Haunting reminders of the Second World War that still stand today

Haunting reminders of war

The Second World War was the largest and deadliest conflict in history. The war was primarily fought between two major alliances: the Allies (France, Great Britain and the Soviet Union – joined later by the United States and China) and the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy and Japan). Many other nations were also drawn into the war, either by choice or coercion, and although it ended nearly 80 years ago, physical remnants of the conflict can still be found in every corner of the world.

Read on to discover the abandoned places that stand as a poignant reminder of the global reach of the war…

Oradour-sur-Glane, Haute-Vienne, France

The ruins of Oradour-sur-Glane, known as the martyred village, are a haunting reminder of Nazi brutality. On 10 June 1944, soldiers from the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich arrived and, falsely accusing the villagers of supporting the French Resistance, massacred 642 people, including 240 women and 205 children. Only seven people survived the atrocity. On the orders of President Charles de Gaulle, the village was left untouched as a permanent memorial to the victims​.

Observation Tower, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, USA

Today, these rather sinister concrete towers are a mysterious presence on Delaware’s beaches. Built between 1939 and 1942, they originally housed military spotters who scoured the sea for enemy vessels that might threaten strategic locations further up the Delaware River, such as the Philadelphia Shipyard or chemical plants in Wilmington. In all, 11 towers were spread over 40 miles (64.4km) of Atlantic coastline, each occupied by eight soldiers. Most are now empty, but one (Tower 7) is open to visitors interested in learning more about their wartime role.

Japanese Headquarters, Peleliu Island, Palau

By 1944, Peleliu Island was occupied by 11,000 Japanese troops, who built an extensive network of fortified bunkers, caves, tunnels and trenches to defend it from US forces. The Americans considered the island strategically important due to its airfield, which was crucial for operations against the Philippines. When the US troops landed in September 1944, they encountered fierce resistance, and the Battle of Peleliu raged for two months, concluding in November. Remarkably, some Japanese soldiers remained hidden on the island until 1947.

Bunker, Totleben Island, Gulf of Finland

The fortified Totleben Island, located in the Gulf of Finland, played a role in the Second World War as part of the broader Kronstadt defence system protecting Leningrad (now St Petersburg). The Gulf of Finland, a strategic waterway bordered by Finland to the north and Russia to the east, was critical for naval defence. Although Fort Totleben itself did not feature prominently during the Siege of Leningrad (1941-1944), the network of forts around Kronstadt, including Totleben, helped secure the sea approaches, preventing a German naval assault on the city.

Causeway to Cramond Island, Scotland, UK

Located to the west of Leith Docks in Edinburgh, Cramond Island was an important strategic post during the Second World War, controlling the approach to the Forth Bridge and the Royal Dockyard at Rosyth. Today, abandoned gun emplacements and other military buildings are scattered around the island, which can only be accessed at low tide by means of a causeway. The striking concrete teeth running alongside it were also built during the war to stop U-boats or other small craft slipping past at high tide.

Bunker, Hurtgen Forest, Germany

The Battle of Hurtgen Forest, not far from the Belgian border, lasted from September to December 1944, making it the longest battle fought on German ground during the Second World War. The forest was one of the most heavily fortified areas of the Siegfried Line, and was fiercely defended by the Germans, who laid barbed wire, minefields and booby traps throughout, and built numerous concrete bunkers such as the one pictured. This, along with the dense forest, made life incredibly difficult for the American forces, who suffered some 33,000 casualties during the campaign.

Flak Tower, Vienna, Austria

Flak Towers (Flakturme in German) were large concrete structures built by Nazi Germany as anti-aircraft stations, and also served as civilian shelters and hospitals during air raids. They were a bit like medieval castle keeps, with incredibly thick walls as well as their own water reservoirs and food supplies, and proved remarkably resistant to Allied attack. Even after the war they were so difficult to demolish that many are still standing, including this one in Vienna’s Augarten which, at 180 feet (55m) high, is the tallest such tower ever built.

Wolf’s Lair, Masurian Woods, Poland

A vast complex of bunkers, shelters and barracks hidden deep in Poland’s Masurian Woods, the Wolf’s Lair was Adolf Hitler’s main Eastern Front headquarters during the Second World War. He spent a total of 800 days there between 1941 and 1944, and it was here that a failed plot to assassinate him took place on 20 July 1944. In early 1945, as the Red Army advanced, the complex was largely demolished by the Germans themselves. Although left to decay by Poland’s Communist government, the site has been open to visitors since 1990.

Tank traps, Shingle Street, England, UK

The remote village of Shingle Street in Suffolk, on the eastern coast of England, was a ghost town during the Second World War. The entire population had been evacuated due to fears of a German invasion and the surrounding countryside was booby-trapped to counter any enemy forces which might land. Landmines were laid on the beach and lines of concrete 'tank traps' were spread across the coastline. Some of these mysterious cubes, such as those pictured here, can still be seen by anyone venturing into the marshes near the village.

Tank onboard sunken warship, Truk Lagoon, Federated States of Micronesia

Truk Lagoon, an atoll 970 miles (1,561km) northeast of New Guinea, was Japan’s main naval base during the Pacific War, and much of the Japanese fleet was anchored there. That all changed in February 1944 when US forces launched Operation Hailstone, a two-day bombardment of the base, destroying around 50 ships and 250 aircraft. The area is now renowned as one of the largest ship graveyards in the world and, since being rediscovered by Jacques Cousteau in 1969, the coral-encrusted wrecks of the 'Ghost Fleet' have become a popular destination for divers.

Tyneham, England, UK

Sometimes referred to as Dorset’s 'lost village', the tiny hamlet of Tyneham was completely evacuated in December 1943 and requisitioned for training troops in the lead-up to the D-Day landings. Even after the war ended, the villagers were not allowed to return to their homes and to this day Tyneham is still owned by the Ministry of Defence. As you might expect, access is restricted, but it’s open most weekends so visitors can experience the haunting atmosphere of this deserted ghost village where time has stood still for decades.

Plane wreckage, Talasea Airstrip, Papua New Guinea

The South Pacific was a major centre of conflict during the Second World War so, perhaps unsurprisingly, there are several plane and shipwrecks scattered throughout the region. In 1944 this Lockheed Ventura from the New Zealand Air Force crash landed at Talasea Airstrip in Papua New Guinea after suffering engine failure following a bombing raid against the Japanese. Less than a week earlier an American B-25H bomber had crashed at the same airfield, which was abandoned shortly after the war ended and is now overgrown by thick tropical vegetation.

Pillbox, Cornelian Bay, England, UK

Although they were used during the First World War, military pillboxes became far more common in the Second World War. The term comes from their round or hexagonal shape, resembling the containers used to store pills in the early 20th century. Around 28,000 of these small concrete fortifications were built on Britain’s beaches and other vulnerable locations, including remote areas such as Cornelian Bay in North Yorkshire. About 25% survive today, and it’s not uncommon to stumble upon one while exploring the coast.

Submarine base, Lorient, France

Built in 1941, this bomb-proof U-boat shelter in the Breton seaport of Lorient was designed to house and protect German submarines during the Battle of the Atlantic. Of enormous strategic importance, the base was heavily bombarded by Allied forces, and by the end of the war, much of Lorient had been virtually destroyed. Today, the grey U-boat pens are open to the public, standing as a poignant reminder of the devastation wrought by war.

Nazi Rally Grounds, Nuremberg, Germany

Between 1933 and 1938, the Nazi Party held six rallies in Nuremberg in a vast complex of buildings and parade grounds covering four square miles (11sq km). Largely designed by Albert Speer, 'Hitler’s Architect', their monumental scale was intended to both impress and intimidate, and the enormous rallies filmed there served as important propaganda in the lead up to the Second World War, not least in Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will (1934). Falling into disuse after the war, parts of the grounds were demolished, and the site is now a memorial to victims of Nazi repression.

Coolsingel Hospital remains, Rotterdam, Netherlands

The 'Rotterdam Blitz' of May 1940, in which the German Luftwaffe completely obliterated the city’s historic centre, killed around 1,150 people and left 85,000 homeless. Despite a large red cross on the roof, even the city’s Coolsingel Hospital was targeted and largely destroyed during the bombing. The remains of the hospital were demolished in 1960, except for the ornate main gate, which was incorporated into the city’s new shopping district and is now known as the Coolsingelpoort, a monument to the destruction wrought on Rotterdam.

Jewish ghetto wall remains, Warsaw, Poland

Before the Second World War, Warsaw was a hub of Jewish life in Poland, home to around 380,000 Jews, or nearly a third of the city’s population. In October 1940, the Nazis forced the Jewish population into the Warsaw Ghetto, a space of just 1.3 square miles (3.4sq km). Over 265,000 Jews were deported to the Treblinka extermination camp, while thousands more perished from starvation, overcrowding and disease. The ghetto was mostly destroyed following the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943, but a few structures survived, including small sections of the ghetto wall.

Derelict military building, Sardinia, Italy

The island of Sardinia held significant strategic importance during the Second World War. The German military established air and naval bases there, which they used to block Allied efforts to supply Malta and to support Axis campaigns in Tunisia. Hundreds of bunkers and other military buildings still remain on the island, including the crumbling structure pictured, which was part of an old military base overlooking Baja Sardinia. The island was heavily bombed by Allied forces and eventually abandoned by German troops following the Italian armistice in September 1943.

Gerhardt’s Mill, Volgograd, Russia

Built in 1903, Gerhardt’s Mill in Volgograd (then known as Stalingrad) played a key defensive role in the Battle of Stalingrad (1942-43). With the Red Army and German forces fighting fiercely to capture it, the mill was bombed repeatedly over several months, completely destroying the roof, while every square metre of the exterior was scarred by shells, shrapnel and bullets. Despite the intensity of the fighting, it never fell to the Germans, and after the war ended was one of only three buildings left unrepaired as monuments to the battle.

Campo di Fossoli, Modena, Italy

Established by the Italian army in 1942, Campo di Fossoli was initially built as a prison for Allied soldiers captured in North Africa. After the German occupation of Italy in 1943, it was repurposed into a Jewish concentration camp, where prisoners were held temporarily before being deported to Auschwitz and other extermination camps. Among those detained there was the Italian writer Primo Levi, whose book If This Is a Man (1947) is one of the most famous accounts of the Holocaust. Following the war, the camp was used as a shelter for war orphans and refugees but was finally abandoned in 1970.

Japanese Tank, Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia

Evidence of the global scale of the Second World War can be found in even the most remote locations, such as this abandoned Japanese tank on the island of Kosrae in Micronesia. During the war, Kosrae and other islands in the northwestern Pacific Ocean became significant in the Japanese-American conflict. In 1944, many of the islands were occupied by Japanese troops, who seized homes and food from local villagers. As a result, many residents were forced to forage and live in caves to survive.

Genbaku Dome, Hiroshima, Japan

The only structure left standing in central Hiroshima after the atomic bomb was dropped on 6 August 1945, the Genbaku Dome is one of the most iconic ruins of the Second World War. Its survival is remarkable given the extent of the devastation, and it now serves as a powerful reminder of the destructive power of nuclear warfare and a memorial to the 140,000 people killed by the bombing and its aftermath. The building has been preserved in the state it was in immediately after the bomb was dropped and is now known as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial.

Koko Head Tramway, Oahu, Hawaii

Originally built by US forces on the Hawaiian island of Oahu between 1942 and 1943, the Koko Crater Tramway was a gas-powered rail line which transported personnel and equipment up to a radar station perched on top of an extinct volcano. Abandoned since 1966, this dilapidated railway has become a popular attraction for hikers who are brave enough to face its dizzying incline, which rises about 1,100 feet (335m) over less than half a mile (0.8km), in order to take in the spectacular views from the top.

Bunker, River Rhine, Switzerland

Although the Swiss were officially neutral during the Second World War, they still feared an invasion from German troops, and rightly so. Prominent Nazis such as Joseph Goebbels detested Switzerland (he once dismissed it as "this stinking little state") and, although never implemented, a detailed invasion plan called Operation Tannenbaum was drawn up by Axis powers in 1940. Perhaps sensibly, Switzerland mobilised 10% of its population as citizen soldiers and established a network of defences such as this abandoned bunker on the River Rhine.

V-2 Rocket Factory, Usedom, Germany

The rather anonymous facade of this red brick building in Peenemunde on the island of Usedom in the Baltic Sea conceals a dark history. From 1937 until 1944 it was part of a German research facility in which Nazi scientists developed and tested the V-2 Rocket. These long-range guided missiles wrought devastation on cities such as London, Antwerp and Liege, killing 5,500 civilians and destroying over 30,000 buildings. The facility was bombed by the Allies in 1943, but this large production hall survived largely unscathed.

Maunsell Forts, Thames Estuary, England, UK

Named after their designer, Royal Engineer Guy Maunsell, these imposing metal fortresses were crucial defensive platforms, protecting the UK from enemy aircraft and safeguarding vulnerable merchant vessels approaching the coast. Decommissioned in the 1950s, several of the forts were repurposed in the 1960s and 70s as bases for pirate radio stations. Most are now abandoned, but in 1967, Roughs Tower off the coast of Suffolk was seized by Paddy Roy Bates, who declared it the independent Principality of Sealand. The claim remains to this day, although it is not officially recognised by any government.

German Submarine U-352, North Carolina, USA

'Torpedo Junction' off the coast of North Carolina earned its name from the many attacks on Allied ships by German U-boats which took place there during the Second World War. Hundreds were sunk in the spring of 1942 before American forces could organise an adequate response. On 9 May this German submarine, U-352, was destroyed by a US Coast Guard vessel and 33 prisoners were brought ashore. The site of the wreck was discovered in 1974 and is now a popular destination for experienced scuba divers.

Beelitz Heilstatten Military Hospital, Berlin, Germany

Now one of Germany's eeriest abandoned buildings, Beelitz Heilstatten was originally built as a tuberculosis sanatorium in 1898. In 1916 Adolf Hitler recuperated there after being wounded during the First World War and in the next war it became a field hospital for Nazi troops before being captured by the Red Army in 1945. Left to decay after the end of the Cold War, this vast, dilapidated complex is now open to the public. A 70-foot (21.3m) tall elevated platform runs above the grounds of the hospital giving superb views of the buildings.

Electrical Substation, Tokyo, Japan

Few remnants of the Second World War survive in Tokyo, as much of the city was destroyed during 1945 and subsequently rebuilt in the post-war period. One notable exception is the old electrical substation known as the Hibiya Electric Building. Due to its strategic importance as part of a military supply network, it was targeted during Allied air raids and was bombed and strafed twice – but despite this, survived, and has been preserved in its damaged state. It was declared a historic site in 1995.

Cape May Bunker, New Jersey, USA

It looks like some strange set from a dystopian film, but this enormous concrete structure on a quiet beach in New Jersey is actually a Second World War bunker. Built as a hidden gun emplacement in 1942, it was originally buried under earth to blend in with surroundings. The bunker was never meant to be permanent, but with walls seven feet (2.1m) thick and supported underneath by mighty wooden pilings, it’s proved more durable than expected and is now an accepted part of the local landscape.

Now check out these fascinating colour images from the Second World War