By Tim Binnall
A deforestation project in Scotland inadvertently led to the discovery of a secret World War II bunker that was intended to serve as part of Britain's last line of defense against a Nazi invasion. The remarkable find was reportedly made last fall when workers felling trees in a forest near the English border spotted a curious iron door sticking out of the newly-cleared ground. A subsequent investigation by archaeologists determined that it was the entrance to a bunker used by England's secretive Auxiliary Unit, an elite group of fighters known colloquially as 'Churchill's Secret Army.'
These units, which were also dubbed the 'scallywags,' consisted of specially trained soldiers who were to be stationed in hidden locations throughout England in the event that the Nazis had overtaken the country. Once pressed into action, their mission was to disrupt the German invasion using guerilla warfare tactics such as assassinations and sabotage. Given the incredibly dangerous nature of their work, the life expectancy of Auxiliary Unit members was a mere 12 days as they had been given orders to fight to their death to thwart the Nazi forces encroaching on the homeland.
This particular bunker found in Scotland measured approximately 23 feet long by 10 feet wide and was designed to house around seven soldiers. An exploration of the underground site upon its discovery last year yielded little in the way of artifacts from the time period aside from some broken timbers, believed to be pieces of bunk beds, and a solitary tin can. While the contemporary contents of the bunker may be disappointing to history buffs, its discovery should give some solace to treasure hunters who believe that there are still hidden subterranean sites scattered throughout Europe that contain lost riches, such as the legendary Amber Room, that were pilfered by the Nazis.