Plymouth blitz

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by S54, Mar 28, 2016.

  1. S54

    S54 Junior Member

    I came across this pic a while ago and asked a few lads I know who hail from Plymouth to see if they could identify the location. After a bit of digging/surfing I reckon it's one of the oil tanks that is on fire at Hooe Lake quarry after being hit by a bomb in 1940. The bridge you can see is the Hooe Lake swing bridge which has now been demolished but the stanchions are still in place:-

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    Last edited: Apr 12, 2020
    slick likes this.
  2. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  3. The Cooler King

    The Cooler King Elite Member

    Its an incredible image!.
     
  4. S54

    S54 Junior Member

  5. S54

    S54 Junior Member

    Okay the photo isn't from WW2 but actually 1956, it features men and tanks from C Sqn 6RTR on Barton Road. Just under the now demolished Hooe Lake rail bridge and they're probably waiting to load up onto an LST at Turnchapel Wharf, which is just up the road. They are deploying on OPERATION MUSKETEER (invasion of Suez) via Malta:-

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  6. slick

    slick Junior Member

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  7. CornwallPhil

    CornwallPhil Senior Member

    The burning oil tank in the original photograph is at Turnchapel and was hit by a bomb on Wednesday 27th November 1940. A plume of smoke from the fire hung over the city for days and was photographed from various vantage points.
     
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  8. Cookiemonster80

    Cookiemonster80 New Member

    Yes it is the Oil Depot at Turnchapel which was hit in a sever bombing raid on Friday 29th November 1940. Eventually all 6 tanks went up as the fire brigade tried to saved it over the following month. My grandad was burnt when tank 5 exploded sending in his words flaming oil 200 feet into the air which then landed on the rowing boat that he was in laying out lines from 2 Dockyard Lighters. The bridge also caught alight at this time.
     

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