The oral history element of the project was highly successful in capturing the memories of a wide range of people who were involved in or remember the war time activities in the area. This element more than met its aims of recording interviews and collecting related material, involving local volunteers and making the results accessible to a wide audience. The substantial body of material collected provides a valuable resource that can be interpreted and used in a number of different outputs.
Via the dedicated work of the Oral History Team (volunteers) and our publicity campaign (calling for contributors) our initial target of interviewing 75 contributors was soon met and exceeded. In total 160 contributors were interviewed totalling over 91 hours on audio material.
To make the interviews accessible via this online archive short sections (Quick Clips) from the interviews have been produced. Due to the unexpectedly high number of interviews there has been a belay in editing them all but we are working to get them all uploaded as soon as possible.
Search Tips:
To help you find all the available interviews in the archive use the ‘Subjects’ list under the search box. Select ‘Oral History’ in the list. This will then only show articles tagged with Oral History.
This Fire Warden map of New Milton shows the locations of the:-
- Public Shelters
- Stirrup Pumps
- Static Water Supply
- Wardens Posts
- Senior Fire Guard
- Business & Private Properties
- Unoccupied Land
A series of photographs taken on 21 July 1943 at RAF Beaulieu.
They show crewmen (and a dog) of No.311 Czechoslovakian Squadron on and around a Consolidated Liberator. It is possible that this is one crew but this is un-confirmed. In one photo (IWM CH 18520) the aircrafts serial number is visible as LV343 but again it is unclear if all the photographs were taken around the same aircraft though this is likely.
All Photos are credit: Imperial War Museum for Non-Commercial Use (Licence)
For further reading and articles on Beaulieu Airfield please visit: Beaulieu Airfield Overview
This series of photographs from 29 July 1943 was taken at RAF Beaulieu on the 3rd anniversary of No.311 Czechoslovakian Squadron’s formation.
No.311 Czechoslovakian Squadron was formed in 1940 at RAF Honington with crews of escaped Czechoslovakian aircrew and was equipped with Wellington I Bombers. The Squadron transferred from Bomber Command to Coastal Command in April 1942 and moved to Beaulieu in May 1943. They were re-equipped with Consolidated Liberators, a four engine heavy bomber, in June 1943.
Patrolling over the Bay of Biscay their role was anti-submarine work. One notable event was prior to the Battle of the Bay of Biscay when the squadron was responsible for the sinking of the German blockade runner Alsterufer on December 28 1943.
No.311 Squadron moved from RAF Beaulieu in February 1944 to RAF Predannack.
All Photos are credit: Imperial War Museum for Non-Commercial Use (Licence)
For further reading and articles on Beaulieu Airfield please visit: Beaulieu Airfield Overview
Photograph IWM CH 10687 shows crewman Sgt. Theodor Schwarz (WO/AG) of No.311 (Czech) Squadron seated in the nose gunner’s position of a Liberator at RAF Beaulieu, 29 July 1943. (WO – Wireless Operator. AG – Air Gunner).
Sergeant Theodor Schwarz was 1 of only 2 ethnic Germans serving with the Czechoslovak Air Force. He was born in Sokokol (German equivalent Falkenau) in the northern part of Czechoslovakia, practically at the German border. A month after this photo was taken on the 30 Aug 1943 Sgt. Theodor Schwarz was killed in a training accident at RAF Beaulieu. He was flying in Liberator BZ785 with fellow crew members Sgt. Josef Bittner, Sgt. Josef Fisera, Flt/Lt Emil Palichleb, Sgt. Zdenek Rezac and Sgt. Emil Szeliga. All crewmembers were killed.
He can also be seen in photograph CH 10688 (third from right). It is possibly that this photo shows his fellow crewmen of that August flight but this is un-confirmed.
Apparently “The aircraft stalled whilst in a steep turn during a practice evasion flight and crash landed at 15:42 hours, probably due to mishandling. In addition, the fact that the aircraft apparently exceeded the normal all up weight laid down by flight limitations probably contributed to the incident.”
Sgt. Theodor Schwarz is buried at the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery at Brookwood, Surrey the largest Military cemetery in the United Kingdom. Sgt. Theodor Schwarz – Row 28. A. 7.
https://fcafa.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/brookwood/
During WWII Ashley Walk was used as a testing and practice rang for live and inert air dropped ordnance. After the war the site was cleared by the MOD before being opened up and returned to its original use. Over the years however, some (possibly live) ordnance has been found by the public and these finds are dealt with by the police and the MOD Bomb Squad.
In 2016 this large metal item (48cm diameter) was reported by a member of the public as a possible unexploded bomb on the range and this has now been investigated. Thankfully it is thought that this is not an unexploded bomb.
The Forestry Commission have been in touch with the police who have verified that it is not ordnance (to their knowledge), they thought it was a water bore hole outlet of some kind. Another possibility suggested by FC is that it could have been a marker beacon of some kind for ranging.
Further Reading
The Ashley Range Overview page contains a series of links to pages about the other targets on the range.
On the Ashley Walk Bombing Range there were two fragmentation target zone areas, identified with large letters cut into the ground and filled with chalk. The two zones were A and B with the other zone C and D. These chalk letters are still visible from the air. Both areas are on the eastern side of the range with C and D just north of Amberwood Inclosure. These target zones were each approximately 400 yards (366m) by 200 yards (183m) in size.
C and D zone was used for the testing of fragmentation bombs against surface targets including artillery and tranches. To record the impact on troops wooden dummies were used and boards positioned to collect bomb fragments so that the fragmentation of the bombs could be recorded and the pieces analysed.
Camera and observation positions were installed to observe and record the tests. In a rear twist of fate the only surviving (accessible) WWII structure on the range is one of these brick built observation shelters and it can be visited near fragmentation target zone C and D.
As part of the New Forest Remembers WWII project a new information panel about the range was installed in this structure to help visitors to the area better understand the history of the landscape around them.
Further Reading
On this site the Ashley Range Overview page has links to pages about the other targets on the range.
Read more about installed information panel which is one of eight new WWII panels you can find in the Forest:
Ashley Walk Interpretation panels – Ashley Walk Bombing Range
Panel overview: Interpretation panels
The New Forest area has seen military activity before the outbreak of WWI.
4th V B Hants “On the road to Camp” Beaulieu – 1907
This photo shows infantry soldiers marching along, in formation, a track/road. At the head of the column are the Officers followed by a military band with the rest of the troops behind. A white gate can be seen, at the edge of the road in the distance. Image Courtesy of Lymington.org
The photo title “4th V B Hants” stands for the 4th Volunteer Battalion, Hampshire and it is thought that these troops are entering or leaving the Beaulieu estate “on their way to camp”. Some photographs dated 1908 show a tented military camp in the Beaulieu area and a later 1909 show troops “Trooping the Colour”. So this may have been a regular event.
Trooping the Colour is a ceremony performed by regiments of the British and Commonwealth armies. It has been a tradition of British infantry regiments since the 17th century, although the roots go back much earlier. On battlefields, a regiment’s colours, or flags, were used as rallying points and to assist the troops in recognising their colour the troops would be shown their colour in this ceremony.
Can you confirm these details? Or add more info, write a comment below.
Two linked articles with pre-WWI New Forest military activity around the Beaulieu area are:
TOP SECRET
“Overlord”
S. & T. Administrative Instructions Issued By O. C., R.A.S.C. Hants & Dorset District
Longford Castle
Salisbury
April 1944
This dossier contains a range of information regarding the build up to the D Day landings. Copy number 80 has 86 pages with the following subject headings:
- Object of instruction
- Organisation
- Intercommunication
- Supplies
- Petrol, Derv, Oils and Grease
- Pioneer Corps
- Transport
- Barrack Services
- Catering
- Postal Arrangements
Appendices
- Gamp Standing Orders
- Indent for Rations
- List of Petrel Pumps
- Holdings of Petrol, Derv and Oils
- Indent for P.O.L.
- Allotment of Transport
- Field Cooking Equipment
- Catering Control
- Establishment of personnel
- Cooks Duty Roster
- Demand Note
- Menu 1 and 2
- Protection of Food against Gas
- Recipes
- Bomb Disposal Report
You can find out more about the New Forest’s vital role in D-Day from Mulberry Harbour, to holding camps, road widening, advanced landing grounds, PLUTO and Embarkation by visiting our main page on D-Day in the New Forest.
A collection of maps and chart relating to Operation Overlord May 1944
You can find out more about the New Forest’s vital role in D-Day from Mulberry Harbour, to holding camps, road widening, advanced landing grounds, PLUTO and Embarkation by visiting our main page on D-Day in the New Forest.
In the lead up to the D-Day invasion of 1944, the battalion of the 2nd Glosters were stationed (in tents) at Ossemsley manor.
Listed as POW Camp 624 on the Prisoner of War Camps UK Google Earth Data. No other information.
