Houses taken over by the Military

A Billeting Officer would come around and go through your house. He would check the number of rooms you had and tell you what rooms you would sleep in and tell you how many people he would put in your house. If you did not have enough beds our blankets then they would be be delivered by lorry and put in the designated rooms.
At one time my mother, my sister and I all shared the same bed as the rest house was taken over. If you refused then the Government could take your house over for nothing and put you on the streets. I very much doubt if any records were kept on this as there was far to much going on for any one to bother keeping a permanent record on who went were in what house.

 

In the UK, in 1942 and prior to being posted overseas, I found myself at Whitby, in Yorkshire and had a first hand experience of how the billeting system worked.

We found ourselves billeted, six to a room, in small houses scattered around the town. First thing every morning the troop corporals to whom we had been allotted called round each of the billets in turn and we 'fell in.' outside and joined an ever lengthening group of marchers. When we were all finally assembled we marched to a local church hall where breakfast was ready for us.
After breakfast we marched to an imposing ex-hotel on the cliff top, the Metropole, which was to be our training college for the next three months. Here we were to learn the rudiments of both radio transmission and driving, in almost equal measure.


Ron

 

I remember the British Army coming back from Dunkirk.Billetting officers came round all the houses and those with room had to accomodate soldiers.Morning parades were held in front of our house and older boys were always asking to carry soldier's rifles when the parade was dismissed.My father was once thanked by the officer in charge, for walking around the parade as some civilians saw the "parade ground", held on the road, as a right of way and continued to walk through it.

My mother was pregnant at the time so we were excused from having any military lodgers.Years later, I was talking to our control centre and the controller asked me which part of Yorkshire I hailed from.I told him and he said he was billetted after Dunkirk at Mrs H's on the same road as we lived.Mrs H was an old lady living on her own.She was known as Granny H by we schoolchildren and was well known.My mother attended school with one of her sons.

Military personnel were billeted in a wide range of industrial premises such as colliery surface landsale wooden buildings.It must have presented a hardship for these huts on the railway sidings were filthy and full of coal dust. Others were under canvas on any available piece of ground and appeared to be continually cooking in the open using large mess tins.Their language was not restricted in the presence of we children,especially in response to some of the children's questioning.

As regards the requisitioning of large houses to accomode military headquarters and training facilities,this was commonplace.Seaside hotels were requisitioned by the RAF for various stages of selection and training.Quite common for RAF fundamental technical training to be held in requisitioned seaside hotels.Must have been a sight for RAF working parades to be seen on Blackpool front.

The Royal Dart Hotel at Dartmouth on the north side of the Lower Ferry, Kingswear, was used by the Free French Navy who had their HQ in a requisition country house above the village of Kingwear.Dartmouth was bombed in 1943, probably on German intelligence that RN MTBs clandestinely operated from here, in and out of Brittany.

In the village here,the Convent was requisitioned by the Army for the duration.Apparently the advantage for the villagers was that town main was put in for the purpose of the army unit.Prior to that,water supplies depended on well sources.Our present house had a 40 foot well which supplied a large head tank in the loft by means of a manual lift pump,operated by lever movement.

 

I think this is a very interesting subject.

I have found a considerable number of large Houses / Castles were put to use by the Military during the war for a variety of purposes. These would include billets - Usually with the officers in the House and O.R.'s in tents in the grounds, POW Camps as at places like Gosford Castle and Loughguile House or Ammunition Storage Depot such as Belvoir.

In most cases the Houses have survived without too much damage however others suffered serious neglect and were soon demolished.

I regularly visit such places looking for signs of activity during ww2 and the best example I have visited would be Ballywalter House where trops of both the Berkshire Regiment and Ulster Rifles left some fantastic paibtings which you can see on my ww2ni website.

I have also found that, in most cases the current owners are happy to facilitate me arriving at their door with a camera and experience has shown that if you have done your homework and are in a position to tell them a little about where they live you may even get a cup of tea!!

 

Tyneham in Dorset was taken over in 1943 as a training ground for D-Day. The training area was not confined to the village but extends westward almost to Lulworth Cove and northwards to Grange Heath. My family farm was among those requisitioned - no compensation was paid as they were only tenant farmers. They were supposed to be allowed to return after the war, but could not. I attach a picture of the farm house taken last year.

 

I think this is a very interesting subject.

I have found a considerable number of large Houses / Castles were put to use by the Military during the war for a variety of purposes. These would include billets - Usually with the officers in the House and O.R.'s in tents in the grounds, POW Camps as at places like Gosford Castle and Loughguile House or Ammunition Storage Depot such as Belvoir.

In most cases the Houses have survived without too much damage however others suffered serious neglect and were soon demolished.

I regularly visit such places looking for signs of activity during ww2 and the best example I have visited would be Ballywalter House where trops of both the Berkshire Regiment and Ulster Rifles left some fantastic paibtings which you can see on my ww2ni website.

I have also found that, in most cases the current owners are happy to facilitate me arriving at their door with a camera and experience has shown that if you have done your homework and are in a position to tell them a little about where they live you may even get a cup of tea!!
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Just in case you missed it yesterday, herewith:-

You might be interested in Elvetham Hall, Hampshire; in 1941 it was (?part) occupied by officers of the Canadian army. There were several Canadian detachments in the neighbouring villages.

After the war, it was purchased by(?) ICI, and used as a training centre/local HQ, but nowadays it is an hotel - the owners might be interested to know more of its history.

Originally, it belonged to the Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe family, mostly army but one famous naval officer, Admiral Somerset Gough-Calthorpe

Ednamay

 

May I suggest looking in 'Hansard' the questions relating to Imber, Salisbury, Stanford Norfolk and other requisitions are recording in the parliamentary record - 'Hansard'

 

Talking about the requisition of wholesale villages for live training.Inhabitants of Slapton and a number of adjacent villages in the South Hams area of Devon were evicted by late December 1943 for the US Army to prepare for D Day.

One of my old RAF colleagues told me that they had to get off their farm here in East Allington.He told me when they were allowed back,there were casualties buried in their farmyard which were later removed.

There is a very informative poster in the Queen's Arms at Slapton giving notice of the requisition requirements and the notice of a public meeting to be chaired by the local landowner,Lord Fortesque.

 

When I worked at various prisons around Britain I visited several that had been very large private houses before the war and were requisitioned for war use. A couple (I won't mention the names) are still prisons today, and in some of the (obviously WW2) outbuildings traces of SOE use and radio stations with links to Bletchley Park still exist. By and large the main house is used for office accommodation and meetings and many of the main rooms are largely the same as pre-war condition apart from many coats of paint. In some cases wooden panelling still exists. Some have plaques fitted recording their wartime use
Some of these sites now have large modern prison blocks in the former grounds.

 

I'm looking for any information about troops stationed at Brodsworth Hall, Hickleton Hall or round about (S.Yorks). 44th (Home Counties) Division, 45th Infantry Division, 1 Corps HQ have been mentioned. Several Yorkshire houses are working towards an exhibition on The Country House and War for 2013.

Trudy

 

Then, of course, there was Trent House, in Cockfosters, formerly home of the Sassoon family and taken over by the military to hold and question high ranking German officers.

Ron

 

RAF Kinloss covers an area once farmed by a number of landowners. Kinloss House and Langcot House are just 2 of them.

Roxy

 

These are on STANTA (Thetford area Norfolk) Many more - The churches have been looked after and have services on occasion. At one time the houses were derelict some now have corrugated roofs

 

Shortly before the start of the Second World War, RAF Scampton was extended and Aisthorpe Hall found itself requisitioned and included in the northern section of the extended airfield.

The plan was that the hall would be demolished in due course.No 49 and 83 Squadrons were in residence at the time and Guy Gibson records that there was a suggestion from the squadrons,according to his "Enemy Coast Ahead" that the hall should be used as bomb practice in its demolition.Apparently the suggestion was turned down by senior officers from the point that bombs may drift off target.Scampton viilage was situated close by on the other side of the ridge to the west and the station hangers were close by to the east.

The demolition task was taken some way when a Hampden then crashed into the hall and caused some structural damage.Finally the hall was demolitioned by conventional means.(I have acopy of a photograph somewhere which identifies the aircraft serial number and date of incident.)

 

Quite a few big houses have come up in my search of my Gramp's war-time so far.

Sandbeck Park is mentioned when he was in Doncaster area.

Others include Basildon Park, Horam manor, Brickwall house, Broomhill Lodge, Normanhurst court.

Also Charlton Park, Malmesbury as a Casualty Clearing Station and Shottery Hall, Stratford on Avon as a hospital.

It seems that both Horam and Shottery hall were destroyed by fire shortly after the war.

I have a photo of one of the houses from the time; its relatively small compared to some of the ones mentioned.
If any one recognises it give us a shout will you? I know it's a long shot but this site constantly comes up trumps!

 

PHP:

Trudy
Several Yorkshire houses are working towards an exhibition on The Country House and War for 2013


You should consider including Askham Grange outside York. Today it is a Womens Open Prison but was requisitioned by the Army (maybe RAF) during WW2.

Formerly owned by a very wealthy Banker.

They found a bricked up room a couple of years ago and there was speculation that the Old Boy had left a couple of gold bars - but it was just full of rubbish.

I hasten to add that my wife was a Governer and not an inmate. Still I am told that some orginal parts of the buildings are very impressive.

 

You need to include Beningborough Hall outside York. It was occupied by the RAF.

FdeP

 

WWII 359th Fighter Group History I RAF East Wretham Norfolk






Wretham Hall 359th HQ taken over by RAF used by 359th - as Officers Mess


FOGG IN THE COCKPIT: Wretham Hall as remembered by Albert G. Homeyer, 368th Fighter Squadron pilot, 359th Fighter Group



East Wretham F-133 | Facebook

 

Don't you just love the serendipity that exists on the internet

Have a look at my posting above (#20).

Yesterday, out of the blue, I received this e-mail from Major Moulands son:
Dear Ron

I am the son of the late Major Bob Mouland with whom you served in Italy and our family loves your story about the day he tried to persuade a farmer that he wasn’t about to shoot him.

It would be nice to get in touch.


Bill Mouland

I got his permission to print his letter and I'm now busy garnering all the articles I can find relating to the 49th LAA

Ron

 

Hi,

Belton Hall, near Grantham Lincolnshire.

See RAF Regiment Museum | Pictures from RAF Honington

"The first RAF Regiment Depot opened at Belton Park near Grantham with instructional staff loaned from by the Army and the Royal Marines."

Also the Village Post Office was taken over as the Guardroom.

I remember an old instructor from the Depot saying there used to be a Silver Plated Bren Gun in the Display Cabinet in Belton Hall.


Regards, Mick D.