WW2 Defensive Structures
 

I've started this thread to bring together images and any information on WW2 Defensive structures in our area.


I'll put them all in a gallery when we get enough.

Wikipedia has a good page on 'types' of pillboxes.


And a survey was done in recent years but doesn't record everything around here. http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/.../dob/index.cfm


The 6 inch naval guns at Wellhaugh were manned by 313 Battery of the 510 Coastal Regiment Royal Artillery. The war diaries for this regiment are at the National Archives. They might contain some info and possibly some sketch plans. If I'm down there this year I'll have a look.

Nothing left of that gun emplacement bar a couple of concrete floors. If I recall correctly this slab lay in front of the aperture of the structure so the guns would project over this out to sea.

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...h_gun_site.jpg

A good piece of work to come.
Isn't it always the case that you wish you'd listened more and asked the right questions when you had the chance. When my dad joined up in 1940 he went into a Heavy Anti Aircraft Unit in the RA. For the first couple of years he was based at Lobley Hill in Gateshead and then at Willington to protect the Tyne.
After that he was moved south, Salisbury and Brighton, training for the invasion. His unit then went into Normandy with the heavy weaponry after D Day. I've got a photo somewhere of the gun crew, I'll have to post it.
One of the useful things I did do, was to send for his army records, and his brother's too. Fascinating documents. He was put on a charge in November 1945 for being "improperly in possession of a tin of pork luncheon meat, the property of the WO." For anyone that knew him, that would be no surprise, full of mischief:D

and a very exciting experience to bring such a gun in to action in anger which I think he would have done frequently. (from my safe post WW2 view!)
they're things of beauty, life savers, as are the men that crewed them.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...guns_H_993.jpg

It's difficult to find decent pictures of ww2 coastal batteries. Thought there would loads of that sort of stuff online.

Did find one here :
(bottom of the page)

http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/in...p?topic=8936.0

I guess ours would be similar


Note the observation post. Perhaps the purpose of our concrete platform a few hundred metres south of the Wellhaugh gun position?

There's a mysterious concrete platform eroding out of the dunes a hundred metres to the north side of the Wellhaugh gun position as well.

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...augh_north.jpg

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.

WW 2 re-emergence
 

Interesting photograph Coquet. There may be many more constructions that still lie buried. The Home Guard had a section nicknamed 'The Secret Army'. They had a section which was very active in Amble and district.Made up of young men who, because they were deferred from Call-up because they worked in the coal mines and were well versed in handling dynamite, they were ideal as a back-up force for the Armed Forces if Britain had been invaded. As these men were miners does it follow that some constructions were built 'Out of Sight' in areas often used by the public and yet hidden from view?
I have a Army Issue Ordnance Survey map of Amble and District, which I have pored over often but, alas, no secret traces anywhere, a Army Issue compass and discharge papers of my uncle, who was a member of this squad. I knew he was in the Home Guard because he had a uniform but he never spoke of what he had been trained to do if invasion came. I found the bits and bobs when I cleared his bungalow after he died. According to a TV programme I saw later, these squads were formed throughout the country and, with local knowledge, would have been ideal for acts of sabotage and despatching collaborators. They worked thier normal shifts then trained afterwards. I am told there may be a remnant of a meeting point in Chevington Woods but cannot confirm this. It makes sense that there would be a well hidden accommodation for them somewhere. They wouldn't just go and destroy bridges etc then return home, or back to the pit, once the invasion was on, would they?

It is intriguing that there were secret meeting places out there for the home guard. Your argument does make sense though, and official paper records would be a no-no.

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.

Re: Auxiliary Units
 

Thanks janwhin.

I don't know whether you get the Northumbrian Magazine, Derilda, but following an article which appeared in Issue 126 about the Home Guard, the "Northumberland County Information Officer" for the Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team (CART) sent in a letter about the work they're doing researching the Units and locating their operational bases. They're hoping eventually to get recognition for the men involved in the units. He's still after info about both the Home Guard and the members of the Auxiliary Units. He is called Stephen Lewins of Green Lane, Morpeth.
Fascinating stuff.

This map shows the Wellhaugh area buildings, plus buildings on the lord Mayors field. I assume the PoW camp?

Lots of other interesting stuff. Says published 1954 but some of the map data goes back to the 1920s according to the notes at the bottom.

http://maps.nls.uk/os/25k-gb-1937-61...5217&layers=BT


lots more on this site:

http://www.oldmapsonline.org/#bbox=-...00&dateto=2010

When you look around the beach there's lots of WW2 Concrete and brickwork. Here's some interesting curved walls at Wellhaugh, now in bits. Big jigsaw puzzle?

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...gh_beach_1.jpg

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...gh_beach_2.jpg

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...gh_beach_3.jpg

part of something like this?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pi...reton_Ford.jpg


or just a septic tank !

more at Wellhaugh.

another one of those large circular discs.

all very mysterious.


http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...gh_beach_4.jpg

Lord Mayors Field.
 

Contrary to popular belief it wasn't a POW camp but they were actually displaced persons, mainly Russian or Eastern Europeans who went back within a fairly short time after the war. They were noted locally for their expertise in making toys, jewelery out of coins etc and supplied many a local child with something for christmas at a time when we could get "nowt".

Hi Alan, you are of course right. I believe they were the Polish Army in Exile forces that did not want to go back to Poland after WW2 due to it falling under Soviet influence.

I think there were many camps across the UK with hundreds of thousands of men. It was a bit of a 'problem' for the UK Government I bet.

After fighting and winning the war I bet the Poles were sick at that time with the way things turned out for them.


Most unfortunate.

I wonder if they had restrictions on their movement about the town?
If so perhaps that is where the PoW rumour came from, maybe they felt like prisoners :)

My sisters cetainly talked about there being Russians and Mongolians in the camp.

Lord Mayors Camp.
 

I don't think they had general access to the town but obviously there was contact as they were making pocket money with the toys etc. You have to remember they were in a pretty isolated place, the nearest house was Teddy Rolands place besides the cemetery house, no Links Ave., no bungalows or schools.
I think the public may have gone down there to do the deals and pick up the goods afterwards.

Can you remember any of the original buildings Alan? It's just shown as two continuous parallel rows on the map above. Were they Nissen huts?

(someone out there MUST have a photo of the camp surely! )

Another interesting feature on that map is that it shows RAF Acklington as a complete blank!

I may be wrong, I often am, but those parallel lines must be the first bit of Links Avenue? Melrose Gardens and St Cuthberts are on there too.

You are right Janwhin, my bad :o

...because it lines up with the cemetery it must be the proto housing estate. The camp would be to the south a bit.
nothing showing there but one small building?

hey... what's all this then:

German PoWs

http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1469723

(possibly over the site of the Links Caravan Park too?)

Ok I'm confused. :confused:

I'll post a sunny summer picture of the Lord Mayor's field to cheer you up on this chilly day.

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...yors_field.jpg

That is the Lord Mayor's field isn't it? I'm having a self doubt crisis :D

'Her indoors' has just looked over my shoulder and said 'that's the dogs field that is',.. 'whippets'. So there you go. The voice of authority. :D

Ah just because English Heritage says that's what it is, doesn't mean to say its right! I tried to establish their sources and seemed to go round in circles. Good aerial shot though.
My brother in law used to race his whippets there in the 1960s :)
Always listen to her indoors.

Lord Mayors Camp.
 

There was at least one Green wooden building on the site until fairly recent years. This was, I think, used by the council as storage etc., for the caravan site maintenance men and as far as I can know it had been one of the original huts of the camp. I have seen a "not very good picture" somewhere of the camp and will try to remember where and dig it out.

These might be of interest, ignoring the musket balls (?) all the rest are ww2 era and were within 1/4 mile of the Lord Mayor's field on the beach. I found them a few years ago, along with a couple of hundred pennies! I did research them at the time - someone can perhaps refresh me about the cap badges, Cambridge, Dorset? but the German medal has 1939 on the back and I believe the recipient got one after service beyond the call of duty in battle but not worthy of an Iron Cross (exceptional bravery) . I stand to be corrected though. A war trophy lost? or from German pows nearby?

POW/Lord mayors camp
 

As far as my memory serves me the camp was across the road from the southern wall of the east cemetery.adjacent to that wall was the large wooden "cafe"which was probably a canteen for soldiers.My earliest memory was a fancy dress parade in which I was dressed as a chef!This was on the back of a truck in the parade ,no photo though.Do the council have an archive of pictures of that period?Something for my old firend Alan.J. to get his teeth into!!

Some very interesting finds. Badges are my cup of tea. Got boxes and boxes of 'em.

The lower badge is the Essex Regiment (I've photographed a Dorset next to an Essex below) Now the construction of yours with the oval brazing holes, normally covered by the title scroll which is missing, suggests and earlier badge, circa WW1 rather than circa WW2. but there's no guarantee on that.

The Cambridgeshire badge has a notable version with a spelling mistake "Cambridgshire" see mis-spelled version below. (I think yours has the correct spelling?)


The shoulder title badge 'York' (Yorkshire Regiment, The Green Howards) I have a feeling was only worn to 1920 but I'll have to double check that.



The German 'War Merit Cross with Swords'. Is an unusual find- As you say a discarded war trophy, or a possession of a German guest of his majesty during WW2?


http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...ex_badges3.jpg

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/images/cam_badge2.jpg

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...erit_cross.jpg

Druring WW2 the 15th Scottish Division spent some time in the area.

this extract from the divisional history:

"In Northumberland the Division found itself under the 9th Corps, which was able to give it at least this much good news that its rôle would be a mobile one. In the weeks that followed, the little town of Amble on the coast south-east of Alnwick was developed à la Tobruk as a defended pivot of manoeuvre, while the main body of the Division was disposed as follows : in the south round Newcastle, the 45th Brigade ; in the centre round Alnwick, the 46th Brigade, with the 131st Field Regiment and the 278th Field Company in support ; in the north round Wooler, the 44th Brigade, with the 129th Field Regiment and the 279th Field Company in support. Divisional Headquarters opened at Hexham, but soon moved to Morpeth, where it stayed."

[The 15th Division was here from Autumn 1941 - Sept 1943. Prior to that are army guests were the 59th Division]


The infantry brigades in that division were composed mainly of Scottish regiments, but I think many other regiments were stationed or had training up and down the coast around here in both wars. There's probably quite a range of lost badges still hidden in the dunes.

Of course not all badges might have been lost by soldiers themselves.

I wish we had more info on 'Amble Tobruk' :D

POW Camp
 

This thread is really getting interesting, isn't it.
It appears that, initially, POW camps were set up around the country, for prisoners taken during the war. A camp at Featherstone housed die hard Nazis. Once these were repatriated some became camps for displaced persons. There was a large one at Morpeth Common, principally for Poles, awaiting housing becoming available. Some seem to have been called squatters camps.
Post war there are some newspaper references to a squatters' camp at Amble. It seems that initially the squatters were in the Lord Mayor's Camp but since this was to go back to its original use, there was a decision to "do up" some of the buildings on the adjacent battery camp for accommodation.

Nice.
That would solve the problem of the conflicting info.

So the Army situation was that after Dunkirk the 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division arrived in the area sometime in June 1940. They were here until October 1941 (moved to Northern Ireland)
Replaced by 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division, which remained here until September 1943.

Now the invasion panic I assume started after the retreat from Dunkirk, so the majority of the WW2 construction around here would be done by these divisions. I assume in the hot seat to get the job done would be the Royal Engineer Field Companies of the two divisions, with working parties from the Infantry.

So probably the information on these WW2 'constructions' lies in the war diaries of these engineer units. There were three, (perhaps four in the case of the 15th?) in each division:

59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division: (6.40 - 10.41)

509 Field Company (11.1.40 - 22.8.44) NA
510 Field Company ( 2.3.40 - 22.8.44) NA
257 Field Company (23.6.40 - 22.8.44) NA


15th (Scottish) Infantry Division (10.41 - 9.43)

278 Field Company ( 3.9.39 - 31.8.45) NA NA ('round Alnwick' - our most likely candidate for Amble constructions?)
279 Field Company ( 3.9.39 - 9.2.40 and 12.7.40 - 31.8.45) NA NA ('round Wooler')
280 Field Company ( 3.9.39 - 15.12.42) NA NA (location not given)
20 Field Company (26.3.43 - 31.8.45) NA ??

I've added some national archives links for my own reference, they are not complete (will have a better look later). Would be a big job going through that lot.

Cafe on the links.
 

The building Brownknees mentions was "Ned Fenwicks Cafe" and was what had been the old Amble golf course clubhouse, seen on the links opposite Panhaven road in the Amble picture gallery on "Fusilier".
It had been moved for some reason as the golf club lost the course on the outbreak of war and never had it given back. Most of the original members went and joined Warkworth.

Scottish connection with Amble.
 

As you say there was a large Scottish contingent in the area and there are still Amble people whose fathers came here, courted , married and settled after the war and who have only within the last few years died out.

Wakworth House Hotel was commandeered as the officers mess and troops were initially billetted in some of the large houses in Warkworth and the surrounding area.