Hi, Thought i would join up after stumbling upon this forum. I have an interest in WW2 as my Grandfather was a Bdr in 153 HAA. He saw action in North Africa, Scilily and Italy. I am currently going thru the process of researching his military records and the history of 153 battery. Also scanning in some of the pictures and documents of his that i inherited. I am also a member of a UK based WW2 living history group called The Garrison, we portray the 124th field artillery regiment, along with a ATS search light unit and an AckAck section. If anyone is interested, i have some of the scanned pictures here: Andy Thompson's Photos - My Grandads war pictures | Facebook
Welcome to the forum Penance. Great snaps in your album. And just had a quick look at The Garrison WW2 LHG Looks like great fun.
Thanks for the welcome. It is great fun, but also serious. We try hard to be accurate in our portrayal. It also helps me to justify my ever growing collection of WW2 artifacts...
A warm welcome to the forum Penance. Look forward to seeing more of the photos. Would be interested in knowing how you found us during your googling!
Kitty, Spot light? Thanks for the welcome all. Spidge, i was searching for info on the NA campaign and this site popped up. I didnt find the info i was after, but finding this forum was a bonus.
Ah, got you. We have a 150cm SL and 3 90cm ones. they do pop up for sale every now and then, well the 90cm ones do. As far as we know the Garrison has the only fully working 150cm SL in the UK. Also have the generator to go with it. Some pics of the 150 in use here: events That was a ww2 weekend held at Old Sarum last year. We were lucky to be visited by an Ackack veteran who had also operated searchlights in 1940. Was amazing hearing experiences from a veteran, he also congatulated us on how authentic we were, that is what it's all about for us.
Aww man! I wanna go with the big lightbulb! Actually i know where nearly all of the local searchlights, Meacon and local Q-stations were.
Lucky to find those. I have managed to find most of the existing Bristol HAA sites, but SL sites are hard to find.
My father was 6th division and knocked taking Tobruk on January 21st 1941. When was you grandfather in NA? I see the Tobruk surrender leaflet amongst your photos on your site.
I'm not 100% sure, but i believe he was there for the duration. He certainly saw action throughout the campaign. I have a brass dish that was fasioned from a 3.7" shell casing. My grandfather had it made. On it is the RA emblem and motto, it also says Egypt - Libya 1939 - 1942.
The SL sites are impossible to locate completely as they were all mobile ones mostly around here, as were the Meacons except for the mother station at Mow Cop. I know the approximate areas of the lights, thanks to talking to people on a big VE/VJ Day exhibition i was involved in.
The only one I have found locally is now being used for sillage storing! I have just found a link to info on the Bristol Council bomb proof records office, slightly different but i think i will be doning some rubber wellies and taking a look. Was the the Victoria Park do a few years ago?
Ah yes,t he delights of breaking and entering and trespass all in order to meander around a wet stinking, pitch dark WW2 concrete bunker/machine gun nest/command centre/pillbox/misc. I know it well.