Lord Airey's Shelter
Lord Airey's Shelter | |
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Part of Second World War |
Lord Airey's Shelter is a
Early history
Lord Airey's Shelter is in Gibraltar, the British Overseas Territory at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula.[1][2] The shelter is located underground, near the southern end of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, just north of Lord Airey's Battery, and adjacent to the Mediterranean Steps.[3][4] It is positioned on Ministry of Defence property.[5]
The shelter was named after General Sir
At the north end of the main room, two smaller chambers were built, one of which contained a wash pit. That pit was built to the same dimensions as the one discovered in Operation Tracer's Stay Behind Cave. A ventilation conduit was installed in that chamber, with an appearance similar to that of the one for Operation Tracer. At the north end of the complex, a second passage led to the main tunnel system, as well as a steep tunnel. That steep tunnel to a lower level may have functioned as a "spoil chute." During the Second World War, it is generally thought that German spies observed the amount of garbage and construction debris removed from the Rock of Gibraltar at a variety of sites. It allowed German authorities to assess the amount of ongoing tunneling in the Rock.[5] In addition, the amount of tunneling in the area of Lord Airey's Shelter during the Second World War may have served as cover while Operation Tracer's Stay Behind Cave was built.[9]
Another operation was codenamed Monkey and its intention was to create decoy caves that could be discovered by an invading army. The chosen locations were Beefsteak Cave and Coptic Cave.[10]
Recent history
As Lord Airey's Shelter is on Ministry of Defence property, it is closed to the public. Unauthorised entry is considered a criminal offence.[5] However, the adjacent Lord Airey's Battery was opened to the public in May 2010.[7]
References
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
- ^ Roach, John (10 October 2006). "Neandertals' Last Stand was in Gibraltar, Study Suggests". National Geographic News. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 14 November 2006. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
- ^ "Map of Lord Airey's Shelter". maps.google.com. Google Maps. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- ^ Jones, John. "Operation Tracer". jproc.ca. Radio Reading Room. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Lord Airey's Shelter". discovergibraltar.com. DiscoverGibraltar.com (Click Operation Tracer - Stay Behind Cave, Click here for details of Stay Behind Cave discovered in 1996, Click to see the main room, then Click here for further information about Lord Airey's Shelter). Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- ^ Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1885). . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 1. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 202–203.
- ^ a b "O'Hara's Battery becomes visitor attraction". Gibraltar news from Panorama. 20 May 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
- National Archives (Click Operation Tracer - Stay Behind Cave, then Click here for general information about Operation Tracer). pp. 268–270. Archived from the originalon 5 September 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- ^ a b "Stay Behind Cave - Main Room". discovergibraltar.com. DiscoverGibraltar.com (Click Operation Tracer - Stay Behind Cave, Click here for details of Stay Behind Cave discovered in 1996, then Click to see the main room). Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
- Gibraltar Museum, accessed January 2013