Just an appeal for anyone with any information/photographs that are relevant to the fortification around Whaley Bridge or the High Peak area in general in the WW2 era. Sadly it seems this time of our area's past has been forgotten or lost to records, as obviously with us engaged in war close to home (aswell as at home) there would be the need for Bunkers/Shelters aswell as AA guns on the higher peaks overlooking Manchester, not to mention Ammo dumps supplying the guns.

With V2 bombs dropping close to us in the White Peak, and German fighters crashing in Disley aswell as High Lane. I find it unfeasible that we was left undefended in them days, aswell as being in a sheltered valley prone for a German strike into Manchester.

One of the major relics of WW2 in the area is of course the former RAF Harpur Hill in Buxton - A massive underground bomb store which remained operational until the late 50's/early 60'. The former housing area for the base can be identified by a number of roads named after figures from RAF history  - Trenchard Drive, Tedder Avenue, Harris Road etc.

Edited by user 20 January 2011 06:51:58(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Thanks Dave, another thing about Green Gentleman's original posting was that a plane didn't crash in Disley. The story goes that the plane was just dropping bombs to lighten the load for the return home after missing the target of the railway at Stockport. The first bomb was dropped on Leafield Road, on Jackson's Edge near the old Golf Clubhouse.The next was dropped on the Owl's Nest which was a camp site with a shed on it and belonged to Manchester Grammar School. The Owl's nest was rebuilt and is roughly between Mudhouse Lane and Badgers Clough at the top of Buxton Old Road. The plane then flew over New Mills dropping a few more bombs and I seem to remember that someone was killed near Low Leighton.

The old story of 25   V2 rockets dropping on the centre of Dove Holes and doing nearly £4.00 worth of damage is not true.

Edited by user 20 January 2011 09:09:03(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

The V1 (150 miles) had a smaller range than the V2 (200 miles) so I don't think they could have reached the north. Towards the end of the war the Germans tried to launch the V1s from aircraft but this was unsuccessful according to the V1 website.

There are a number of reports about the dumping of bombs in and around the area and of course the incident in New Mills when the street came under machine gun fire.

I haven't seen many photos relating to WW2 in Whaley, I knew as mentioned by RSS that there were searchlights stationed at Shallcross Manor but not seen any photos, maybe someone has some.

There are a couple of WW2 plane wrecks above Errwood Hall, there used to be quite a bit of debri when I was younger, but I was up there a couple of years ago and there is very little left.

Heres a photograph of Buxton post office preparing for the worst in 1940 with the Civil Defence

shallcross attached the following image(s):

And how about this

these maps were produced by Germany for all towns and cities across the UK above a certain size, and were to be issued to occupying troops after the success of operation Sealion.

How different things could have turned out!!

File Attachment(s):

img (2).jpg (805kb) downloaded 106 time(s).

Britain's coldest winters on record in pictures

 

 

 

 

6 February 1947: German prisoners of war clear snow from the Whaley Bridge to Buxton road near Chapel-en-le-Frith

 

 Stumbled across this photograph the other day. Apologies if it's already been published.

 

 

 

 

 

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To return to the Green Gentlemens original question, I have always assumed (rightly or wrongly) that the structure hidden in the bank at the side of Chapel Road by the path down to the old railway line at Horwich End by the old Gas Works was a WW2 air-raid shelter. Anyone care to confirm or deny?  

I imagine there were a number of morrison and anderson shelters and re-inforced cellars. but I do not imagine that there were any large communal shelters such as found in Stockport. These were very much the exception than the rule. A gas works, with full time fire watchers and a fire team on call, would have been provided with a shelter as often were railway stations, factories etc. Again, I would be more than happy to be corrected on my assumptions.