Les Platons is probably best known for BBC radio masts and an aeronautical radar, but there are some concrete remains in evidence of the occupying German force's Resistance Nest Jasmin. Elsewhere on the web you may find plenty of photos but only Crapaud-matic bothers to tell you exactly where!
According to
www.tracesofwarjersey.com the weaponry included : "
Two light Machine Gun 34’s, two French Machine Guns mounted in Somua tank turrets, two 5cm French fortress mortars, one 40cm searchlight and one twin Machine Gun 34 on a Anti Aircraft mount". I can't point you to where half of those positions were, I suspect they are well covered up now, but I can show you where to find the bunkers I've found so far....
Map, thanks to Bing.
The easiest to spot piece of concrete is just off the track, but the hardest to explain what on earth it was for!
Easy to find, get up as high as possible and close to the edge and here it is, a mortar position with a bit of a shelter and quite a wonderful view...
.. all the way west to Bonne Nuit pier.
The bunker was built into the rocks, no concrete required on the left of the steps.
From there, looking west you may just spot (before the greenery grows and hides it) a shaft...
..the escape route from a shelter. It's no longer covered by a board so watch out - and the ladder has also been vandalised into pieces. But there is an easier way into the shelter (if you're happy to get down and dirty crawling over bare earth - I wasn't so no photos - sorry) near the MG position :
Next to the shelter, a machine gun table with an ususual angle to allow firing right down to the shore.
Next, three shelters reached from a brief walk westwards in front of the radar building compound. The one on the left is the largest..
.. with the shelter on the left of the opening corridor...
..someone's been having fun in here.
Looking out again, with the building ahead. I've trimmed away lots of vicious pointy greenery for you, so make the most of it before it grows again!
The middle one of the three shelters...
.. just a small space to cower in.
On the right of the approach south of the radar, one where the shelter is to the right of the entrance. This was just a hole in the plants to start with, but I pulled away half a mile of ivy to reveal the concrete.
Inside after a right turn.. and if you pass through and turn briefly right and back left again...
.. another entrance, blocked by trees, right by the corner of the compound.
UPDATE... well it
was blocked by trees, but I did a little clearance and had the honour of being the first person for years to go in one side and out the other!
Another little patch of concrete found, probably a shelter, some edges are visible but no sign of a way in. Found this at 49.24767 N and -2.10297 according to my phone.
I hope you enjoyed this look at this fascinating area. If you can point me to any other positions here (or lesser known ones anywhere else on the island) please leave a message! Let's get as much info out there in the open as possible. Thanks.
PS the previous posting has been updated with photos of some concrete at the Mt Gavey battery - which could well be a Crapaud-matic exclusive!
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6 comments:
Great set a photos.
Thank you very much Shane!
Awesome page mate love all the work you have done, I am one of the partners at Jersey War Tours, aka traces of war Jersey. If you want me to email you our high res research map for exploring please just drop us an email at info@jerseywartours.com cheers, Phil
Thank you very much Phil for your kind comments. I already have a copy of your excellent map, thanks. My roving reporters keep me informed of anything interesting happening on that Face Book thing :)
Best wishes for the tours enterprise.
Nice pictures. Were they taken on the recent Unseen Jersey walk?
Thank you! No, but the discussion on FB inspired a friend of mine to go exploring and find the ones he'd never seen before, and I tagged along. A good day out!
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