An "extraordinary" Alderney visit

Tuesday 09 July 2019

Popular TV presenter and historian Dan Snow is looking to get involved in further Alderney history projects following his "extraordinary" visit to the island.

Mr Snow visited the island last week and was taken around a number of the island's bunkers before diving ten metres into a quarry in search of a WWII gun.

The 12-tonne K18 gun, which was discovered in November 2017 by a local team, was used to sink at least one US ship in the wake of D-Day. It was one of the many items to be dumped in the quarry by the British Army after it liberated the island in 1945. Records show a tank, guns and several cars are covered by the deep water.

"Having heard rumours about what was down there for years, I was lucky enough to see things for myself and get a handle on the scale of activity during the war on Alderney," Mr Snow said. "I've been all over the British Isles looking for Second World War archaeology and archeology from other periods and I have never seen anything like what I've seen on Alderney. It blew my mind.

Pictured: Dan Snow diving the quarry.

"There was just this huge stack of hardware, military equipment from World War II. It was extraordinary. I didn't see just one thing. I saw the K18, a big German gun that would have been mounted on a batterie here, shell cases, things that were used for ventilation and even a kettle."

Following the dive Mr Snow met with the States of Alderney to discuss his findings.

"His favourite thing was the nunnery," added leader of the Channel Island team Simon Livesey. "He said it was the best Roman fort he's ever been to and he thinks Alderney is the most concentrated place of military architecture in the world.

"Work in the quarry is going to progress. We're going to start pulling what we call 'low-hanging fruit' out and the more interest we get globally, the more things we can start pulling out, but it's all cost.

"I guess it needed someone from the outside to say 'what you've got here is really special, you should be doing more with it'."

Although the dive was successful and the weather held out for the team, Mr Snow didn't find it easy: "I've never dived in a quarry before and it was tiring and a little overwhelming. Spooky things suddenly loom up out of the dark in front of you - things that haven't been seen for decades. It was very exciting - a very special day indeed."

The historian didn't have the best end to his trip though, when his Saturday morning Aurigny flight went tech and was unable to fly back to the UK. Mr Snow had brought his wife, Lady Edwina Grosvenor, over with him and was due to speak at his daughter's speech day that afternoon.

Sir Peter Ogden from Jethou managed to save the day with his helicopter though and he transported the couple back to the mainland in time for the event.

Mr Snow said he hoped to be part of any subsequent projects to raise, restore and display lost local artefacts and is even considering making a documentary about the island's history.

Pictured top: Dan Snow, Nigel Shaw, Simon Livesey and CEO of SOA Andrew Muter.