Now you see it, now you don’t Wartime shelter found in Dundee then destroyed hours later
ByStefan Morkis
The unearthed air raid shelter.
A forgotten part of Dundee’s wartime history was uncovered during demolition work and destroyed just hours later.
A long-abandoned underground concrete air raid shelter was unearthed by workmen demolishing an unsafe wall on land at the corner of Arklay Street and Fairbairn Street last week.
It is believed the shelter was used to protect workers in munitions factories nearby, rather than residents who would have relied on the Anderson shelters still visible in some gardens.
The structure was a long, underground tunnel made of reinforced concrete.
Workmen demolished the building after photographing it.
City archivist Iain Flett said: “From what we can gather it was probably for the mills around it.
“Dens Market, which used to be nearby, was a mill at one time and the shelter was probably built for industrial use rather than for the public.”
Fortunately, the shelter was never truly tested during the Second World War, despite fears the city would be a prime target for Nazi bombers.
Now you see it, now you don’t Wartime shelter found in Dundee then destroyed hours later
