Post WW2 dumping of surplus military stores?
G9BF Calling!
I'm sure this topic has been raised on the newsgroup before, but I am
interested in info on post WW2 dumping of military surplus underground in
the UK, with particular reference to radio equipment dumped down disused
mine shafts in the Cheadle area of Staffs. I have found several references
in Hansard for 1946 and there was a recent Telegraph article on files
released at PRO Kew but any background info, rumour or whatever would be
useful. Sites other than Cheadle would be interesting too. No, I'm not
planning to dig up the stuff, in fact if Hansard is to be believed a lot of
the equipment was "recovered" shortly after dumping. There appears from the
Hansard records that there was quite a heated debate about dumping in
general and some implied skulduggery!
Ta,
'BF
ziggy
which we used to buy a car with.,
G9BF Calling!
"ziggy" <sci...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:BZudneHytIOv94rU...@bt.com...
> We recovered a whole load of radios from kenley BoB , in early 70's, which
> we used to buy a car with.,
>
'BF
Russell W. Barnes
"G9BF Calling!" <G9...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:rI6dnenPSbXq24rU...@posted.plusnet...
> Hi All,
>
> I'm sure this topic has been raised on the newsgroup before, but I am
> interested in info on post WW2 dumping of military surplus underground in
>
>
I'm told, by an ex-RAF Silloth W.Op, that quantities of unused, wrapped and
packaged instruments and radio kit were buried in the vicinity of Silloth
(Cumberland, exact location unknown) and in a quarry at nearby Westnewton,
near Aspatria, where the remains of an Albermarle aircraft-frame was
recovered around twenty years ago and sent to the Imperial War Museum.
Lots of stuff was chucked in a pit at RNAS Anthorn - I know because I've
found bits 'n' pieces of old kit! I think this was more a 'dump' for scrap,
though, and not unused surplus.
--
Regds,
Russell W. B.
http://www.huttonrow.co.uk
http://www.flickr.com/photos/russell_w_b
MB
from "Russell W. Barnes" <russell dot barnes at huttonrow dot co dot uk>
contains these words:
I have always wondered about the radar stations in remote areas often
surrounded by peat bogs, how much was just buried in the surrounding
peat? Local tradition is that at one site they just dumped all the
equipment over the edge of the cliffs when it closed.
MB
Russell W. Barnes
--
"MB" <M...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:3130303030373...@invalid.invalid...
> I have always wondered about the radar stations in remote areas often
> surrounded by peat bogs, how much was just buried in the surrounding
> peat? Local tradition is that at one site they just dumped all the
> equipment over the edge of the cliffs when it closed.
>
The saddest job at RNAS Anthorn (and other RNAS) at the end of WWII was the
ferrying of almost-new, shiny, Hellcat aircraft to Sydenham in Belfast, for
onward disposal off the side of an aircraft-carrier in deep water; part of
the Lend-Lease agreement.
Where's me diving suit?
Roger Basford
"Russell W. Barnes" <russell dot barnes at huttonrow dot co dot uk> wrote in
message news:ufmdnTfoYaUrKofU...@brightview.com...
This does seem to be a topic that rings a lot of bells for people around the
country. Having watched the Time Team "Vampir Bunker" special the other
night I looked up "Geofizz" http://www.geofizz.co.uk/ See the list of
recent projects and how often they have been involved in searching for
dumped equipment.
Looking at the Hansard entries mentioned in the original post, it looks as
though there was a huge problem in what to do with all the surplus kit, in
this case radios. The trade were paranoid about it flooding the post-war
market to the extent when outstanding orders were being fulfilled
immediately after hostilities ceased the stuff was marked down for dumping
prior to actually being made! It would be interesting to hear about the
illegal "mining" of the dumped equipment but I would guess those involved
are long dead.
Roger Basford
Neill
during a a Wartime scrap drive, being dumped in a old quarry somewhere
as it was unsuitable for being turned into tanks or aircraft. Then
theres the US Army Harley Davidsons lying in their crates, covered in
the original protective grease, buried in a field.
Neill
Bill Again
"Neill" <wormw...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:198f3118-3568-462c...@d36g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
Plus all the other Harleys that the Russians never used, holed up in a cave
near Murmansk. Solid "snow on their boots" stuff.
Roger Basford
"Neill" <wormw...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:198f3118-3568-462c...@d36g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
Ummm...... that Harley-Davidson rumour seems to have world-wide links,
similar story shows up in Oz if you do a search! Geofizz have the UK site on
their web pages as a work in progress.
How about the mineshaft full of jeeps in the Forest Of Dean, dumped along
with mustard gas canisters to deter looters? The buried Lancasters at Brigg?
Roger
Neill
wrote:
> "Neill" <wormwood...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
I met a Slovenian guy somewhere in Europe while on a motorbike trip a
number of years ago. He was telling me a story about his uncle's
vintage Harley. Apparently it was one of many "left behind by the
Americans". You have to wonder how many Harleys the US shipped over in
the war and how many were actually used during that time if they lie
buried all over the place.
Neill
Mike Ricketts
Neill
The ex US Base at Burtonwood near Warrington was always a popular source of
buried vehicle and bike myths. That said, when they built the M62, I do not
remember them finding anything but its a big site.
Mike
MB
from "Mike Ricketts" <kins...@yahoo.co.uk> contains these words:
> I met a Slovenian guy somewhere in Europe while on a motorbike trip a
> number of years ago. He was telling me a story about his uncle's
> vintage Harley. Apparently it was one of many "left behind by the
> Americans". You have to wonder how many Harleys the US shipped over in
> the war and how many were actually used during that time if they lie
> buried all over the place.
There could have been many sold off by individual soldiers or just dumped.
I was told of an artillery TA unit that was reduced down to a single gun
so the Quartermaster Sergeant made up a second one from spares. They
had a problem when the unit was disbanded because they had one gun too
many so they pushed the spare one into a remote loch. Some years later
there was a drought and the police got a phone call reporting an
anti-aircraft gun in the mud below the road. All serial numbers had
been removed so they could not prove where it came from though I am sure
that they had a pretty good idea.
That is in the quite recent past, well after WWII, in the UK so it is
easy to see what can happen in wartime.
Russell W. Barnes
There's a pond in the grounds of Lord Inglewood's stately home at
Hutton-in-the-Forest, near where I live, that allegedly has a couple of
boxes of RAF or/and US tools in the bottom! The place was used by the RAF
in the last war and was adjacent to and part of SLG (Satellite Landing
Ground No: 8). http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~rwbarnes/defence/hutton.htm
I know the gamekeeper, and he's had a cursory glance, but they'll probably
have sunk in the mud. He managed to salvage a perspex canopy that he uses
in his garden for growing veg under.
I'm told that there's a couple of flattened tanks beneath a concrete apron
at Lowther park as well. Lowther was used for the top-secret CDL Project
(Canal Defence-Light) and was an extensive tank training and development
ground. They're probably knackered old things that were used as targets, or
something...
You diving folk may have heard a rumour - as yet unsubstantiated and, hence,
still a rumour - that there's a couple of Catalinas lying scuttled at the
bottom of Wastwater.
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~rwbarnes/defence/hutton.htm
SpamTrapSeeSig
Barnes <rus...@dot.barnes.invalid> writes
>You diving folk may have heard a rumour - as yet unsubstantiated and,
>hence, still a rumour - that there's a couple of Catalinas lying
>scuttled at the bottom of Wastwater.
>http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~rwbarnes/defence/hutton.htm
Isn't Wastwater supposed to be the deepest one in the Lake District?
If so it may take a while to find them.
--
SimonM
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Video making/uploading that's easy to use & fun to share
Try it today! (now with DFace blurring)
Russell W. Barnes
"SpamTrapSeeSig" <no-...@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:WwM3nCED...@postbox1.tubewiz.com...
> Isn't Wastwater supposed to be the deepest one in the Lake District?
> If so it may take a while to find them.
> --
It certainly is: Deepest lake, highest mountain, smallest church and biggest
liar... (that's the contest at Santon Bridge, and not the origin of the
Catalina tale, I trust...)!
Over on Windermere a factory was set up by Short Bros to build
Short-Sunderland flying boats during WWII. It became known as 'White Cross
Bay', presumably because of the outline of the Sunderlands from the air.
Little remains of the site because the LDSPB made sure all traces of
industrial wartime infrastructure were removed. I remember reading in The
Times - quite a while back now - that a Sunderland lay on the bottom of
Windermere. There was a sonar picture, but no further details were given.
I can't remember if this was a scuttled aircraft or one that sunk as a
result of an accident.
My wife's cousin's son is a diver, down at Kendal. Next time we're down
that way I'll enquire about the Catalinas. Rather annoyingly, I can't
remember where I heard the tale in the first place!
--
Regds,
Russell W. B.
http://www.huttonrow.co.uk
http://www.flickr.com/photos/russell_w_b
Roger Basford
"Russell W. Barnes" <russell dot barnes at huttonrow dot co dot uk> wrote in
I was about to say that I'd heard of a Sunderland being sunk in one of the
Lakes. Sonar would certainly show it up as I believe similar wrecks were
located in Pembroke Harbour using side-scan followed by diving. In that
instance, at least one wreck had been due to severe weather swamping the
aircraft at its mooring. The relatively fresh water in the Lakes would also
preserve a wreck to a greater extent than seawater. Yes, I can't recall the
origin of the Sunderland tale; it's annoying but due to age, I suspect!
Roger Basford
Alan J. Wylie
[Wastwater]
> My wife's cousin's son is a diver, down at Kendal. Next time we're down
> that way I'll enquire about the Catalinas.
At the same time, ask him about the Gnome Garden.
Many parts of the lake are too deep for anyone but the most experienced
divers breathing the most exotic mixes.
BTW, isn't this supposed to be .subterranea, not subaqua?
--
Alan J. Wylie http://www.wylie.me.uk/
Roger Basford
"Alan J. Wylie" <al...@wylie.me.uk> wrote in message
news:87iqqqv...@devnull.wylie.me.uk...
Yes, sorry, getting a bit OT!
Russell W. Barnes
> writes:
>
> [Wastwater]
>
>> My wife's cousin's son is a diver, down at Kendal. Next time we're down
>> that way I'll enquire about the Catalinas.
>
> At the same time, ask him about the Gnome Garden.
Oh, he knows about the gnome garden all right! - will get back on topic in
future; tch... funny how it drifts off, innit?
Roger Basford
area, and the Hansard entries refer to one called "Wonder Pit". Does anyone
know the location of this shaft? This name seems to have been applied
elsewhere, notably Alveley.
Ta
Roger Basford
Mike Ross
Sounds more like uk.wreck.subterranea right now...
Mike
--
http://www.corestore.org
'As I walk along these shores
I am the history within'
kev....@btinternet.com
mention of the wonder shaft at this link Roger if it helps
Bill
kev....@btinternet.com writes
--
Bill
Bill
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-20910980
OK Burma, not Britain, but they were British.
--
Bill
