'Z' Batteries - British AA Rocket system

Still in the early stages of reserch but could this be one of the Rocket heads used in the Z Batteries ? please find attached photos

 

Whilst reviewing film in the IWM, supposedly about the coldstream guards, one of the reels had a section about the test-firing of versions of these weapons in ww2 which wasn't in the film index (although it was in the dope sheets). There was a smaller manually fired one as well (just one or two rockets with a blast shield) which burned the foot of one of the testers leading them to be taken to hospital.

 

Before my father joined the Coldstream Guards, he was in the home guard manning a rocket gun at Tynemouth northumberland, the magazine britain at war, done an article on the rocket gun, thats how my told me

 

Thats definitely the system on the video I saw; although there was a number of closeups on a system using a single rocket with a blast shield protecting the operator right behing it. Judging by what happened it was probably a prototype. During the test firing, in which an unamed general was present, one of the operators on one of the single rocket systems burned his foot badly on the blast (no leg protection) and had to be rushed off in an ambulance.

As experiments went it didnt seem to be such a good one, but undoubtedly went a lot better then the first PIAT trials in Africa.

 

Three images (captions only, sorry) of the 'Z' battery on Flotta, Orkney, from a list of captions. Available from the IWM.

H39435 Twin rocket projectors at exercise. Each projector requires two men to handle it.

H39436 Gunner W. Marshall form Abergavenny, loading a rocket into the projector.

H39437 Gunner J. Beard of Windsor is No.1 on the rocket projector, he is seen at his post.

 

welcome to the forum

 

Hello all,

Just joined today and I look forward to participating.

My current interest is in the Z Battery rocket launchers. I would like to initially build a model of one of the 2-rocket versions and may build the others - single rocket and multiple launchers (image shown for discussion only.

I have collected what I can find on the net, mostly of the single. The dual launcher is visually more interesting, but images are fewer and of the ones I have, each one appears to have a slightly different design.

I've made an inquiry to the Royal Artillery Museum, so "I'm in the queue". We'll see if they can help.

Mike

 

Hello Mike and welcome
keep us up to date with your research, most interesting

regards
Clive

 

Thank you, Clive, for the welcome and your interest. I'll post my progress as things develop.

 

Service manual for Z Battery here:

https://www.mlrsbooks.co.uk/bookstore/index.php/prod1026.html?

 

Thank you for the service manual link. I got this reply from the Royal Artillery Museum:

"Dear Mr Griffin

Thank you for your recent communication.

I regret to inform you that we do not hold engineering drawings for the Z rocket launchers of the Second World War. We have several of the photographs and a single manual to the single launcher. Sadly it doe not include scaled drawings.

Sorry we could not be of assistance.

Yours sincerely


Paul Evans
Librarian"

So I will most likely purchase the manual and continue to look for info on the 2-rocket projector, which is the one I would most like to build.

Mike

 

My Father seved on the Z Battery, based in Leigh Woods, Bristol (Between the Clifton Bridge and Avonmouth.
The site is now a Bristol City practise Ground, but the firing bases are still visable although broken up and tipped in the woods next to the main road at the Avonmouth end.
I think his unit was the 101st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Artillary Home Guard Unit, He was about 19 when the War finnished, He failed his medical for call-up due to Kidney Failer so was posted to the HG.

 

There was a Z Battery at Porthcurno as part of the defences of the Cable Station. Details can be found on this YouTube video at 20.55 min mark:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE593tMODVE
Despite being a Category A defence location they had no ammunition for the Z Battery as a letter in the video shows!

 

Here you go, kidz...

 

I wonder if they had accidental miss fires .My wife was evacuated to Sandon just south of Chelmsford
She related as noted below that some Rockets past close overhead and "Somebody" came to question them about the incident

"They both recall a wonderful time playing in the fields and stream.(Sandon Brook)
The were both a bit startled when some cigar shaped rockets roared close overhead.and Barbara remembers Some one coming and asking her questions about them. (There were Batteries of Anti aircraft rockets stationed around Chelmsford)"

 

The ZAA rocket battery 265m north east of Ashridge Farm is a particularly rare example with only one other of its type known to survive in Britain even though 50 ZAA battery sites are known to have been constructed in World War II. The battery, which retains at least 13 of its original rocket projector bases, provides a possibly unique association within England of an anti-aircraft rocket battery lying nearby to the remains of contemporary bombing decoy sites with one control building, although partly damaged, still standing and included within the monument. The monument acts as a reminder of the measures taken in World War II to protect, as far as possible, the citizens of Bristol from the worst effects of aerial bombardment by way of deceiving the enemy.
World War II anti-aircraft rocket battery and bombing decoy control building 265m north east of Ashridge Farm, Cheddar - 1020994 | Historic England



'Z' Rocket AA Battery in Action, 1941

 

I know this is a few years old, but as someone whose slowly picking through Kew's rocket files... Holly hell! That's awesome. May I have a Doc ref?

 

By pure coincidence I spent yesterday afternoon looking through "Birmingham at War" Volumes one and two. Both have good quality photos of Z batteries.
These are purely good quality photographic collections mainly from the Birmingham Mail and other local papers such as Coventry and the Black Country.
They cover all aspects including weapons production, ARP practices, a street fighting class in Aston, the Castle Bromwich airplane factory, evacuation, bomb damage etc.
Amazon.co.uk: Alton Douglas: Books

A must have for many interested in WW2.

 

i recently bought an auction lot that came with a fuze no.700 which i believe is the z rocket fuze, this got me looking for a rocket and i spoke to a mate that found a few tail fins at langsett reservoir where they were deployed to protect the reservoir from air attack. i'd like to see an image of a rocket but there is very little info online