Sproston - Update on the extension, and a forgotten wartime incident...
Entry posted by sigtech
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Good evening everyone, following on from the news of the layout extension, we have a short progress update.
The grass is now 'growing' well over the new bank area, some railway clutter has started to appear and the grounded ex GWR van has received dramatically accelerated weathering. Vegetation is once again starting to encroach around the perimeter of the site including a new hedge, and the bufferstop along with the turntable deck has been re-instated.
The 'wartime incident' alluded to in the title has left some physical traces - but only if you know where to look for them...
The cause of this can be traced back to the dark days of 1941, and the night bombing campaign on this country by the Luftwaffe.
At this time, the searchlight Battery at Sproston was fully operational as part of NW AA Command. It had been established at the end of 1940, tasked with the illuminating of raiding formations of bombers en route to their primary target of Liverpool to the North, and specifically the docks there. Most of the bombers assigned this target followed a North West flight path up the country.
During one night attack, the incoming raiders attempted to avoid the main belt of AA guns situated around major urban connurbations in this area( Manchester,Leeds,Sheffield Derby and Birmingham ) by 'jinking' on their track from NW to W then back to NW again. This manouevre brought them closer to Sproston.
The Battery here was already at 'readiness' when the raid was reported closing from the South at 10,000' and was ordered to stand to and Illuminate targets for the AA guns..
However one of the aircraft in the German formation took great exception at having a very bright light suddenly shone straight into his cockpit and ordered his gunners (in German of course!) to 'Put that bloody light out'...
The gunners tried very hard to do exactly as ordered, and 3 streams of heavy machine gun fire arced down onto Sproston - faced with this, the Battery Commander did the only thing possible in that situation and quickly extinguised the light, the bullets fortunately missed their intended target, but struck another...
Little remains now to remind one of this incident-except if you cast your eyes in the direction of the Sproston Creamery administration building - specifically the North tower offices, at ground and first/second floor level. Fortunately at the time of the raid these were all empty, being used by the Creamery day Managers only, but a fair amount of damage was done - many windows were smashed, and the brickwork was heavily 'pock marked' with diagonal streams of bullet holes from the aircrafts gunners.
Most of this was repaired quite quickly, being wartime no photos of the damage caused are know to exist. However if you look at the SE corner of the building as you walk down the hill on Chapel Road towards where the battery once stood, the rough wartime repairs to the brickwork are clearly visible on the first two floors..
Well thats the end of the story!
Comments, good or bad are always welcome.
Regards
(SIGTECH).
Steve.
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