The Line Target is still visible today as a straight line cutting through the natural vegetation of the old range live impact zone. Lorry loads of chalk were needed to form the target and this chalk has prevented the native species recolonizing the targets path. 3m wide and some 1800m long the target lays northeast –southwest terminating just short of the ‘Bulls Eye’ target with a cross beam.
The target was used to trial different techniques, ordnance, and equipment used to attack railway tracks and roads. Strafing runs with all guns firing as well dropping bombs were used and tested using this target.
Further Reading
On this site the Ashley Range Overview page has links to pages about the other targets on the range.
Part of the New Zealand General Hospital No.1 site at Brockenhurst.
You can find out more here: Avon Tyrrell Outdoor Activity Centre
You can find out more about the activities, sites and stories associated with the hospital by clicking here: No.1 New Zealand General Hospital
In this area are three standalone air raid shelters of brick construction with concrete roofs. As yet we do not know why they are all out here but one was nr a (now demolished) house.
The shelters are all to the south of the Common.
During World War II, Balmer Lawn Hotel was used as a HQ for various units based in the area. War diary research indicates that it was initially used as a HQ for a Royal Marine Division (this may have been the artillery brigade of the division (Royal Marines Museum) and was later occupied by the HQ of the 3rd Canadian Division (WO 166/10967). In Hollands Wood immediately north of the hotel, there are several features that may be ancillary parts of the HQ.
The Bartley BBC Radio Site was set up in the war and known as an “H group transmitter”. The purpose was to act as a relay station to improve reception of the Home Programme in the Southampton, Bournemouth and Portsmouth areas.
Five weeks before D Day it also became an ABSIE (American Broadcasting Station In Europe) site transmitting programmes to troops and the enemy as a source of propaganda. This service closed at the end of the war however the Home Programme Service was retained to transmit regional radio programmers to the BBCs South Region. In Sept 1978 the BBC ceased regional radio broadcasting with the introduction of Radio 4 on 198 kHz Long Wave and the Bartley site closed and demolished.
Group H: The synchronization of the Home Service transmitters on to just two frequencies caused many interference problems for domestic listeners, with one Home Service transmitter interfering with another on the same frequency – this caused reception to sound very “mushy” in many areas. To overcome this problem the BBC initially installed a network of 61 low power relay stations around the UK using 203 meters (1474 kHz) called ‘Group H’, and which was later expanded. This network of low power relays filled in the coverage gaps (the mush areas) from the main transmitters. All of the Group H stations were manned 24 hours per day so that any single transmitter could be quickly closed down should there be an air raid.
- Brookmans Park (Southern Group)
- Droitwich 5GB (Southern Group)
- Washford (Southern Group)
- Moorside Edge (Southern Group)
- Bartley (Southern Group)
- Norwich (Southern Group)
- Swains Lane – Reserve TX (Southern Group)
- Stagshaw (Northern Group)
- Westerglen (Northern Group)
- Lisnagarvey (Northern Group)
- Burghead (Northern Group)
- Ottringham (Northern Group)
- Penmon (Northern Group)
- Redmoss (Northern Group)
- Fraserborough (masking)
American Broadcasting Station in Europe (ABSIE) began five weeks before D Day, established by USA’s Office of War Information (OWI) with the help of CBS and was operated by the OWI and Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force’s (SHAEF) Psychological Warfare Division. The aim of American Broadcasting Station in Europe was to provide “…the truth of this war to our friends in Europe — and to our enemies”. Like the BBC, ABSIE provided news, talks, music and propaganda and also broadcast information for the underground movement. Broadcasts were made in various languages.
ABSIE used twelve transmitters situated in the UK using two frequencies plus some additional short-wave transmission facilities provided by the BBC.
Information contributed by John Wingham
John Robinson, now living in Santa Monica, California, USA, heard the extracts of an interview with Betty McCarthy –
