Winter 2013 - Parishes Online

22 Les Nouvelles Winter2013
German Occupation remains
in St Martin
By Martin Walton
Issue 3 of ‘Les Nouvelles’, showed a machine gun position manned by a “soldier”. This edition’s
photo shows that the position is on Le Mont de St Nicholas, in the shadow of Gorey Castle.
There are three of these outer defence positions presently exposed
which were part of Strongpoint “Victoria Tower”. Strongpoints are
defined in issue 2 of “Les Nouvelles”. They are large, this one being
no exception with heavy and light machine guns, mortars, two
anti-tank guns (one disguised as a summer-house!), a flame-thrower,
two searchlights and three anti-aircraft guns.
The Strongpoint became strengthened when German defence
priority shifted from the Jersey’s west coast to the east coast after
the D-Day landings. In 1944 Freya radar was moved from the
advancing Allies in Brittany to this Strongpoint and set up near
Victoria Tower. This enabled the Germans to cover the sea from
Jersey to the French coast. An anti-aircraft gun was set up on the
tower at the same time.
After the war, the bunkers were often used by visiting bands and
youth movements as an addition to tents. However, in the 1990s
most of the area was covered and landscaped. The most distinctive
remainder is the artillery observation post (see photo). Until recently,
this was used as a nuclear (civil emergency) monitoring station.
The “mystery”
fortification shown
this time (left) is in a
photo taken by me in
the 1960s. It is part of
a Resistance Nest and
housed an anti-tank
gun. More details next
edition.
Below Machine gun
position overlooking
Gorey Castle
Above: Strongpoint Victoria Tower
included this artillery observation post,
today covered with modern aerials