An exciting find was made last week by the contractors who are currently digging the foundations of the new Post 16 Common Room and Baristas extension.



An exciting find was made last week by the contractors who are currently digging the foundations of the new Post 16 Common Room and Baristas extension.  Whilst working, they unearthed a large World War Two air raid shelter.  The workmen also uncovered one steel helmet and two gas masks.  One local resident explained that foundations had been built for a school on the site and was ready for the brickwork in 1939 when war broke and work had to cease.  The shelter would have been dug within these foundations and St Michael’s school, formerly on this site, was built on top of it.  He remembered back to when a barrage balloon occupied this area where 'Goals' is now, and how the men who manned this barrage were POWs. When the air-raid sirens started, everyone would have grabbed their gas masks and headed to the shelter until the next siren was sounded to give the all-clear.  One of the contractors was impressed at how well the artifacts had been preserved, "I’ve been doing this job for 10 years and I’ve not found any Second World War stuff in such good condition."

The gas masks and helmet are on display in the History department for any students who are interested in seeing them.