WW2 Defensive Structures

[Coquet]

East Cemetery and saltpans. lots of gravestones in 1940

There are concentric semi-circles in a corner of the saltpans. Now is that the searchlight area? or some old structure from the salt panning days??

[Coquet]

part of the drawing for the arc of the search lights:

[Coquet]

You will not be able to see the detail on this one but I will redraw it at some point.

This is the cliff with its guns, showing the extensive camp behind it.
there's even a storage place for 'Molotov cocktails' and 'Molotov bombs'

[Coquet]

Arc of guns and rangefinders, shows Amble Landing Beach and Warkworth-Alnmouth Landing Beach. Dead water areas shown including behind the island.

[mrg555]

Originally Posted by janwhin

Here is the photograph of the gun team on tour. It is taken at South Beveland, the Netherlands in 1945. The 146 HAA, with their hits on the gun barrel. They were on their way into Germany, sadly finding their way to Bergen Belsen, and guarding SS prisoners.

very interesting - I am just researching my grandfathers war records - he was with the 146 HAA - and as far as we know went into Normandy on D+4 and then was with the unit until the end of 45. Do you have any other information about the regiment?

[hollydog]

With these images we should be able to solve the mystery of where Alan J's 1940 Lord Mayors camp photo was taken from!

[hollydog]

Originally Posted by Coquet

East Cemetery and saltpans. lots of gravestones in 1940

There are concentric semi-circles in a corner of the saltpans. Now is that the searchlight area? or some old structure from the salt panning days??

In the same area as the round bell pit?

[Coquet]

Originally Posted by hollydog

In the same area as the round bell pit?

it's near, I think it's on a bit that has eroded away?

[Coquet]

here's that building, it's the searchlight generator building I think? or may be something else

[Coquet]

If it is the generator building, it's the only part of the Coast Battery complex left standing more than a couple of inches above the ground.

[janwhin]

Originally Posted by mrg555

very interesting - I am just researching my grandfathers war records - he was with the 146 HAA - and as far as we know went into Normandy on D+4 and then was with the unit until the end of 45. Do you have any other information about the regiment?

It sounds like your grandfather followed the same route as my dad. All I've got is my dad's war record which tracks where they went and a group photo of them in training in Kent before embarkation. I'm on holiday at the moment but I'll see what I can turn up when I get back.

[hollydog]

Can imagine this being read out on Dads Army! I'll bet some of them turned up wrong day and time!

[hollydog]

and a couple more dug out to give an idea of Amble in the depths of WW11

[janwhin]

Originally Posted by mrg555

very interesting - I am just researching my grandfathers war records - he was with the 146 HAA - and as far as we know went into Normandy on D+4 and then was with the unit until the end of 45. Do you have any other information about the regiment?

I've got the information now on 146 HAA if you want to look at your private messages.

[mipattison]

Hi, I was interested in reading about the squatters in Amble, when my dad left the army he and mam hadn't anywhere to live so they squatted in huts where the shows are now, this was until my dad started work in the pits and got a house at the drift, i remember stories mam told us about that time , apparently they were there all through that bad winter in 47 all they had was an old stove in the middle of the room, hard times indeed.

[mipattison]

Sorry , i think i've posted on wrong thread.

[borderlad]

Originally Posted by janwhin

There is a website devoted to recording evidence of the "Auxiliary Units" formed in World War 2, and a section dealing with Northumberland. http://www.coleshillhouse.com/acklin...liary-unit.php
There was an Acklington cell based on Chevington Woods and some of its members were: Len Crackett, Jimmy Jobson, Harry Moscrop, JT Dalby, R Scott, TG Simpson, AE Smith.
Apparently these resistance groups were primarily set up on the east coast and the north east England one was, for a time, led by the actor Anthony Quayle.
The Evening Chronicle did an article on them way back in 1968 and the Northumbrian magazine has done some articles recently.

Wonder if my other grandfather was one of them, Tom Edwards from South Broomhill. Pit deputy.
I know he was in the home guard and when he was down the beach with my mother a German plane was circling low overhead in the mist, they could see the black crosses. Then they heard two Spitfires from Acklington chase it out to sea with machinegun fire. German airmen were washed ashore later.
What makes me think he was in this covert group was when my granny told him to get rid of the gelignite that was buried in the garden in Hadston!
Not sure if he did. So if you hear a large explosion

[Coquet]

Originally Posted by borderlad

Wonder if my other grandfather was one of them, Tom Edwards from South Broomhill. Pit deputy.
I know he was in the home guard and when he was down the beach with my mother a German plane was circling low overhead in the mist, they could see the black crosses. Then they heard two Spitfires from Acklington chase it out to sea with machinegun fire. German airmen were washed ashore later.
What makes me think he was in this covert group was when my granny told him to get rid of the gelignite that was buried in the garden in Hadston!
Not sure if he did. So if you hear a large explosion

It sounds like there was "something going on" "home guard plus" there borderlad! It would be a great sense of pride to have such an ancestor. Our own version of suicide troops. None of them would have lived long after the invasion. Expendable. One sabotage event after another until they were stopped by the occupying forces. You have to doff your hat to those guys. Unfortunately the nature of the job meant minimal documentary evidence, so it is a difficult one.

[Placidmaster]

had a drive up that way Christmas day to take the dog down the beach, quite a large bunker been exposed by ( I am guessing) what remains of the pipe from the Hauxley pump. walking north along the beach from the car park on the bends. Amazing to see parts of the old forest too that has all been exposed................what else is there........who lived there, It is beginning to look like Ugamble was a busy place way back then.

[Coquet]

Originally Posted by Placidmaster

had a drive up that way Christmas day to take the dog down the beach, quite a large bunker been exposed by ( I am guessing) what remains of the pipe from the Hauxley pump. walking north along the beach from the car park on the bends. Amazing to see parts of the old forest too that has all been exposed................what else is there........who lived there, It is beginning to look like Ugamble was a busy place way back then.

Did you see this? I think it's just a field drain but an ancient one. Constructed from sandstone. There are more of those square sandstone covers that have been flipped off by the sea nearby.

I think we've lost 3-5 metres of dunes in the recent storms.