Join the Tunnel Rats! | Ramsgate Tunnels
Join the Tunnel Rats!
Join the Tunnel Rats!
Who are the Tunnel Rats?
To qualify to join Ramsgate Tunnels Tunnel Rats you need to have been born or brought up in Ramsgate before or during the Second World War (up to 1945).
Some of our Tunnel Rats were evacuated for the duration, some stayed in the town, some used the Tunnels; they all have different experiences. Our older Rats remember what it was like as children and teenagers during the war, some of the younger ones remember very little but remember what it was like growing up in the immediate post war period, with rationing and bomb sites.
The Tunnel Rats meet for tea and cake at Ramsgate Tunnels on every first Monday of the month April to October (or the nearest Monday after if it is a Bank Holiday), and 1st Tuesday of the month November to March. It is all very informal and is an opportunity to meet up with old friends and acquaintances, make new friends and have a gossip and a chat. In warm weather we meet on the terrace, or inside in the heated gazebo when it is cold. In return we may ask to interview you so we can record your memories and experiences for our archives for future generations.
But why the name Tunnel Rats?
During the Second World War, the town’s children were evacuated in whole school groups along with their teachers, and relocated to Staffordshire where they were billeted on local families. Some children remained behind from the beginning because their families preferred them to stay with them, and some were brought back because they were homesick, had bad experiences or their parents missed them.  As there were no schools open and most parents were either called up or carrying out war work, they were left to look after themselves to play on the bomb sites, or in the tunnels, frequently getting in the way of the adults around them; down in the Tunnels they became known as ‘Tunnel Rats’.
Although the name was not originally complimentary, we have adopted it and our group are proud to call themselves Tunnel Rats!
If you qualify and would like to join contact us using the
contact form
or by phoning us on 01843 588123.
Ramsgate Tunnels.
Marina Esplanade,
Ramsgate, Kent CT11 8FH
Telephone:
01843 588123
E-mail:
admin@ramsgatetunnels.org