Walter Finch
GIBRALTAR’s impressive Second World War tunnels have been revamped and opened to the public in a public ceremony today.
An engineering feat whose siege galleries have been dubbed ‘worthy of the Romans’, the 52 kilometres of tunnels and shelters have been turned into a new attraction that ‘tells stories of the men and women who were involved in the defence of Gibraltar.’
Director Christian Wright told the Olive Press that in developing the tunnels, he wanted to ‘create a bigger platform to tell these incredible, awesome stories.’
“As we developed the project, we found that there were so many layers to the history of Gibraltar; as you tell one story, you peel away to another one,” he said during the unveiling.
“The civilian population underwent so many trials and tribulations during the war, and we wanted to tell these stories of their fortunes through the tunnels.
“There are so many characters who seem larger than life, like so many Hollywood movies themselves.”
One story favoured by Wright tells the tale of a Belgian fighter pilot who ‘flew the last Gibraltar Spitfire.’
“We worked with his family to tell his story. He was captured and thrown in a concentration camp when the Germans conquered Belgium, but he managed to escape and make his way down to Spain.
“But he got captured and arrested in Spain, but still managed to make his way to Gibraltar, where we sheltered him until he could be safely transported to the UK to serve in the RAF.
“I found this such a powerful story. There’s even a memorial for him in Stirling, Scotland.”
The new revamped tunnels even boast a replica Spitfire in the Spitfire Hall, as well as an Evacuation Room and Strategy Room, as well as a new Espionage Room inspired by Ian Fleming.
All these stories are contained within the new tunnels, which were opened today by ministers Christian Santos and John Cortes.
The developments include an event space within the Rock open for hire, which will already host a theatre play later in the year, as well as a bar.
