The Tunnels

The Tunnels Discover Gibraltar’s secret WWII tunnels—an underground fortress of history, strategy, and resilience

Wartime Gibraltar — as seen from the skies, 1943 This incredible aerial shot was captured from a plane launched off HMS ...
13/07/2025

Wartime Gibraltar — as seen from the skies, 1943

This incredible aerial shot was captured from a plane launched off HMS Formidable. From this height, you can see how the Rock was reshaped for war.

Gibraltar’s runway was created by reclaiming land from the sea using rubble blasted from inside the Rock during tunneling operations.

A fortress. A runway. A vital Allied stronghold.

📷: IWM (A 20538)

U‑541 enters Gibraltar Harbour in surrender – 12 May 1945. The White Ensign flies above the Sw****ka as a symbol of Alli...
11/07/2025

U‑541 enters Gibraltar Harbour in surrender – 12 May 1945. The White Ensign flies above the Sw****ka as a symbol of Allied triumph. Gibraltar, standing guard at the gateway to the Mediterranean, played a pivotal role throughout the war—and in this final act of the U‑boat campaign. The submarine would later be scuttled off the coast of Northern Ireland as part of Operation Deadlight.

Image courtesy of

10/07/2025

Gibraltar National Museum

SEAFIRE III’S AT GIBRALTAR – JULY 1944A striking sight – rows of Seafire III aircraft, the naval version of the famous S...
08/07/2025

SEAFIRE III’S AT GIBRALTAR – JULY 1944

A striking sight – rows of Seafire III aircraft, the naval version of the famous Spitfire, massed at Gibraltar’s Northern Front. These Fleet Air Arm fighters had been disembarked from Royal Navy carriers unable to land their own maintenance crews.

In stepped the Royal Naval Air Section at Gibraltar — working tirelessly to service and prepare these aircraft for their next missions.

The Seafire, adapted for aircraft carriers, brought the agility of the Spitfire to the open seas — and to the Rock.



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ROYAL NAVAL AIR STATION, GIBRALTAR January 1944In this moment captured on the tarmac, a row of Beaufighters awaits actio...
05/07/2025

ROYAL NAVAL AIR STATION, GIBRALTAR January 1944

In this moment captured on the tarmac, a row of Beaufighters awaits action. One is having its engine replaced — with A/M (A) M. J. Allcock of Atherstone working under the cowling and L A/M (E) F. Linfield of Conglestone assisting on the ground.

This was the essential, skilled labour that kept the Royal Navy flying and Gibraltar strong.

📸 A tribute to the ground crews who made frontline operations possible.

CONVOY TO GIBRALTAR – OCTOBER 1941On board HMS Rochester | 3–10 October 1941A powerful image from the wartime convoys bo...
02/07/2025

CONVOY TO GIBRALTAR – OCTOBER 1941
On board HMS Rochester | 3–10 October 1941

A powerful image from the wartime convoys bound for Gibraltar — the armed merchant cruiser Ariguani seen at sea, fitted with a catapult launch system and a Hawker Hurricane fighter poised on deck.

These convoys were lifelines. Under constant threat from enemy submarines and aircraft, every vessel played a crucial role. Ariguani’s onboard fighter could be launched to defend the convoy mid-ocean — an innovative but risky tactic to protect vital supplies reaching the Rock.

Escorted by vessels like HMS Rochester, convoys like these kept Gibraltar supplied and resilient throughout the war.

A view that captures the tension and ingenuity of WWII naval warfare.

Image courtesy of

01/07/2025

🔨We go beyond the tunnels themselves and take a closer look at the tools that carved them.

In this sneak peek 👀 from Tunnel Talk with Pete Jackson, we reveal how these original wartime machines are being brought back to life🤩

📺Watch Episode 2 of Tunnel Talk with Pete Jackson

👉https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vcy2_b8LIQ

What would you ask if these walls could talk?🧐

This week, the WWII Tunnels’ Spitfire Hall became the dramatic setting for Carmina Burana, performed by three choirs and...
29/06/2025

This week, the WWII Tunnels’ Spitfire Hall became the dramatic setting for Carmina Burana, performed by three choirs and a chamber orchestra under the baton of Michele Paccagnella — all brought together by the Gibraltar Classical Music Society.

The concert was a powerful example of what happens when historic spaces are reimagined for cultural experiences. Once a military chamber carved deep into the Rock, the Spitfire Hall now resonates with life in new and unexpected ways — without ever losing its sense of place.

Evenings like this are a reminder of how the past can inspire the present.

A huge thank you to the Gibraltar Classical Music Society for choosing to bring this performance to our underground stage.

Since 1941, the Women’s Royal Naval Service — known as the Wrens — have been a vital part of Gibraltar’s WWII operations...
26/06/2025

Since 1941, the Women’s Royal Naval Service — known as the Wrens — have been a vital part of Gibraltar’s WWII operations. Many were stationed inside the Tunnels— From plotting enemy movements to handling secret communications, their work was critical, demanding, and done far from the spotlight.

📸 Here, Wrens leave their quarters at the Old Naval Hospital, heading to begin their shift. Their dedication helped shape the course of the war.

Image courtesy of

SUPERMARINE SPITFIRES FOR MALTA — FROM GIBRALTAR 🇬🇧🇲🇹19–23 March 1942 — On Board HMS EAGLE, GibraltarIn March 1942, Gibr...
23/06/2025

SUPERMARINE SPITFIRES FOR MALTA — FROM GIBRALTAR 🇬🇧🇲🇹

19–23 March 1942 — On Board HMS EAGLE, Gibraltar

In March 1942, Gibraltar played a vital role as the launch point for one of WWII’s daring air reinforcement missions. HMS Eagle, alongside the ships of the famous Force H, loaded Supermarine Spitfires at Gibraltar to rush them to the besieged island of Malta.

With Axis forces hammering Malta daily, these Spitfires were urgently needed. Carried halfway by sea from Gibraltar, they were then flown directly off the carrier’s deck — a risky manoeuvre that turned the tide in Malta’s air defence.

📸 In the photo: Empire and American pilots of the renowned Eagle Squadron on deck at Gibraltar, ready to take their Spitfires into action.

Image courtesy of

U-BOATS SURRENDER AT GIBRALTAR — MAY 1945In the days following Germany’s unconditional surrender, U-boats across the Atl...
20/06/2025

U-BOATS SURRENDER AT GIBRALTAR — MAY 1945

In the days following Germany’s unconditional surrender, U-boats across the Atlantic and Mediterranean were ordered to cease operations and surrender to the Allies.

On 11 and 12 May 1945, German submarines U 485 and U 541 approached Gibraltar under Royal Navy es**rt, their war patrols finally over.

📸 In this remarkable photo, you can see U 541 passing through the Straits of Gibraltar — with the Royal Navy’s White Ensign defiantly flying above the N**i Sw****ka. A clear sign that the tide had fully turned.

Gibraltar’s strategic position meant it played a vital role in controlling access to the Mediterranean — a crucial choke point that German U-boats had tried, and failed, to disrupt for years.

These surrenders marked not only the end of the Battle of the Atlantic but also highlighted Gibraltar’s enduring significance as a fortress and naval base during WWII.

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THE AVENGERS OF HMS ARK ROYAL📍 Gibraltar, 23 November 1941This is the crew of HMS Marigold, photographed in Gibraltar sh...
17/06/2025

THE AVENGERS OF HMS ARK ROYAL

📍 Gibraltar, 23 November 1941
This is the crew of HMS Marigold, photographed in Gibraltar shortly after a defining moment in the Battle of the Atlantic.

The Flower-class corvette had just sunk the German U-boat believed to have torpedoed HMS Ark Royal. After a series of depth charges forced the submarine to surface, HMS Marigold opened fire, sinking it—and then rescued 34 survivors from the water.

⚓ Pictured: Lieutenant J. Grenwick, RNR, commanding officer of HMS Marigold (centre), with members of his ship’s company.



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