Is there anywhere a record of Bailey bridges used in Britain? I know a number were used to provide temporary crossings in Britain. I've even travelled across a few in the early post war years. However the one I'm interested in was across the Teme and allowed POWs in a camp in Worcestershire access to farms in Shropshire. In WW1 a boat had been provided but a POW drowned in 1918 and in WW2 a bridge was put across. I'd like to find out when - was it for the Italian POWs or the later German ones?
It seems to have been re-invented! Some of the big construction companies are using shiny new bailey bridging.
For interest Roger M Chedgzoy feels Tenbury should have a Bailey bridge I would refer you to the Millennium book Eastham-within Living Memory,complied by Averil Opperman, in which it states,on page 43,that a Bailey bridge was erected over the River Teme on July 27 1943 by 617 Squadron, Royal Engineers at Rochford and a similar bridge at Eastham, around the same time. Roger M Chedgzoy feels Tenbury should have a Bailey bridge
No idea of the exact location mentioned but theres mention here of two across the Teme;- Roger M Chedgzoy feels Tenbury should have a Bailey bridge ..... as posted by Clive and a mention here regarding a collapsed bridge and the possibility of a temp replacement sited near to where a wartime bailey had been sited? Bridge collapse: Hopes of temporary military-style crossing Theres also reports of two soldiers drowned in the construction of a bridge at Powick in 1942. 5260638 Pte J D Beddows Age 19 NORTON-JUXTA-KEMPSEY (ST. JAMES THE GREAT) CHURCHYARD and 5260660 Pte Ernest John Craythorn BIRMINGHAM (BRANDWOOD END) CEMETERY Sec. B.24. Cons. Grave 7974. (Clayton in News reports) both Worcestershire Regiment .(Drowned 09/06/1942) Nottingham Journal 10 June 1942 - Birmingham Daily Gazette 10 June 1942 Kyle
Thanks for this. It was the one at Rochford I was referring to. I believe that the one at Eastham was part of an exercise on crossing defended rivers. It's ironic that in 1941 a aqueduct crossing the Teme was blown up during an exercise in stopping crossings of defended rivers. It annoyed the locals who used it as a short cut
Hello Robert Thread here re the Teme aquaduct Teme bridge demolition ? Exercise Hops 1941 ?216 A Fd Coy REs Regards Clive
When I was in training for the Re's at Cove Farnborough back in 1977 - 78. We had a project to dismantle a Bailey Footbridge from Badminton following the horse trials and then re erect it across the A3 in Guildford for the county show. It seems that this as an annual event but I do not know how many other locations this bridge visited. Does anyone know? Secondly At RAF Leeming there was a maximum Triple - Triple Bailey across the River Swale built as a crash gate access. It is not visible on Google but I drove across it in 1995 so must have been dismantled recently. Anyone know any more?
Mr Chedgzoy was being somewhat impractical. Putting in a Bailey whilst the old Thomas Telford bridge was being strengthened would have required new access roads on each bank which would have meant demolishing a number of listed buildings and residential properties on one side and possibly the fire station on the other