Resistance Nest Richtfeuer - St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 49° 11.041 W 002° 06.662
30U E 564780 N 5448291
The remains of an old gun emplacement have been included in the wall of the Tourist Information Centre as a reminder of the fact Jersey was occupied by German forces during World War II.
Waymark Code: WMM3E0
Location: Jersey
Date Posted: 07/14/2014
Views: 4
Jersey was occupied by Germany from 1 July 1940 until 9 May 1945, when Germany surrendered. Although Jersey is not part of the United Kingdom, and has an international identity separate from that of the UK, the United Kingdom is constitutionally responsible for the defence of Jersey.
Due to Jersey's close location to the French coast Germany expected that the UK would try to use Jersey as a launch pad to invade Europe and so built many defensive gun emplacements.
A plaque on the wall gives the following information.
Resistance Nest Richtfeuer
During the German Occupation this was the site of a gun position known as
'Resistance Nest Richtfeuer'. It was designed as part of a last line of defence in the
event of an Allied Invasion, but by the time the island was liberated on 9th May
1945 the war in Europe was already over, and the gun never saw action. The steel
loophole, with its distinctive ball mounting, originally housed a Czech 4.7cm Pak
K36(t) anti-tank weapon and integral MG 37(t) machine-gun, and was built into
the wall of the former JMT bus garage. A single-room construction provided
rudimentary shelter behind, and a simple observation slit was located to the
right of the loophole. When the site was redeveloped in 2005-7, the shelter and
wall were demolished. However, in recognition of the historical significance
of 'Resistance Nest Richtfeuer', the wall was subsequently reassembled using
original materials, and the gun loophole and observation slit reinstated.
Channel Islands Occupation Society