Military Archaeology - Page 4

Martin Bull · #76 (**permalink**) January 25th, 2005, 04:02 PM

There has been a load of controversy and trouble surrounding the only surviving Blackburn Beverley, which I believe was at the MAT and has been shifted to a sea-side museum.....

The_Historian · #77 (**permalink**) January 26th, 2005, 06:50 PM

Another couple of pieces...
Tank Museum
Huntly Drill Hall
Another drill hall almost bites the dust....

The_Historian · #78 (**permalink**) January 29th, 2005, 02:57 PM

This isn't WW2, but interesting nontheless:
Battlefields Resource Trust

The_Historian · #79 (**permalink**) February 28th, 2005, 09:08 PM

Meant to post this a while back. I wanted to be on this survey, but missed it.
Inchkeith Fort, Firth of Forth

Erich · #80 (**permalink**) March 1st, 2005, 11:21 PM

Ok guys time to bombard all of you with some interesting aviation archaeology.

Geez I have only been promising pics for how many years now ?? anyway hopefully this first of probably too many pictures shows a nice dug up (what is it?) from an air battle in December 1943. the German a/c was dug up some 20 feet in the earth and too the surprise of many this was one of the very intact pieces. Of course it took a good cleansing to make this a prime gold-mine piece of history. This item did belong to a Bf 110G-2 bomber killer of III./ZG 26.

The_Historian · #81 (**permalink**) March 2nd, 2005, 12:16 AM

Cheers Erich,
Very nice indeed!
Reminds me of when I visited the Armstrong aviation museum at Bamburgh castle in Northumberland a couple of years back. The castle used to belong to the late Lord Armstrong (of the Armstrong Whitworth engineers), and there were quite a few excavated aircraft on display. One was a relatively complete Spitfire, but still not to that kind of standard!

Erich · #82 (**permalink**) March 2nd, 2005, 03:04 PM

another neat item. Note the Mk 108 bent weapon on the left. A BMW radial from Siegfried Zübers Cracked up Fw 190A-8/R2 on 11 September 1944. I own a few parts from this a/c.

Martin Bull · #83 (**permalink**) March 2nd, 2005, 03:14 PM

Amazing stuff - especially the DB engine and MK108 ( you don't see many of the latter in the UK !

)

If there are more pics where they came from - please don't be shy to post !

Erich · #84 (**permalink**) March 2nd, 2005, 04:10 PM

Siegfried Züber gefallen in Fw 190A-8/R2, werke nummer 681355, White 5.

there were no 13mm casings found in and around the crash site, as some of the SturmFw's of JG 4 were equipped with them. No 3cm cases either though during the crash site excavations again some were found for the 11 September 44 battle. Siegfried crashed to his death near Neudorf by Oberwiessenthal. Here is a pic of 2cm hard shell steel casings found, I own two of them and a yellow M round with blown fuze top

The_Historian · #85 (**permalink**) March 2nd, 2005, 08:37 PM

Nice one Erich!
Keep the pics comin!
Better still, tell me how to upload my own. There's a life size replica of the Atlantic Wall used for D-Day training near me, and I've been trying to figure out how to get pics of it in here for ages. [img]redface.gif[/img]

Erich · #86 (**permalink**) March 3rd, 2005, 01:38 AM

Gordon go to www.photobucket.com

sign up for a free account and get started. have a blast friend !

E

The_Historian · #87 (**permalink**) March 3rd, 2005, 09:03 AM

Cheers Erich!
Have a good look at that later.

Just found this btw-
North Weald Airfield Redevelopment

Stefan · #88 (**permalink**) March 3rd, 2005, 01:17 PM

Great photos Erich! Gotta say though, photobucket is a godsend!

Erich · #89 (**permalink**) March 3rd, 2005, 04:01 PM

heres another pic of the remains of Siegfried Zübers SturmFw. On display at Jan Zdiarsky's incredible aviation museum in the Czech republic. Zübers a/c actually slid into the top of a hill and scattered wreckage amongst the trees which over the last many years was tough to dig through with all the understory brush. there is no next of kin to report the findings by the arch. team.....

Martin Bull · #90 (**permalink**) April 16th, 2005, 05:09 PM

Years ago I used to drive past the last vestiges of the Handley-Page factory in Cricklewood, London ( where the Halifaxes were built ). I always used to think to myself 'Must bring a camera one day and photograph this'.

And then one morning all that was left was a pile of bricks. I've always regretted not taking that photo.....

So this morning, I forced myself out of bed early , took my camera, and drove the few miles to Hatfield and the old, derelict De Havilland offices, determined not to make the same error again.

The factory was demolished after closure in 1993, and is now the site of a 'business park' and leisure centre, with houses appearing all over the old airfield. The 1930's frontage of the offices is 'listed' and will have to be preserved eventually - probably as the front of a McDonalds or Tesco supermarket .... [img]graemlins/no.gif[/img]

The office site is so overgrown with trees and bushes that you can't even see it from the road, but on this misty morning I found a side entrance open, and walked around the outside of the huge old offices. Quite an atmosphere, with broken windows, peeling paint and the original ornamental pond full of weeds. As well as the King, Churchill and other VIPs, many famous Mosquito pilots climbed these steps on morale-boosting factory visits.

All in the past now. But I got my photos....

Stevin · #91 (**permalink**) April 16th, 2005, 09:37 PM

Well done, Martin! I am not into bunkers, but I some bunker fanatics in Holland here suffered from the same; they put off documenting sites, until some where blown to bits. Nowadays they make sure that all that remains, is documented!

The_Historian · #92 (**permalink**) June 2nd, 2005, 05:22 PM

Just found this, chaps.... Keilder Forest Wellington

Martin Bull · #93 (**permalink**) June 2nd, 2005, 07:46 PM

I wondered where'd you'd got to, Gordon ! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Interesting stuff - I believe that there are several wreck sites in Kielder. I certainly recall a major Halifax dig there several years ago.

The_Historian · #94 (**permalink**) June 2nd, 2005, 11:10 PM

Been snowed under with work, Martin!

I think there were a few Kielder crashes mentioned in the Hell on High Ground volumes.

The_Historian · #95 (**permalink**) June 7th, 2005, 06:10 PM

I was up the hills this morning, and had my camera with me.
This is a concrete replica of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlander's cap badge, and it forms a memorial on the summit of Dumyat hill(1440 feet) overlooking Stirling, the regiment's home.

My grandfather served with them in WW1, while an uncle served with them in WW2.
What I really wanted to picture was the Atlantic Wall complex on nearby Sheriffmuir.This is an exact replica of a typical sea-wall and Nazi fortifications in Normandy, and was built by Sapper Brian's mob in the summer of '43. When I manage to get back up there, I'll post some pictures.
This is a view of Stirling from the summit-

The rocks in the foreground are the remains of the tribal capital of the Maeatae (My-tie), who rebelled against the Roman occupation. The hill's name means fort of the Maeatae.
The tower in the foreground is the National Wallace Monument; the white buildings to the right are the local university. Stirling Castle is the beige building on its hill in the picture's centre, immediately behind and across the river Forth from the monument.
You can't actually see it, but the 15th Century stone bridge built to replace the wooden one destroyed in the 1297 battle is there too.
Should add that just out of the frame to the right background is the stately home which served as the 'HQ' of the fictitious British force which Operation Fortitude North convinced Hitler was poised to invade Norway, not Normandy.

[ 09. June 2005, 06:09 PM: Message edited by: The_Historian ]