Houses taken over by the Military

Redynch Park, Somerset was initially requisitioned by the War Office and occupied by the British Army including - 1942/43 - elements of Guards Armoured Division, In the summer of 1943 they vacated and the property was occuped by Headquarters, 3rd US Armored Division until May 1944. This Division landed in Normandy in late June 1944 and in the 10.5 months it was in action it sustained 113% casualties including the Commanding General who was killed in action in April 1945. They are remembered here.

 

St Margerets Bay near dover was entirely taken over and never handed back as the functioning village as it was pre war

DESERTED VILLAGE - British Pathé

 

Due to its proximity to the Thetford and Lakenheath ranges, Chippenham Park and House near Newmarket was used by several armoured brigades including 29th Armoured Brigade (11th Armoured Division) and 8th Independent Armoured Brigade in the period 1941(?) to 1944 prior to the Normandy D-Day and also no doubt by other units when 11AD and 8AB were elsewhere.

It's also relevent to note that lots of 'houses' and hotels were taken over as troop billets, office space and as Officers' Mess.

24th Lancers used a hotel in Whitby, 'large' houses in Crowborough, houses and hotels in Bridlington (including the Chequers Hotel), Chippenham Park (complete with Nissen Huts in the grounds) and what had been a TB Hospital at Milford-on-Sea (now converted into some very nice flats). If you multiply this up by the number of units also needing 'accommodation' then the total must run into the 1000's or even 10000's.

 

I know Hardwick Hall was taken over by the Airborne during the war, but did Chatsworth House near Chesterfield in Derbyshire get used for Military service.

 

Not just houses, hotels as well.

Whitby Holiday Apartments

This hotel was my wireless training school in November 1942.

Still there in Whitby, Yorkshire

Ron

ps
If you look at the old postcard you will see a large open space to the right of the hotel. This, in 1942, was the vehicle park and the scene of my passing my driving test
Almost at the end of the course I was due to take the driving test that would enable me to call myself a qualified army driver. As luck would have it on the same morning as I took the test I had a dental appointment and so by the time this had finished it was about eleven a.m. before I could get to the car park where I was due to meet my examiner.
To my horror when I arrived the only vehicle left in the car park was a huge tank transporter.
When the examiner saw the petrified look on my face and I had explained the reason for my lateness he laughed aloud, took pity on me and gave me a two minute course on how to handle this monster with its complicated gear changes and its huge turning circle. He also gave me a pass at the end of what must have been for both of us a very alarming ride!

Original story here: BBC - WW2 People's War - Training To Be A Driver/Wireless Operator

 

Bouncing this thread for Alanst500 who's dad was at Whitby the same time as myself.

(See the last Comment #45)

Ron

 

Regarding the requisition of hotels,in addition to Blackpool,the RAF utilised hotels for non aircrew training in seaside resorts at Weston super Mare,Whitley,Skegness, Redcar,Great Yarmouth and Morecambe.

Stratford upon Avon and Babbacombe (Torquay) hotels acted as pools for the intake to aircrew Initial Training Wings.

Newquay and Bridlington (The Spa comes to mind) properties were requisitioned for Pilot and Wireless Op and Air Gunner ITWs rin 1944.

Aircrew Reception Centres were set up as early as early 1941 at requisitioned properties at St John's Wood and at Lords cricket ground, the London Zoo cafeteria acting as the mess.

The Petwood Hotel at Woodhall Spa was requisitioned as the officers mess for RAF Woodhall Spa when it opened on the other side of the town in 1942....about a two mile distance.There is an abundance of memorabilia within the hotel,relating to No 617 Squadron from when they were based here after their Scampton days.Apparently the staircase was protected by wooden liners while the RAF were in residence.

 

Throughout the war there were numerous houses, large and small, plus two schools, in the Kenley/Whyteleafe area of Surrey which had been vacated by their owners because of their proximity to RAF Kenley and the bombing it received. These were occupied by various army units, starting with the Scots Guards followed by the Seaforth highlanders, Koylis, Royal Artillery, a RASC transport coy . and finally the Pioneer corps.
I don't know the specific designations of any of these units - I was only 11 when the war ended - but I do know that the RA went to France on or around D-Day and the RASC also went there later. I have many good childhood memories of the troops who were stationed all around us and would be pleased to here from anyone who has any specific information about these units and their subsequent movements.

 

Remember being billetted in Belford Hall and also Longhirst Hall in Northumberland in the early 1940s. These were generally occupied by Battalion Headquarters but also used as an Officers Mess. Rifle companies with their officers were deployed elsewhere in defensive positions on the coast, such as at Bamburgh Castle. As Signal Corporal at Bn.HQ., usually shared a room at the top or rear of the house and recall being allowed to use a white enamel bath decorated with roses with a multi-perforated high end of the bath providing the luxury of a bath-shower!

Also remember when stationed on the Northumbrian coast near Alnwick having a couple of field telephone cables laid between forward companies and Bn.HQ. that ceased to function when the tide came in!

Joe Brown.

 

Do you know the British units that were there before the Poles?

 

No.

 

Anyone with £2.8m to buy some military history?
The mansion where Monty made an army | Daily Mail Online
Detached House for sale Stede Hill, Harrietsham, Kent ME17 1NR

 

On subject, in Cheshire a very large number of larger houses and stately homes were taken over by the military. In Hartford, Hartford Manor and Heyeswood were taken over after Dunkirk, also Wincham and Marbury Halls, Holcroft Hall and the Manor Mobberley, Oulton Park, Delamere Park, Tatton Park, (but not the Hall), Pettypool, Cassia Lodge, Ledsham Hall, Blakemere Hall, Cholmondley Castle(Czechs) Doddington Hall, Dorfold Hall, large private homes in Comberbach, Peover Hall (Patton HQ) Crewe Hall Keele Hall Staffordshire.There are more, these are just ones I remember without doing any specific reading.

Off subject, Virtually every race course I have come across was taken over by the military at some stage. Certainly Chester and Hereford were taken over at Dunkirk. Haydock was home to troops in late 40. Kempton Park was taken over for POW sorting after D-Day. Ascot AA guns(?). Ludlow. Tarporley (yes, had a race course) Wilmslow. Others can fill in other sites I am sure. I guess race courses were popular as they were large, flattish and had some welfare/cooking facilities in most cases.

 

An interesting subject indeed.
Coleshill House and Estate near Highworth was requisitioned in 1940 and became the Headquarters of Auxiliary Units, Churchill's secret resistance organisation. The owners, two Pleydell-Bouverie sisters remained in residence but the Army took over most of the house. The grounds became the training camp and Auxiliers arrived from all over the country every weekend - being civilians they were back at work by Monday. (look at www.staybehinds.com ).

Somewhere there must be a record of when the estate was requisitioned and returned to the owners but I can't find it.
Can anyone tell me where it is please.

 

Seems to have been very general, here is a summary of information I was given regarding Cromer when looking to see where 10 DTC were located in the town in 1940.

Cromer at this time was recorded as a quiet Seaside Town full of troops. February to March 1940 was when the “friendly invasion” started. Officers and troops were billeted in hotels and unoccupied houses in Cromer because of the huge military training camp at Weybourne. The hotels requisitioned included; Metropole, situated in Tucker Street, it had access at the rear leading down to the Promenade; also Tuckers, Malborough, Newhaven Court, Royal Links, Lyndhurst, Imperial and Cliftonville. The NAAFI was in the Town Hall, Prince of Wales Road. The Food Office was housed in the Old Police Station on Church Street. The Officers Mess was in Newhaven Court and the Troops Cook House and Mess Hall were in buildings on the site of Merchants Court in Church Street.

There are also extracts in the RASC 13 RMT Coy war diary for early 1940 of the commanding officer looking at several local "Halls" for suitability to use as the Coy HQ.

 

Chillingham castle Northumberland was taken over by Canadian airmen in WW2, the curator of the castle said that they took all the wood from the paneling,ceilings and floors and used for fire wood to keep them warm in the winter.

Now I have found a web site to back this up.
Chillingham Castle - Part 1

If any body wants to pay this castle a visit I would recommend it.

 

Can anyone tell me where it is please.

Coleshill House - Wikipedia

 

War comes to the skies over Surrey

 

Brian. I have no evidence what so ever, but take a look here.
http://historic-maps.norfolk.gov.uk/mapexplorer/
enlarge map on cromer, take Norwich rd, turn onto Roughton Rd, when you get to Mayfield drive opposite it is a row of bungalows.
Click on 1946 aerial. See what you think.