Forgotten World Ward II tunnels carved out of chalk hills under the White Cliffs of Dover, England were opened to the public today. The 1940's era passageways were carved in just 100 days under the order of Winston Churchill and provide a unique "time capsule" perspective of England's efforts to deter German shipping activities in the waters off the coast of Kent. 
Photo: Telegraph Media Services
The Fan Bay Deep Shelter tunnels, which led to an underground hospital, and bomb-proof storage and chamber areas were inspected by Churchill himself in 1941, but they were out of use by the 1950's and abandoned in the 1970's. 100 tons of rubble and soil were removed from the tunnels following a rediscovery and preservation effort led by the National Trust, archaeologists, engineers and mining experts. It took a year and a half and 3,000 work hours to get the tunnels ready for the public. Jon Barker, a manager at White Cliffs said, "This rediscovered piece of the country's second World War heritage is truly a remarkable find." Barker noted that there's been no public access to the tunnels for over 40 years so they were frozen in time since they were abandoned. For more information and a first look at this war-time capsule, check out Telegraph News Service's latest video. (Video: Ju Zhang of the Agency)
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