The Rock of Gibraltar has been a military fortress for hundreds of years. It is the most famous for its stronghold during World War II. During this war, 5000 men worked to construct most of the Rock’s tunnel systems. The men worked six days a week, and bathed on the seventh day. The men would work their first eight hours doing manual labor, and then their second eight hours being on guard duty. They were given a half a pint of freshwater a day, and this was to be used to shave. They were given hot soup or tea every hour of work. They were allowed a 15 minute fresh air break each day.
This is the view that the men got for during their fresh-air breaks. There was an average of 800 tons of rubble dug per day. The soldiers were fed canned food, such as meat and beans, every day for three years. They were allowed to eat as much as they wanted. However, if they did not finish what was on their plate, they were charged from their day’s pay. They did not have to worry about overeating, because they would work off 5000-7000 calories a day (an average intake today is around 2000-3000)!
There were also 300 women who lived in the Rock during this time as well. The women were the nurse staff for the air force. They were escorted by armed officers through the tunnels. Once they were in their area, they were head-counted, and then padlocked in. There were also two guards manning their area at all times. There were no conceptions in the three years that the men and women lived in the tunnels. Unlike the men, the women could freshen up everyday, and shower every two days.
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