Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Upton Army Camp, Wirral.

Just to add to phillhere's response, I also played in "the barracks" in the late 70s around the same time that the houses bordering Arrowe Brook and Coronation Park were built, the picture posted above from RAF Cark look very familiar. My memories are of crumbling concrete and rusting doors

Welcome to the WikiWirral machine Countzerouk.

I am doing some family history research and my Grandfather was based at Upton Camp training recruits during the start of World War II.

Does anyone have any photos of the camp from around that time, there does not seem to be much information on the web about this location.

Thanks - John

AAOD: Anti-Aircraft Ordnance Depot

See:

http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Main/Glossary

The army camp used to cover an area from Adams farm to upton police station and then back towards Greasby about 500 yards.
There was a couple of old tanks just by the police station but they where removed in the 60s (I think). As far as I know or remember the three buildings at the rear of the camp were for storing amunition thats why they were made of heavy concrete with earthen banks put up arround them. I remember when I was in the army cadets as a kid I won my marksmans badge in the rifle range there about an hour befor the building collasped. Part of the old camp was still being used up to the 70s by the TA for storing articulated trucks and so on it was then taken over by the G P O. Most of the original camp was buried when they used earth movers to shape the land to build the Champion Spark Plug factory.

I was there from 1965 for a few years, i don't remember the tanks so perhaps they were removed prior to that. the range was 25 yards and the only weaponry that was allowed to be fired in there was .22. The rifle we used was a Lee Enfield .22 training rifle. The heavier .303 and Bren we fired at other ranges. At that time all firing bolts had to be removed from the rifles unless it was actually getting fired in the range, this was due to a cadet from the Overchurch putting a round through the skin between his thumb and first finger of his right hand during rifle drill. No great harm done other than a bit of skin missing and scarring, i do remember he was compensated to the tune of £800, a tidy sum in 1965 for a 14 year old.

Should have been fined instead of compensated. Negligent discharge is a serious matter and you should always make sure your weapon is cleared everytime you pick it up.

My Grandad was Demobed to Upton camp after the war. He lived in the nissan huts with his family. My mum was born there. the gate of the camp is still there in the bushes on arrowe park road.

My dad is the Commanding Officer of the Air Training Corps in Upton and there is not alot left of the old camp left. There is the concrete bases in our compound which look like where the nissan buildings were. When BT left the area it was bought by Sainsburys for them to build a warehouse but was told this couldnt happen as it was used as a ammo store and ammo dump during the war and there could still be things under there and they were not allowed to dig down to do the foundations. All the buildings have been knocked down and just a mess now. It is nice to see the photos on here of how it was.

Mum says the camp she lived on is were champs hill is now. If you walk up from the post office to arrowe park. If you look in the bushes you can see an opening and two metal gate posts. that is where the entrance to the camp used to be.

I will keep an eye on this thread as i think it is good for the cadets to know what was there before us.

all I will say is when we are the squadron at night it is very eery. you can be on your own and you can hear doors opening and closing. feel like being watched and just a strange feeling.

Was also told by a Squadron leader many years ago that the camp used to be used to store the ammo for the tanks that used to train at arrowe park. Apparently there are 2 tanks buried in arrowe park somewhere.

That's interesting Cooldaris, after your Grandad was demobbed he went to live at the camp as a civilian, just wondering if you can find out, what address is on your Mothers birth certificate?
I wasn't aware that part of the camp was taken over to house civilians after the war, though it makes sense.

Yeah Grandad was demobbed there after the war. He used to talk about it when we were little. Sadly he passed away when I was 8 and I never got the chance for him to tell me more.

Mum was born on the camp but they moved soon after she was born. I will ask her about her birth certificate when she comes home. I am sure it just says Upton but will check.

My father worked at the camp from 1942-44. He was RAOC (later re-badged REME). Having graduated from the Army Apprentices School, Arborfield, he was sent to Upton where his main task was to maintain the winches that deployed barrage balloons and the lorries the winches were attached to. I believe he was billeted at Greenbank House.

This is the army camp, from an airphoto from Britain from above,
enlarge and look to the top, not too sure if you have to register to enlarge, the airphotos are from 1946

http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/eaw001610?search=upton%20wirral&ref=0

In my haste ghostgum forgot to mention welcome to WikiWirral.

You do have to register to enlarge/zoom in,
Left click and hold to drag the picture when zoomed in

Hey Ghostgum, welcome to the Asylum wiki wirral.