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Old 18-01-2013, 06:10 PM
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Default 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.

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Old 18-01-2013, 09:45 PM
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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
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Old 19-01-2013, 01:34 AM
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Quote:
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.

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.

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Old 19-01-2013, 11:27 AM
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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?
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Old 19-01-2013, 11:37 AM
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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.

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Old 19-01-2013, 08:36 PM
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Cool WW 2 re-emergence

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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.

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?
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Old 19-01-2013, 11:58 AM
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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.
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.
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Old 11-03-2013, 04:11 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by janwhin View Post
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?
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Old 15-03-2013, 12:01 AM
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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.
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Old 11-04-2013, 07:49 AM
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Can imagine this being read out on Dads Army! I'll bet some of them turned up wrong day and time!
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Old 22-07-2013, 12:26 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mrg555 View Post
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.
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Old 08-03-2013, 04:02 PM
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Default National Archives material

I was at the National Archives yesterday with my 'big list of stuff to look at'.
Managed to get through 3 documents in five and a half hours of work.

BUT... they're beauties

1. The Fort record book for the Amble Battery. (The Wellhaugh guns)

2. The war diary for the local Territorial battalion, The 7th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers in WW1 Apr 1915 - Jan 1918

3. RAF Acklington operations record book Aug 39 - Dec 45.

I took 1656 photos of the pages within these three. The Acklington book is about 420 pages (now photographs) and contains some fascinating stuff, including some accident reports for non-combat air crashes.

There's two small aerial photos in the Fort book taken in 1940 which shows the Wellhaugh area and our Lord Mayors Camp, with slit trenches around it.
Also a number of other plans, even the electrical system. Also part of the Fort war diary which refers to mines exploding, German aircraft, bombs being dropped by aircraft between the coast and the island, incessant air raid warnings and other stuff. There are a variety of other structures around the guns shown including a pair of BOPs (Battery Observation Posts).
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Old 08-03-2013, 04:19 PM
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My main target doc. was no2 above (7th NF war diary), I promised myself to go and copy the war diary, I've kept that promise for 30 years and finally got off my butt and gone and done it.



I've probably wasted my time though as the National Archives are digitising the WW1 war diaries to be published on-line as part of the 100th anniversary of the start of WW1, but they won't appear until close to the actual time (Aug 2014). Note -some (a small percentage of) WW1 war diaries are already on line with the national archives but not this one.

Thing is - this box of documents at the NA described as the 7th NF War diary contains a vast amount of casualty lists and movement records of the men as well as the standard war diary pages. I'm not sure if the NA are planning on copying everything or if they are just sticking to the basic war diary pages, its quite a task if you include all the accessory lists and other material as well.
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Old 08-03-2013, 06:07 PM
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In the Fort record book I'm looking at a sketch of the arc of the two guns. The beach at Amble (the 'big shore'), and the beach from Warkworth to Alnmouth are marked as 'landing zones'. the arc of the two guns is shown, with the extreme end of one being just able to shell Amble beach. The extreme of the other gun is shown as being able to shell the northern half of the Warkworth- Alnmouth beach, but I see the shells would be passing over the piers at Amble.
The south end of Warkworth beach is marked as "Dead Water" as it's outside the arc of the gun.
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Old 08-03-2013, 06:32 PM
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A pair of 90cm Search Lights for the battery are shown, one to the south and another appears to be at the Salt Pans. Each had a generator building with a 22kw Lister generator in it.

I've noticed an old concrete 'ww2 looking' building behind the salt pans (directly behind the hill at the coast side of the east cemetery), I wonder if that is the generator building? anyone else noticed that one?
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Old 08-03-2013, 06:36 PM
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Hollydog, there was a Lewis gun emplacement at the north corner of the quarry area at Wellhaugh, I bet those .303 bullets of yours came out of that!
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Old 04-04-2016, 06:52 PM
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Default Beehive Pillbox

Spotted this excellent example of a bee hive pillbox, not 3 miles as the crow flies from Amble. Its not listed on Keys to the Past, so when I waddled past with the dog I had to go back and have a look as I wasn't aware of its existence. Very hard to spot once the foliage starts to grow again. I will leave it to you to guess where!
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File Type: jpg 2016-04-04 18.48.53.jpg (92.6 KB, 47 views)
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Old 05-04-2016, 11:50 AM
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That's a little gem of a discovery. I have no idea where it is!
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Old 05-04-2016, 03:01 PM
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Would it be on the high road to Warkworth by any chance? I've just come across an archaeological survey completed for Northumberland Estates in connection with the development of New Barns. It refers to about 4 pillboxes. Click the "accept" button and it will drop you into the survey itself.

http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/...l3-28461_1.pdf
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Old 05-04-2016, 06:37 PM
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I remember that from 2007 for the caravan park application which didn't go ahead.
The pill box I pictured is actually opposite the east entrance to Shortridge Hall, and as I say, I've never noticed it before!
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