Having read through this thread once again and there have been some excellent contributions and thank you, unless i have missed it, no one has touched on the ack ack that was static at lairds during WW2, I was told of this by a few old timers when i was an apprentice and enquiring what was the circular sunken track at the end of the slipway for. Can anyone shed any light on this. If i knew how to capture google maps i could put its location up.
Last edited by bert1; 14th Sep 20102:07pm.
God help us, Come yourself, Don't send Jesus, This is no place for children.
Cant do Google maps either but can see this on the end of slipway, bottom right. This is now MOD controlled area due to the construction of new flight decks in hangar. Might have a mooch in the week when in there. (looking buisy!!)
Bert, as well as the metal circle of what looked like the top edge of angle bar set in the concrete, there was a centre steel pedastle. In the mid 50s i also was told there was a gun postitioned there during the war and that the only reason for the extension from the end of the jetty was for the positioning of the gun. At a later date a concrete pots was erected a red warning light put up as a warning to shipping of the concrete projection out into the river.
Ships that pass in the night, seldom seen and soon forgoten
Yes, I have some information about the small copse located on the left hand side of Brimstage Lane (running from Storeton to Brimstage). Now overgrown with pine trees , I used to play in there as a boy (early 1980’s) not as overgrown then or as popular with fly tippers, a concrete road cut through the centre and the outline foundations of brick buildings were clearly seen around the complex.
My late father later told me about the site, apparently it was a gun emplacement with small barracks attached and I think was operated by the US Army.
I was also told that my late uncle (my father’s brother) was temporarily stationed there after returning from Operation Market Garden, Arnhem in September 1944.
He was in the Para Regiment and home was Bebington . It was not uncommon for those that had experienced heavy fighting to spend some time in rehab close to where they lived to help get back into civilian life (I guess it would be diagnosed now as post traumatic stress syndrome). Although he was allowed to spend the days with his mother and father in Bebington he had to spend a few nights in the barracks at Brimstage Lane until he was ready to move back home permanently.
Since both my father and uncle have passed away I’m keen to learn more about the site, when it was demolished, does anyone else know of those stationed there, was it manned by the US?
As far as we know it was never a US base as such, but there were US troups based on the Wirral and may have been attached to this base.
There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025
We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn
Wasnt there US troops stationed/billeted at Arrowe park/upton in WW2. There could be a connection! Maybe they wernt permenantly stationed at brimstage site...! Its only down the road realy!
Welcome to wiki, FirbobMark. Have you read the earlier pages in this thread? There are several aerial photographs on page 2 & on page 3 there's quite a lot of info. from the archives. It appears they were still negotiating about demolition as late as 1958. From the photos, there's still evidence there in 1979 but by 1987 it had disappeared. I have no evidence that it was ever manned by U.S. personnel.
When I was at St Georges we used to p;ay "catch a girl, kiss a girl" in a huge concrete complex on New Brighton Prom (where "the Dips" are now). These, I believe, were were a part of the infrastructure for defence guns. They must have been destroyed in the late fifties yet there seems to be very little recollection of them.
it was probably the rocket battery in the dips. the location of the new brighton gunsite is disputed. it was not on the prom. it was either on top or at the base of the cliff by the cliff tower block. i believe it to be on the top.
There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025
We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn
The main gun site was on the left hand side of the clown roundabout on what is now part of the park area. South side of Kings Parade. I played there often enough as I child, but never caught any girls! Did get a nasty electric shock though as there were live wires in the concrete buildings.
it was probably the rocket battery in the dips. the location of the new brighton gunsite is disputed. it was not on the prom. it was either on top or at the base of the cliff by the cliff tower block. i believe it to be on the top.
This pic any help? It was taken just after the War in 1947.
Thanks Marty - well that clears that up - three guns, two of them actually on the promenade.
I've gone through tons of material on the subject including "eye witness" statements and all of them except one said the guns were nearer the Cliff.
Weird that they chose to block the road when there was so much land available.
Good picture of Derby Pool in the background. Also interesting is that the first tower block was built by 1947.
There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025
We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn
