Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Oxton abandoned military base

As an apprentice electrician i used to go to the Brickworks in 1954, general maintenance, also we went to the Army camp in Holm Lane, it was occupied by Married Staff, whilst the Soldiers were on duty abroad, i always used to moan as it was Army Camp in the winter, on repairing overhead lines, and Summer in the Brickworks, on top of the Kilns.

I am sure that I looked at this mass grave when I visited my brothers war grave many years ago. Could the remains have been moved at a later date. The incident at Holme Lane did happen as I have described.I was about 10 at the time and it remains vivid in my memory

Here I am again and I have been thinking again [dangerous], during the blitz there were so many casualties that the authorities were under pressure to get burials over quickly and this may have resulted in a mass grave for reinterment at a later date. An example of this was the childrens library under the main library on Borough rd being moved upstairs and it was then used as a mortuary, all this due to pressure. We were living in abnormal times and the norm did not exist.

Is it possible that you are talking about civilian victims? As I said, I had the official CWGC list of all military burials in Landican and they all have separate graves, even the unknown. There is a wall frieze dedicated to those who were cremated there as well so possibly it is that you are thinking of?

In Wallasey, the old tram sheds in Field road were used as temporary mortuaries for victims of bombing. I think they were buried in a mass grave. There is a memorial in Rake lane cemetery.

My Dad before he went into the regular army was a young member of the Home Guard - and as such assisted at AA sites locally (mainly Irby and Thurstaston) - if the Holm Lane site was manned in the same way - they would more than likely be locals and as such buried in family plots locally.

Helles,Just returned from Clion Sur Mer and found some war graves of servicemen from the Lancastria which was sunk off St Nazaire.The headstones all list two people but the last one lists 17 bodies known only to god. There are also graves for two seamen from the H.M.S Cambelltown incident when the dock gates at St Nazaire were rammed.