Fort Southwick: UGHQ

The tunnels under Fort Southwick were excavated by 172 Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers. Work began on 16th February 1942 and was completed by December 1942.

The tunnels were excavated at a depth of 100feet below the surface, essentially this made the tunnels bomb proof. The tunnels served as an Operation Control and Communication Centre for the Army, Air Force and Navy known as an Underground Headquarters (UGHQ). The tunnels call sign was ‘MIN’. With the construction of the tunnels a secure underground radio station was also built in Paulsgrove Chalk Pit.

Within the tunnels there was a main operations room, dormitories, toilets, air conditioning, gas filtration, fresh water storage, boiler room, intelligence and communications rooms. Within the central Caponier of the fort above were additional galley facilities for the UGHQ. Access into the tunnels was via 3 staircases that were situated within the fort. There were also 3 emergency exits that were also used for ventilation.

In the event that the UGHQ was put out of action two other sites were chosen to be in reserve. One being HMS Forward in Newhaven and supposedly there was another at the Western Heights of Dover. Fort Widley and Fort Purbrook were also in reserve.

The UGHQs main role during D-Day was the gathering of information and coordination of the Allied Naval Forces. Information would’ve been received from Radar Stations and then cross referenced with information received from ships in the channel so an accurate picture of what was happening could be constructed. The information was then plotted onto a large table map in the Main Operations Room of the UGHQ with this then being passed on to the Allied Commanders stationed at Southwick House. On 6th June 1944 also known as D-Day there were 700 staff working within the UGHQ.

After the War the UGHQ was reused as a Communications Centre or COMMCEN during the Cold War, it would fulfil this role until 1974 when a new COMMCEN was constructed on the parade ground of Fort Southwick.

In the late 1990s the complex was stripped out and sold off. It was purchased by Fort Southwick Company Limited who now lease out the tunnels to UCAP for use as an Airsoft site.