UCL archaeologists unearth WWII bomb shelters
Dr Gabriel Moshenska (UCL Institute of Archaeology) is leading an excavation into a series of Second World War bombshelters that have remained hidden for more than 60 years. The shelters, which were unearthed last week in Sunny Hill Park near Hendon, form part of a two-week project led by Dr Moshenska to explore the history of the site in north-west London. Dr Moshenska said: 'Most of the shelters have been demolished over the years, but these are pretty sturdy-looking things. People want to see that it is a shelter, although most people don't know they are here.' ?It has taken a while for the Second World War to be accepted as archaeology. People want to see the bits from the conflicts such as D-Day or the Battle of Britain and the stuff from the home front doesn't seem so sexy. Everything here will tie in with the RAF museum and give a real sense of the park as the centre for the community and a focus of that community for many years.' Based on his research, which has included months within the borough's archives to gather background information on the area, Dr Moshenska believes the shelters can be dated back to the period from mid-June 1939 to mid-March 1940. He said Hendon Borough Council, as it was at the time, was given responsibility to find shelter space for about 17,000 in the area, and built a series of similar structures across eight parks.
