The Tony website page for this programme is now online. The website address can be found on this Channel 4 webpage: (then follow the link on the front page).
The programme left many important things out 1 The prisoner of war camp on the site 2 The rocket gun site. I lived there The building you were referring to up the hill from the Memorial Hospital was actually an air raid shelter for the nurses who lived in the earlier building that was behind your remains I think some patients also used it although there were other air raid shelters behind the hospital. The unidentified control post was I believe controlling the 3 rocket gun sites Shooters hill woolwich common and blackheath. they went off one after the other as the planes approached .
To add to my post I think the anti aircraft baloon was actually sited on the welling side of eaglesfield road near the POW camp and the rocket launchers there may have been a baloon near the pond on your site before or after of course.The other bunker I believe was shelter for the troops when the rockets went off apart from air raids .I must find out exactly where yours was sighted .Will post more as and when I or my cousin remember it .I lived in Ankerdine Crescent so did she and was working for the AEA.
I enjoyed this one. However I was a bit surprised that no reference was made in the programme or as far as I can see in the main TT website to the Defence of Britain project - a huge five year study which produced the most comprehensive description of Britain's WW defences. Plus the Osprey pub book in the Fortress series called British Home Defences 1940 - 45. Had it not been for the posting in another thread (yes, Tet, they should all be collated under one thread - modding could do that....) which says what the alleged secret bun=ker really was I'd have referred viewers to a piece in this about the communications structure set up in case of German occupation!
yes john i had forgotten that one.and thinking about the barrage ballon at eaglesfield i seem to remember something behind the water tower where they built some new houses after the war?
i *think* the bronze age trench was on the opposite side of the path to the playground. wrt the screengrab that may be on the left hand side, perhaps the dark pitted circular feature?
tiskev i think your right about a site in the small part of Eaglesfield across the road ,as i seem to remember that part was not open to the public for quite some time after the war. As kids we found some shell casings there near entrance to golf course.
Yes you are right it was closed off for some time and troops were there The old headmaster of Plum Lane schoollived in a house on the corner at tother endhis children who are probably still alive would know all about it. The name was Kearns.Will visit the place again with my 90 year old cousin being older she may remember more.Dont remember a gun post in front of the Off licence at the Bull if something was there it was more likely a shelter for the bus and green line passengers.It was a dangerous place at times with the hollywood Dog Fights going on at times
Tiskev,you've brought back some memories.When i was at Plum Lane School Ben Kearns was our form master Gillham was headmaster.Mr Kearns always started any class with "erm now boys" and his favourite poem was Nod the Shepherd by Walter De La Mare . Well remember the day a box of Swan Vesta went up in flames in his jacket pocket.He lived as you say in house on corner just up from United Dairies shop. I lived in Moordown and survived the V2 in 1945,still got the scars to prove it.
John dr I lived in ankerdine and survived the V1 and the V2 that both dropped in the same spot a few years apart.I was at 98 Ank. Jennings family when i married I bought 96 moordown and moved out in 1967 to Hartley Kent. I am still in touch occasionally with residents that are still there .My father lived in 98 Ankerdine until he died in 1997. Small world.I may go up the hill tomorrow to look around.I had a big stash of schrapnel like all the other kids > Might be worth digging it up and shipping to China .........
I went back up to Shooters today. The playground outlined in the map on another thread is sited on the old paddling/model boat pond area.I am convinced that the ballon was not here but where all the houses have been built behind the water tower.I would not be surprised if the reinforced concrete dug up was the remains of the old pond.It was sad to see the state of the old Lilly Pond in front of which used to stand the Snack Kiosk.Could not believe how many hoses and flats had been buit in the water tower end of Ceanthus Rd. As a point of interest many of the larger houses around the area were commandered for troops etc.The house on the corner of Eaglesfild Rd and S.Hill (welling side) housed WRAC's if I remember correctly. I also visited the Ballon Site behind the church and school on the london side of the hill.It is still as was but grassed over . The putting green has gone and looks scruffy. The old castle is more or less derilict and boarded up plus grafitti.The steps on the terraces leading down to Jack Wood are crumbling,The lovely ponds with carp have all been demolished and the old walls contain loads of more grafitti.Considering this is designated a site of Special Historic interest it is quite painful to see it in this state.It represents all that has gone wrong with our once well cared for country .A sad day.
tiskev i lived at 82 moordown and had friends in ank Severn ,gearing, cutts and distant cousins leppard .The foundations of our old shelter arte still there and dad was some sort of ARP bod in war.Sad to hear of state of hill now .
John dr650.The Severns and the Cutts lived more or less opposite us . Being new to this Forum I cannot edit my posts or send you a private message as am sure other forum members dont want to read our trip down memory lane. We must have met at Moordown. remember the Johnsons at 92 son Graham played cricket for kent and England?
Tetricus. Re your comment on so many threads on Shooters Hill. Is it not possible for the moderator to lump them all together when this situations arrives even though they may not all be on the same points brought out by the show. Ps as a matter of interest the BBC were filming at Oxleas Meadows yesterday Could have been an episode of Ashes to Ashes or the earlier show
Originally posted by tiskev: Tetricus. Re your comment on so many threads on Shooters Hill. Is it not possible for the moderator to lump them all together when this situations arrives even though they may not all be on the same points brought out by the show.
This would have been possible at one time, when Steve Platt was about, but no longer unfortunately. I does say at the top of the page, as well as being in the forum rules, about not starting multiple threads on the same subject.
The Forum rules also include, not including phone numbers, email address's or promoting your own website. Plus lots of other do's and dont's.
Do read the topic list before you post and use a topic that already exists if there is one relevant, rather than starting a new one. This will increase the visibility of your post, as people do tend to keep an eye on active topics more than the multitude of newly created topics.
........................................................................ Support the PAS Go with the FLO
Yes ok Thanks Tet I had a good read up of the rules after my post.Is there any way one can send a private message to another Forum member? As I am sure you guys and gals are not really interested in chats between John dr and myself about shooters hill nearly 70 years ago as it is not actually thread related ?
The answer is no - for our own safety, C4 have suppressed the personal messaging facility. It might look like you can add buddies, but you actually can't!
