These pictures show what the Underground hospital looked like many years ago, and before extensive modernization with the instalation of the new exhibits.

THE HOSPITAL ENTRANCE

How the entrance looked like in the early years.

ENTRANCE GALLERY

This was intended for admitting the wounded. The alcove was to allow Ambulances to turn. Gas proof doors were fitted.

CENTRAL HEATING PLANT

The whole hospital was supplied with central heating, air conditioning and hot, cold running water, electric light and power, and a drainage system, part of which can be seen running through the main corridors and wards. the air conditioning and heating could be hand-operated and air pumps for this purpose can be seen in this room. To the right there is an escape shaft which is some 130 feet below the surface. It is complete and consists of two very steep flights of narrow concrete steps leading to a landing some 12 feet below the surface which is the reached by a ladder .As the rock keeps a natural temperature of 45 degrees this Heating Plant was sufficient to keep a steady 60 degrees.

TRANSVERSE CORRIDOR

This corridor is 100 yards in length and connects two main corridors.

AIN CORRIDOR

On both sides of this corridor are the rooms that were used as wards.

UNFINISHED GALLERY

This gallery was sealed off by the Germans after bad falls of rock and great loss of life.

THE RESTROOM

HOSPITAL WARD

The hospital wards were all fully equipped and had emergency accommodation for 500 patients. An operating theatre, a fully equipped dispensary, medical storerooms and doctors’ and nurses’ quarters were installed soon after the Normandy landings when it seemed likely that there would be an urgent need for extra hospital accommodation. In the original plans the staff and administrative quarters would have been located at the central corridor. During the last six weeks of the war the hospital was actually used for the purpose for which it had been constructed.