World War Two: Evidence of damage/stuff left over now.
Discussion
OpulentBob said:
There's this monster WW2 radar tower still visible from miles around in Essex:
More info: http://greatbaddow.org.uk/info/great-baddow-tower
Google map link
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.7074325,0.497591...
Great link. Thanks. I wonder if BAE still use it? Looks like it's got some modern comes gear on it. White dishes. Microwave? Or up/downlinks?More info: http://greatbaddow.org.uk/info/great-baddow-tower
Google map link
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.7074325,0.497591...
At
R T C Agricultural Ltd
Newton Hollow, Frodsham WA6 6H, there is a hexagonal, or maybe octagonal concrete building.
It is about 12 meters diameter.
I believe it was used as part of a military listening post of some sort.
It is reasonably bomb proof, as the walls are about 18 inches to 24 inches thick
Can't see it on Google maps, but it is there.
53.2639705,-2.7160807,106
Strange
edit, I think it has been sheeted over, and it must be the rectangular green sheeting, with three white parts to it.
R T C Agricultural Ltd
Newton Hollow, Frodsham WA6 6H, there is a hexagonal, or maybe octagonal concrete building.
It is about 12 meters diameter.
I believe it was used as part of a military listening post of some sort.
It is reasonably bomb proof, as the walls are about 18 inches to 24 inches thick
Can't see it on Google maps, but it is there.
53.2639705,-2.7160807,106
Strange
edit, I think it has been sheeted over, and it must be the rectangular green sheeting, with three white parts to it.
Edited by uk_vette on Sunday 20th September 21:30
Edited by uk_vette on Sunday 20th September 21:31
If you want to see what a bomb can do to a supposedly bomb proof building, then visit 'The Blockhouse' in France (Close to Calaise). Hitler wanted to complete, fuel and launch V2 rockets from it.
The roof is something like 3 metres thick of steel reinforced concrete and the RAF cracked it with an earthquake bomb, also doing a lot of damage to adjoining parts of the complex.
After the raid the complex was only used to produce liquid Oxygen for the V2 program.
Paul
The roof is something like 3 metres thick of steel reinforced concrete and the RAF cracked it with an earthquake bomb, also doing a lot of damage to adjoining parts of the complex.
After the raid the complex was only used to produce liquid Oxygen for the V2 program.
Paul
On Mill Lane in Tidmarsh (outside Reading) there are these concrete drums with conical tops by the side of the road still. They were to be rolled into the road, where it crossed an anti-tank ditch, and stood up as a way of blocking the road in case of invasion:
https://goo.gl/maps/kgFr4dHySGn
The whole of the Sulham Valley (which Mill Lane crosses) is littered with old pillboxes etc. as it was part of one of the Stop lines round London. More info here, including a nice wartime aerial view of the thumping great anti tank ditch the pillboxes defended:
http://rexurbex.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/the-sulham-...
https://goo.gl/maps/kgFr4dHySGn
The whole of the Sulham Valley (which Mill Lane crosses) is littered with old pillboxes etc. as it was part of one of the Stop lines round London. More info here, including a nice wartime aerial view of the thumping great anti tank ditch the pillboxes defended:
http://rexurbex.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/the-sulham-...
Nice excuse to pop out before lunch on Sunday and snap these;
- a set of 'dragon's teeth' next to the minor road across Ashdown Forest in Sussex (also used as an army training area and close to two barracks) left over from WWII.
Round the corner there are some more at the entrance of the Police Training area;
During WWII this facility was known as 'Aspidistra' and housed a humongous transmitter for broadcasting allsorts across Europe. The antenna was removed years back when the whole site was re-developed as Regional Bunker secure from anything bar a direct hit. Sold off to plod just a decade or two later.
A former neighbour's Mum worked there for many years in the staff canteen (the transmitter passed into BBC/FO use after the war) but she succumbed to early onset cancer like several colleagues...thought to be caused by proximity to the radio transmitter.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspidistra_(transmit...
Much of Ashdown Forest is pock-marked by small craters (it's an area that has never been ploughed). I wondered if any of them were bombs dumped after a trip to London (almost due North) by weary Luftwaffe pilots eager to get to safety. Perhaps a detectoring of them is called for...
Just a few miles away is East Grinstead - where 100+ were killed by enemy bombs which hit the cinema during a matinee performance. Many of the dead were children. Largest loss of life in the county. No trace remains after re-development (a plaque was unveiled recently).
- a set of 'dragon's teeth' next to the minor road across Ashdown Forest in Sussex (also used as an army training area and close to two barracks) left over from WWII.
Round the corner there are some more at the entrance of the Police Training area;
During WWII this facility was known as 'Aspidistra' and housed a humongous transmitter for broadcasting allsorts across Europe. The antenna was removed years back when the whole site was re-developed as Regional Bunker secure from anything bar a direct hit. Sold off to plod just a decade or two later.
A former neighbour's Mum worked there for many years in the staff canteen (the transmitter passed into BBC/FO use after the war) but she succumbed to early onset cancer like several colleagues...thought to be caused by proximity to the radio transmitter.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspidistra_(transmit...
Much of Ashdown Forest is pock-marked by small craters (it's an area that has never been ploughed). I wondered if any of them were bombs dumped after a trip to London (almost due North) by weary Luftwaffe pilots eager to get to safety. Perhaps a detectoring of them is called for...
Just a few miles away is East Grinstead - where 100+ were killed by enemy bombs which hit the cinema during a matinee performance. Many of the dead were children. Largest loss of life in the county. No trace remains after re-development (a plaque was unveiled recently).
wsurfa said:
Air raid shelter in the garden - thought about converting it into a wine cellar, but it's a bit small and the roof doest look the safest...
A mate recently stripped back the top of the one he has in his garden. Reroofed with stronger stuff it now has booze downstairs & a garage on top.Took a few photos on the way home from work of the beachside of the bunker on my previous post. Wow, didn't realise what an impressive structure it really is. The bunker wall is roughly 210m long and links at least 3 bunkers all the way along its length. It's about 20ft tall (now forms an integral part of our modern day sea defences) but with a massive thickness, probably well over 2 metres. I'd never seen it from the beach side as it's quite difficult to access, even though I only live probably about 500m away 
I would imagine it's only been opened a couple of times since the Germans left, hence its virtually unmolested state.
I would imagine it's only been opened a couple of times since the Germans left, hence its virtually unmolested state.Wanted to see the U-boat pens at La Pallice - where they filmed Das Boot, so in 2010 drove down the west coast of France looking at various bunkers and fortifications.
This bunker is still in use by the French Navy although nobody was about, and finding a hole in a wire fence and crossing a railway marshalling yard, ignored by some security guys, I was able to have a good look round.
The size of this place is staggering and no hope of ever being demolished.
It even had its own power station and it looks like you can see the massive concrete buttresses concealing the cable entries about the size of an average house tapped pnto a side wall.
I once found some great Urban explorer photos from a group of lads - I think they even had a night in sleeping bags within the ribbed concrete roof structure which had bomb deflectors in case of a direct hit.
These structures are huge - my mate parked next to one in St, Nazaire and asked where it was as he didn't realise the scale. He stood ten feet away . Above is La Pallice ( La Rochelle ) and the two pics below are St Nazaire.
This one is now an arts centre.
At one stage, the Todt Organisation were scouring the whole of Europe to maintain supplies of reinforcing and cement to build these structures.
This bunker is still in use by the French Navy although nobody was about, and finding a hole in a wire fence and crossing a railway marshalling yard, ignored by some security guys, I was able to have a good look round.
The size of this place is staggering and no hope of ever being demolished.
It even had its own power station and it looks like you can see the massive concrete buttresses concealing the cable entries about the size of an average house tapped pnto a side wall.
I once found some great Urban explorer photos from a group of lads - I think they even had a night in sleeping bags within the ribbed concrete roof structure which had bomb deflectors in case of a direct hit.
These structures are huge - my mate parked next to one in St, Nazaire and asked where it was as he didn't realise the scale. He stood ten feet away . Above is La Pallice ( La Rochelle ) and the two pics below are St Nazaire.
This one is now an arts centre.
At one stage, the Todt Organisation were scouring the whole of Europe to maintain supplies of reinforcing and cement to build these structures.
There's a structure known as the submarine pen in some very land locked new forest. It's on a Ww2 bombing range, where craters and massive targets can still be seen etched into the ground. (Google map ashley walk bombing range).
Turns out the sub pen wasn't intended to be that after all, just a very solid target. They tested the grand slam bomb near it and made a big hole
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&a...
Turns out the sub pen wasn't intended to be that after all, just a very solid target. They tested the grand slam bomb near it and made a big hole
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&a...
Edited by Craiglamuffin on Tuesday 22 September 07:39
As a child, I grew up in North Queensferry, my house was 5 seconds from Carlingnose Battery.
Back then, in the late 70s/early 80s, it was completely untouched and open, we used to play there all the time, playing soldiers, hide and seek in the various rooms and gun turrets. Absolutely fantastic fun.
Nowadays there are houses built on it, and I believe certain parts to be integrated to the battery, could be wrong though. Real shame that. I revisited a few years ago, and that was the first real moment in my life I was left gutted seeing a monumental change to my history.
Back then, in the late 70s/early 80s, it was completely untouched and open, we used to play there all the time, playing soldiers, hide and seek in the various rooms and gun turrets. Absolutely fantastic fun.
Nowadays there are houses built on it, and I believe certain parts to be integrated to the battery, could be wrong though. Real shame that. I revisited a few years ago, and that was the first real moment in my life I was left gutted seeing a monumental change to my history.
We only had a prison camp.... they tunnelled out as well.
http://www.islandfarm.fsnet.co.uk
But the story of the site is a lot bigger, including a base for the US artillery pre D Day training. Oh, and a huge munitions site not far away that the Germans never bombed for some reason. The camp was initially built for the workers at the munitions factory.
http://www.islandfarm.fsnet.co.uk
But the story of the site is a lot bigger, including a base for the US artillery pre D Day training. Oh, and a huge munitions site not far away that the Germans never bombed for some reason. The camp was initially built for the workers at the munitions factory.
rufmeister said:
As a child, I grew up in North Queensferry, my house was 5 seconds from Carlingnose Battery.
Back then, in the late 70s/early 80s, it was completely untouched and open, we used to play there all the time, playing soldiers, hide and seek in the various rooms and gun turrets. Absolutely fantastic fun.
Nowadays there are houses built on it, and I believe certain parts to be integrated to the battery, could be wrong though. Real shame that. I revisited a few years ago, and that was the first real moment in my life I was left gutted seeing a monumental change to my history.
Yes, it's now in private ownership and public access is definitely not permitted - there was a bit of controversy some years ago about it.Back then, in the late 70s/early 80s, it was completely untouched and open, we used to play there all the time, playing soldiers, hide and seek in the various rooms and gun turrets. Absolutely fantastic fun.
Nowadays there are houses built on it, and I believe certain parts to be integrated to the battery, could be wrong though. Real shame that. I revisited a few years ago, and that was the first real moment in my life I was left gutted seeing a monumental change to my history.
wildcat45 said:
Certainly built to last. Sadly I guess slave labour?
Au contraire..According to Hitlers U-Boat bases by Jak P Mallmann Showell -
the mixed labour force comprised mainly volunteers including arabs who had no alliance to any European country, many Spanish workers, but also included the local workforce displaced by devastation from Allied bombing and the need to get an income for their families. The work was in fact well paid. As far as possible the Germans looked for volunteers, while the Todt organisation recruited from jails. Even British 'other ranks' ie not officers, volunteered rather than languish in a camp. Conscripted German workers operated alongside, just as we had Bevan Boys down the pit.
There is no suggestion the work was easy as it comprised 12 hour days for 6 1/2 day weeks ( 1/2 day rest on Sunday ), while concrete was continuosly being poured 24 hours a day with machines operating at night as it is essential that joints are not left as weak spots.
No time for Health and Safety here - high unguarded walls leading to falls and dangerous working practices, no PPE etc, but it got built.
I'm a trained architect and when I visit these buildings, I just stand in awe.
From my earlier reply, I found that picture of the guys glamping amongst the roof construction and bomb protection ribs.
I cannot find my piccy but this is an image of the remaining Mulberry Harbour piece off Pagham beach;
- great deal of info at this site;
http://www.ukho.gov.uk/Media/News/Pages/Mulberry-H...
The scale of these harbours is impressive - equivalent in size to Dover, put in place in just weeks after the invasion (and then one of them was wrecked by a storm in late June). Apparently they were corralled at Pagham prior to the final journey across the channel.
My late FiL used to say he saw them being fabricated in Pompey docks (where he spent much of WWII) and there's more than one unfortunate soul incorporated into those structures - purely through carelessness, not skullduggery.
Looking at these structures, the German defences, the allied airfields etc etc there must have been some mammoth increases in cement production during that period.
- great deal of info at this site;
http://www.ukho.gov.uk/Media/News/Pages/Mulberry-H...
The scale of these harbours is impressive - equivalent in size to Dover, put in place in just weeks after the invasion (and then one of them was wrecked by a storm in late June). Apparently they were corralled at Pagham prior to the final journey across the channel.
My late FiL used to say he saw them being fabricated in Pompey docks (where he spent much of WWII) and there's more than one unfortunate soul incorporated into those structures - purely through carelessness, not skullduggery.
Looking at these structures, the German defences, the allied airfields etc etc there must have been some mammoth increases in cement production during that period.
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