features including a tiled floor, escape hatch and German writing on the the messages on the walls include "achtung feind hort mit" - which translates to "beware, the enemy is listening".The couple also found dozens of tins and other debris which had been left behind inside the bunker. Mr Tullier said one of the main issues which needed sorting out after the bunker was found was pumping water out after it had gathered inside over the decades, but the structure was generally fairly added converting the bunker into a games room - with a snooker table - and gym remained a work in Tullier said the discovery of the bunker had piqued the interest of other people and he felt it was important to keep the German elements said: "It's not just a games room - people come along and ask to see the history."You hear a lot of people say they would just them up these bunkers, but we feel very privileged to have it."I know it was a bad time for Guernsey [during the Nazi occupation], but I do find the history fascinating and I think we need to keep it so we remember what happened."
