Hellfire Corner

Hellfire Corner

Secret war tunnels of Dover Castle

Using original footage, historical archives and documents this video traces the story of the underground tunnels beneath Dover Castle. Originally defences for the harbour in the Napoleonic Wars they were used in the First World War and later extended for the Second World War.
The coastal defences of the south coast were strengthened by radar systems, air defence batteries and by building a new underground command centre that would guard the straits of Dover. As the Dunkirk crisis unfolded the entire operation of bringing back the British Expeditionary Force from the beaches of Dunkirk was planned and executed from this HQ. Throughout the remainder of the war this communications centre for coastal defences continued to track both enemy air-craft and shipping. It provided space for personnel from the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force, and included a telephone exchange and hospital.
In the 1960s parts of the tunnels were converted into a Regional Seat of Government for the County of Kent for use by officials in the event of a nuclear war. Part of the tunnel network, known as Hellfire Corner, now forms an exhibition and guided tour. A second short film is included on this tape, Epic of Dunkirk. This tells the story of the Dunkirk evacuation using archive footage.