Built to last

[fabes]

And to think, we're all driving round in German cars now.

The folly of war......

 

[markjay]

German brand, yes.

But German car? Not sure.

The bits come from all over the world, assembled in factories all over the world.

And 20% of it is owned by Kuwaiti, Japanese, French, and Chinese companies.

It was thought after the War that economic co-operation through industrial globalisation will help prevent future wars.

 

[toolman1954]

Along the beach at Leven in Fife, there are some substantial concrete blocks used as tank traps,buried in the dunes and each stone is aboout 4-5 tons.
The whole area around here was all coal mines, so I guess this measure was to protect the mines from invading forces.

Steve

( Credit to Richard Law for the photo reused under a Creative Commons Licence )
Tank traps at Leven beach (C) Richard Law

 

[BTB 500]

The other common anti-tank obstacles were "dragon's teeth" - lots of those still around in the stop lines I mentioned.

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[Scott_F]

Last time I went there it stunk of pi$$ & the girlfriend wasn’t keen on returning.

Don't you just hate picky women ?

 

[brucemillar]

A couple of miles from the pillbox, we have this 50 yard wide, crater (outlined) not easy to see in a photo. It is a German Bomb crater, left by a “stray” bomb that missed the airfield.

It was fairly common for Aircrew to dump their bombs on any target if, for some reason they were unable to drop them on their intended target(s)

Detling was very visible to the returning German Crews, given its prominent position, high in the North Kent Downs. The local Village and farms were hit on several occasions in these incidents with some damage / evidence still visible.

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[brucemillar]

I should have added (there is just so much) his ship was the SS CITY OF BATH. She suffered a mechanical failure meaning that the she lost ground on the main Convoy, which had of course to head on at maximum speed. They were very aware that they were being stalked by a “Wolf Pack”. In effect they just had to await their fate.

What is of interest is that the Captain Staats surfaced his U-Boat and despite the “Doenitz order” came over to the lifeboats and offered assistance. My uncle never forgot Captain Staats “perfect English speech”. He actually apologised for the sinking and wished them well, offering directions and weather reports along with cigarettes and chocolates.


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Please indulge me or ignore me here. I find myself caught in a very sentimental mood this week.

I look at this photograph (lifted from google images) of my uncles ship SS CITY OF BATH taken (somebody please confirm) at Liverpool? I wonder if my Uncle was aboard when this was taken and if so, what was he doing?

I do know that entering Liverpool on one voyage, they came across the sunken of British Submarine - HMS THETIS with her stern visible above the water. They stopped to offer help but were told that “it was too late” the boat had flooded and 99 crew perished.

A sad irony, given what was to transpire to my Uncles war and German U-Boats.

My uncles Radio Officer and best friend died when the City Of Bath was torpedoed. His bespoke life jacket, turned him turtle and covered in fuel oil, they simply could not heave him out the water into their lifeboat.

He never forgot him and his name is on the Merchant Seaman’s Monument on Tower Hill. He dies as a result of going back to his quarters to rescue the emergency radio set. The ship had broken in two and was sinking fast. His only hope was his life jacket, which he had made due to being overweight. It was his doom.


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[Scott_F]

I look at this photograph (lifted from google images) of my uncles ship SS CITY OF BATH taken (somebody please confirm) at Liverpool? I wonder if my Uncle was aboard when this was taken and if so, what was he doing?

That is Liverpool. The Liver Building is behind the ship's rear mast and the building with the dome at the ship's stern is the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board building. The third of the "Three Graces" on Liverpool's waterfront is the Cunard Building which isn't as tall and sits between the other two.

 

[Swotty]

Do you remember the Battle of Britain pub in Kingswood, Bruce, before it was turned into a couple of houses? I used to live next to the village shop.

I remember me gran being worried about catching one from the Luftwaffe, but granddad reassured her by saying that the one that gets you will have your name on it.

She was fine until the day Mr & Mrs Doodlebug moved in next door.

Stuart

 

[brucemillar]

All

My apologies. My the survivors of the sinking came ashore in Trinidad.


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[Dryce]

There were defensive lines (often called 'stop lines') in various parts of the UK, designed to slow down a German advance in the event of an invasion. These fortifications (principally anti-tank obstacles and bunkers) still exist in many places - there are quite a few in the Guildford area that formed part of the concentric lines set up around London:

If you travel along the A93 northwards from Perth to Braemar you pass the old 'Devil's Elbow' - technically Cairnwell Pass - the old hairpin bit of road is still there - just below and on the right of the newer road that sweeps up to the Glenshee Ski centre.

Across the pass just north of the hairpin there is an impressive array of large concrete blocks.

This was a segment of one of the internal stop lines across Scotland. The concern was that there were not enough troops to defend the north east of Scotland and that it would take time to move forces north. So the stop lines were built to act as a delay to allow time for reinforcement from the south in time to stop an invader reaching the industrial parts of Central Scotland.

 

[Chrishazle]

I thought Hadrian's Wall was for that - we'd let them have Scotland but stop them at the English border!!

 

[Dryce]

I thought Hadrian's Wall was for that - we'd let them have Scotland but stop them at the English border!!

That's a good reminder that there are older national defensive works than the WW2 stop lines.

 

[wu56Shoozz]

I've done a tour over the years of all the Scottish Airfields from Prestwick up to Fraserburgh/Peterhead and the most Famous of them all Banff photographing whats left of them - abandoned Control Towers, Blast walls for Cannon Butt Testing (Oooeerr), Parachute Hangars, Wing Hangers, Pill Boxes, Gate Houses, On some of then you can walk around the outskirts and taxi ways.. its quite eerie actually and you can't help thinking of the thriving communities out there. I logged the squadrons and aircraft that flew from them for my own personal interest. Banff Strike Wing as it was known was the largest orperational airfield in Scotland with some 4000 workers up there..If you travel further out there's a monument explaining The Strike Wing...

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[brucemillar]

I've done a tour over the years of all the Scottish Airfields from Prestwick up to Fraserburgh/Peterhead and the most Famous of them all Banff photographing whats left of them - abandoned Control Towers, Blast walls for Cannon Butt Testing (Oooeerr), Parachute Hangars, Wing Hangers, Pill Boxes, Gate Houses, On some of then you can walk around the outskirts and taxi ways.. its quite eerie actually and you can't help thinking of the thriving communities out there. I logged the squadrons and aircraft that flew from them for my own personal interest. Banff Strike Wing as it was known was the largest orperational airfield in Scotland with some 4000 workers up there..If you travel further out there's a monument explaining The Strike Wing...

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Wow. Thanks for sharing.

It’s amazing what starts to unravel when you scratch the surface of these places. At Detling, one of the few original buildings that still survives intact was the “morgue” built due to the high number of casualties suffered during WWII.


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[Chrishazle]

We have an "airfield" a mile up the road from us that was the base for a US Mustang fighter wing in 44-45, the grass strip is still in use, the farm owner had a Spitfire, sold it and bought a Mustang, crashed that but still has a Russian WW2 fighter, Harvard and a biplane and visitors with Spits and Mustangs, frequently practises over the village, lovely to watch from my back garden.

Grew up close to Biggin Hill and have memories of flying shows there, including Vulcans doing a 3 plane formation take-off on full burner, and the Red Arrows passing over the 4th fairway of West Kent Golf Club (Dad was a member, I earnt pocket money caddying but not for him!) and the smoke being in the trees seconds after they went over. Magic!!

 

[wu56Shoozz]

Wow. Thanks for sharing.

It’s amazing what starts to unravel when you scratch the surface of these places. At Detling, one of the few original buildings that still survives intact was the “morgue” built due to the high number of casualties suffered during WWII.


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There was talk of the Control Tower at Banff becoming a "Themed" restaurant but never came to anything..

And here's what should happen to them to save them from demolition..

The Control Tower B&B. The Control Tower - old North Creake Airfield

Drem Airfield became a small industrial park that utilizes the buildings etc as units for rent and it still looks a quality airfield all nicely painted up..

 

[brucemillar]

We have an "airfield" a mile up the road from us that was the base for a US Mustang fighter wing in 44-45, the grass strip is still in use, the farm owner had a Spitfire, sold it and bought a Mustang, crashed that but still has a Russian WW2 fighter, Harvard and a biplane and visitors with Spits and Mustangs, frequently practises over the village, lovely to watch from my back garden.

Grew up close to Biggin Hill and have memories of flying shows there, including Vulcans doing a 3 plane formation take-off on full burner, and the Red Arrows passing over the 4th fairway of West Kent Golf Club (Dad was a member, I earnt pocket money caddying but not for him!) and the smoke being in the trees seconds after they went over. Magic!!

Chris

You are not too far away from me. I live close to the a249 next to Detling.

Can you share the name of the field you refer to?


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[wu56Shoozz]

Here's another for you:

Known as HMS Jackdaw or Crail Airfield it stands on the coast of Fife looking out into the North Sea. Fairey Swordfish & Grumman TBM Avengers took off from here on training. It was under threat recently in favour of A Dentist, a Docotors surgery, houses and amusements..but they discovered radiation off planes that they buried nearby (Landfill) off the instrumentation and so far abandoned the idea.. instead its use as a raceway/dragstrip..not quite a 16 cylinder radial engine sound but it'll do..

Directly out from the main runway in the North sea lie 3 of the planes below, abandoned after the war sitting with undercarriage down..these were just chucked over board surplus to requirement...

Enjoy the tour...

The Torpedo trainer still stands to this day...


Crail Airfield / Royal Naval Air Station HMS Jackdaw

 

[Codger49]

Bruce,

Chris's airfield is most likely the old USAF Woodchurch Airfield, now home of the Woodchurch Warbirds.

More info:Woodchurch Warbirds – Rye's Own Magazine

There are quite a few WW2 vehicles lying around there as well, they are visible on Google streetview.


There's some more info in here as well:Tiffenden Airfield