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OK, so with new markings made in early August, what have "Jessie" and I been up to? Well, we've been out to a local World War 2 site that until recently, I hadn't heard of. The site is East Boldon Anti-Aircraft Supply Depot, which is only 7.5 miles from home. The site was an Ordnance Depot for a number of local Anti-Aircraft batteries, including Red Barns Farm, where I used to keep the Dodge. |
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The site was built in 1938, in anticipation of war with Germany. It was to supply ammunition to local anti-aircraft and other gun emplacements guarding Tyneside and
Wearside.
It was also used post war to become a temporary home to a medical unit, a bomb disposal unit.
There was also a POW camp, No.8 POW Platoon, a hutted camp attached to No.20
B.D. Squadron of the Royal Engineers, still being used in 1947.
A similar camp at Killingworth was bulldozed and converted to housing in 2014/15. With the development and quarrying of the land where the various other North East anti-aircraft batteries were, Boldon Camp is now the last remaining major above ground Word War Two site left in Tyne & Wear. |
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As a result of this loss of history, a local group is hoping to acquire the site to develop into a museum. A recent local government development plan for the area ( now I believe at the consultation stage ) suggests the site will remain off limits to housing development. While many of the temporary camp buildings to the North of the site, have long gone, there are a number of brick and concrete buildings still surviving on the rest of the site. Many of the buildings are in poor condition, with collapsing walls, missing roofs, covered in graffiti, but still restorable pieces of North East history. |
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It is a large site covering 7.6 hectares and while a
great deal to restore and maintain, the space would allow events to be held in future,
with space for displays, trade, camping and parking.
While there is a great deal of work to bring the buildings back into use, they would provide a huge amount of under cover space for exhibits and exhibitions. The pictures shown here, show "Jessie" in the new "Ordnance Depot" markings at the entrance gate to the site and the road from the gate back into East Boldon. |
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The Tuesday evening photo shoot was for a newspaper article, to raise awareness of the site and the group's plans for restoration. More details about the project can be found on their website and Facebook pages. https://www.facebook.com/boldoncamp.co.uk/
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