WWII Treasure Hunters head to Portsmouth

WW2 Treasure Hunters presenter Stephen Taylor joins Suggs to explain how they struck gold, and heard first-hand accounts, while unearthing Portsmouth’s rich Second World War past.
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“On October 7th which airs on BLAZE®, Freeview channel 63, at 9pm, you’ll see Suggs and I in Creech Wood, just north of Portsmouth.

“In the Spring of 1944, hidden beneath a tree canopy, a secret army of Canadian and British troops was amassing.

“They were preparing for the greatest amphibious landing the world had ever seen - codenamed Operation Overlord; D-Day.

“I was privileged enough to meet a veteran who was part of that hidden army waiting in the woods. His story will resonate with viewers from Portsmouth as we share his first-person account of what the invasion was really like.With our team of archaeologists and detectorists we unearth evidence of the lives of those brave soldiers waiting to invade Normandy.

“We managed to find plenty of Second World War relics from Brylcreem to ammunition and, for the first time, we’ve been able to see the extent of the camp. So it’s a deeply interesting find.

“Of course, you’ll also see Suggs from Madness who’s been finding out more about the top-secret plans being hatched at Southwick House on the edge of the woods.

“He discovers a giant map made by two toy makers who were imprisoned until after D-Day so they couldn’t give away the secret plans. And on calmer waters, he pilots a Second World War amphibious landing craft to discover more about that fateful day.

Stephen Taylor and Suggs with a recovered WW2 Tank at Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking, Surrey.Stephen Taylor and Suggs with a recovered WW2 Tank at Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking, Surrey.
Stephen Taylor and Suggs with a recovered WW2 Tank at Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking, Surrey.

“I think often we imagine the Second World War as a battle that was fought in some foreign field. But it was on the home front where it really began.

“Beyond the rationing, blackouts and Blitz, Britain’s landscape was covered with airfields, military camps and secret bases.

“There’s not much left on the surface today, but as a military expert and relic hunter, myself and Suggs are on a mission to unearth the truth about Britain’s wartime past.

“Over the series you’ll see Suggs exploring the stories of how the war was fought and gets a taste for what it was really like, while I try to help bring the lives of the men and women involved in the war back to life.

Suggs & Stephen TaylorSuggs & Stephen Taylor
Suggs & Stephen Taylor

“We use state-of-the-art technology, original maps and archives to piece together the best places to dig at forgotten sites. They include military bases, airfields, POW camps and barracks. Once we locate them, we perform extensive digs to excavate the relics.

“Crucially, we’ll also be trying to return the relics we find back to their original owners and their families. We hope you enjoy this eight-part series and in particular the episode on Portsmouth, which airs tonight, October 7th.”

WW2 Treasure Hunters is on Mondays at 9pm on BLAZE®, Freeview Channel 63.

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