The Stay Behind Cave
The Second World War saw soldiers undergo plenty of daring missions, but for half a dozen British soldiers on the small peninsula of Gibraltar, theirs would take some beating
Wars can put humans in awful and compromising positions as leaders aim to outwit each other. Often this is done through missions where soldiers are thrown into the fire whilst those in the hierarchy watch on.
The Second World War was filled from start to finish with examples of these scenarios, but the efforts to stop the Nazi war machine pushed allied forces and civilians of Europe to the brink. Whilst great battles were won and lost on land, sea, and in the sky, a secret war was taking place in pockets of the continent and the wider world- including on the small peninsula of Gibraltar.
Located in the Mediterranean Sea, Gibraltar was held by the Allies during the war and served a vital role as a base from which a key shipping route could be protected. As the war raged on, there were growing concerns of the Axis forces taking over Gibraltar, an event that would have hampered the Allied war efforts.
To keep Gibraltar on high alert and be ready for any invasion, defensive positions were built across the peninsula. However, it was under Gibraltar that the real stories would emerge. The Allies built on a vast tunnel network that had existed since the 1700s, and during the war over 30 miles of tunnels were in operation. In 1941, these would be the site of a marathon mission.
Codenamed Operation Tracer, Allied High Command ordered for a small outpost to be built within the tunnel network, which would be known as the ‘Stay Behind Cave’. In the event of an Axis invasion, the plan was for a small team to track enemy positions and report the findings back. The big catch for anyone involved in this mission? They would be sealed in for a year- or even longer.
Construction of the outpost was carried out by builders who didn’t know its purpose and upon completion in 1942, they were sent away as soon as possible to keep the secret going. The complex included living quarters for the six men who would call it home, two observation areas, a large water tank, toilets, and a radio room.
Efforts to make the complex suitable for men to live in secrecy, including the use of cork tiles on the floors to soften footsteps. Two physicians started the recruitment process, and three junior seamen, to operate the radios, joined them to be sealed up with their executive officer General Sir Richard “Windy” Gale.
The six men were taken to Gibraltar and went undercover with other military personnel. The idea was that they would be ready to be taken to their secret location at any moment. For two and a half years they waited to be called into action and sealed in their underground bunker, but it was a call that never came.
The special mission was never required, and as a result, the bunker was never used. The Allies successfully invaded Sicily, their first foothold into mainland Europe, and Gibraltar was protected.
Although Operation Tracer was never activated, there is something chilling about a mission that would have sealed men into a cave possibly for good. In a dark and twisted war, this was an example of the lengths both sides would go to in order to be victorious.
The cave remained a secret as all of the soldiers involved were sworn to secrecy. The existence of the cave therefore remained a secret, until near the turn of the 21st century when the Gibraltar Caving Group uncovered what was believed to be the mythical place. It was only in 2007, when one of the doctors of the operation visited, that it was confirmed to be the cave in question.
