South Shields - Trow Rocks Disappearing Gun

Disappearing Gun Trow Rocks headland

 Located on Trow Rocks South Shields is a replica of a disappearing gun.  The original was installed in 1877 as part of experiments into the use of  disappearing gun mounts.

The concept of a disappearing gun was formulated by Captain CS Moncrief of the Edinburgh Militia Artillery.   During the Crimean War (1854—56) he had observed the vulnerability of British Gunners during counter bombardment as they loaded their  muzzle loading guns.

Gun Emplacements Crimean War

Moncrief came up with idea of guns mounted in hidden emplacements which would only be exposed at their moment of firing. His idea was accepted by a Royal Commission in 1859, however initial designs were rejected. The carriage system was finally accepted in 1867, and would be deployed in scale form 1871.

The Moncrieff mounting was mechanical. The gun would be elevated into the firing position by the detachment, the recoil would return the into it’s hidden loading position. 

Moncrieff Gun Mounting

Moncrieff Gun Mounting

To improve the operability of the disappearing guns the idea of using pneumatics or  hydraulics to move a gun platform was formulated. To assess potential solutions trials were held compare designs. 

One of the potential designs was put forward by the Clarke-Maxim Company, known for the Maxim machine gun. The 3rd Durham Volunteer Artillery had leased land on Trow Rocks from the Tyne Commissioners and in 1885 were asked to lease the land to the War Office in order for Maxim to conduct trials for a disappearing gun. 

Construction at Clarke-Maxim’s own expense commenced in October 1886. 

A cylindrical concrete emplacement  6.4 metres (21 feet) in diameter excavated to a depth of 4.3 metres (14 feet) formed the infrastructure. A steel platform floating on water was raised and lowered by air pressure using pumps.  A 6 inch B.L. Mk IV gun was mounted on the platform.

Clarke-Maxim disappearing platform at Trow Rocks

 Replica Clarke-Maxim disappearing gun platform

Trials of the Clarke-Maxim disappearing gun platform were conducted on the 15th / 16th December 1887. The mechanism proved unsuccessful. The time taken for the platform to move back into a firing position was 8 hours. 

Trials at Shoeburyness on a hydro-pneumatic solution put forward William Armstrong’s Elswick factory would become the adopted gun mounting. 

The  Clarke-Maxim gun was removed in 1894, the interior cylinder filled with earth, leaving the concrete emplacement. 

Trow Rocks Gun Emplacement
Source: South Tyneside Historical Archives

A replica platform and gun was mounted by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) in the 1990’s. 

Replica gun being hoisted into position
Source: South Tyneside Historical Archives

Replica gun being hoisted into position

Source: South Tyneside Historical Archives

Replica gun in position

Source: South Tyneside Historical Archives

Replica gun and platfrom complete

Source: South Tyneside Historical Archives

Restoration and maintenance of the gun was undertaken by 205 (3rd Durham Volunteer Artillery) Battery Royal Artilley in 2015. The latter day 3 DVA Gunners working next to the original practice battery of the Volunteer Artillery.  

205 (3 DVA) Battery RA restoration 2015

South Shields - Frenchmans Point

Frenchmans Point
Source: South Tyneside Council

Frenchmans Bay lies on the coast 2,700 metres east of the mouth of the River Tyne in South Shields. It was the location of a coastal artillery battery which was operational in the First and Second World Wars. 

As the 19th century approached it’s last decade the guns in the coastal batteries in Tynemouth  were becoming obsolete. In 1845 construction of the Tyne Piers commenced and they took 50 years to build.  When work was completed in 1895, they rendered the guns at Cliffords Fort North Shields , the mainstay of defence of the Tyne, obsolete.  

River Tyne 1895

The obsolescence  of the defences on the Tyne necessitated the building of more modern batteries and work commenced in 1899 at Tynemouth and South Shields.

Two batteries for 2 x 6inch and 1 x 9.2 inch naval guns were completed in 1903. Tynemouth Castle Battery on the north side, and Frenchman’s Point on the southside on the coast at South Shields. The Tynemouth Spanish Battery augmented the defences with 2 x 6 inch and 2 x 12 pounder quick firing naval guns. Cliffords Fort became a  Submarine Mine Depot and a headquarters for the Tyne Electircal Engineers (TEE) who manned searchlights. 

The 3rd Durham Volunteer Artillery, re-designated 3rd Durham Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers)  in 1899,  were the local volunteers who trained on the guns at the Frenchmans Point battery. 

Frenchmans Point Battery 9.2 in gun BC 3rd Durham RGA

Frenchmans Point Battery
BC 3rd Durham RGA

Frenchmans Point Battery was visited by Lord Roberts, Commander in Chief of the Forces, in June 1903 when he toured the boroughs of Tynemouth and South Shields.

Shields Gazette 25th June 1903

Source: http://www.thessvlbhistory.co.uk/History/1903events.htm

Crowds of people were assembled all along the route, but there was very little cheering. On arrival at the fort the Commander-in- Chief was met by Colonel Penin, commanding the Militia and Volunteer Artillery of the N.E. District, and Col. Dawson, commanding 3rd D.V.A., who are encamped near the fort. The guns were manned by the men of the 3rd D.V.A., under Capt. Bell, with Captain Armstrong and Lieut. Chapman as gun group commanders. His lordship made an inspection of the guns and witnessed some interesting practice from the 1-inch aiming tube. He also visited the volunteer camp and partook of refreshments in the officers' mess, where he met the officers of the corps. Here he took a cordial leave of them, and entering his carriage again was driven away, the Mayor and Mayoress accompanying him to the South Shields station. 

Frenchmans Point Battery 1903

1st East Riding RGA Camp Frenchmans Bay 1905

In 1908 on the formation of the Territorial Force the 3rd Durham Royal Garrison Artillery       re-rolled to form the 4th Northumbrian (County of Durham) Howitzer Battery Royal Field Artillery. Defences on the Tyne came under the responsibility of the Tynemouth Royal Garrison Artillery, which included both Regular and Territorial soldiers.

When war broke out in August 1914, the Tyne was defended by the Tynemouth Castle and Spanish Batteries on the north of the Tyne, and Frenchmans Point Battery on the south, as well as the Submarine Mines of Cliffords Fort.

Tyne Defences 1914

In addition to the coastal artillery and submarine mines, the Royal Navy dedicated a scout cruiser and 14 destroyers of the 9th Destroyer Flotilla to defending the Tyne

HMS Patrol 9th Destroyer Flotilla

The 1914 Station of Units shows the defences manned by 12 and 47 Companies of the Royal Garrison Artillery, augmented by the Tynemouth RGA (TF).

Watching the Tyne 1914
Source: Rickard, J (23 June 2014), Watching the mouth of the Tyne, 1914 
 http://www.historyofwar.org/Pictures/pictures_watching_tyne_1914.html

An account of the operation of the Frenchman points Battery was recorded by 2nd Lieut. Leslie Tilley who was posted to the Tynemouth RGA in December 1914. 

9.2 inch gun Frenchmans Point Battery

 “I was posted to the Frenchman’s Point Battery, at Trow Point in South Shields. This had two six-inch guns covering Tynemouth and a 9.2-inch gun at the southern end of the position.

“We also knew the plan for a navigational ‘box’, set up a mile and a half offshore. This had been worked out before the war. All vessels wishing to enter the Tyne were to anchor there to be boarded by the crew of an examination steamer. All this took place under the gaze of the 6 inch guns at Spaniard’s Point under Tynemouth Castle. In the event of a ship behaving suspiciously, a single warning shot was allowed. If this was ignored, all guns in range would let fly".

 "In those early days we were subjected to almost daily battery drills, including the use of searchlights and floodlights, test firings and security exercises, until we could have     carried them out as we slept."

1914: “DEFENDING THE TYNE”

The naval threat to the British coastline from the Germany materialised in December 1914, though not on the Tyne. Four battle cruisers and two flotillas of destroyers bombarded the coastal towns of Scarborough, Whitby and Hartlepool. 

With the conclusion of the First World War and the defeat of Germany, the threat to the UK coastline diminished. The German High Fleet had been scuttled at Scapa Flow in June 1919 and no other power was capable of challenging the Royal Navy in Europe.

In 1922 cracks started to appear in the Frenchmans Point gun emplacements as a result of mining subsidence.  The cost of repairs was considerable, and with no real threat, the guns were dismounted and the land sold off.

Following the German invasion of Poland, in September 1939, Britain declared war on Nazi Germany. The Armed Forces mobilised and the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) deployed to the European Continent. Following the evacuation of the BEF from at Dunkirk May / June 1940, Britain prepared to defend the country against invasion. A Home Defence Executive was formed, and General Alanbrooke appointed Commander in Chief Home Forces.

As part of the anti-invasion measures, 153 Emergency Coatal Batteries were constructed along the coastline. The old emplacements at Frenchmans Point were brought back into use and two 6 inch naval guns installed. Another battery was built on The Lawe, above the mouth of the Tyne, with two 6 inch naval guns manned by Royal Marines. 

Tyne Defences 1940

In March 1941, the six inch guns from Frenchmans Point replaced the guns at the  Lawe Park Battery and the Tynemouth Territorials took over from the Royal Marines. Three 4.7inch guns were installed in new emplacements constructed at  Frenchmans Point. 

Frenchmans Point Battery
Source: Victorian Forts

Frenchmans Point Battery 1947

Frenchmans Point Battery was abandoned in November 1943, following an upgrade to the Lawe Park Battery.

South Shields - Lawe Park Battery

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Traces of the battery at Frenchman's Point can be identified from the air. 

Frenchmans point Battery reamains

South Shields - The Lawe

South Shields Lawe Top

 The Lawe in South Shields is a promontory at the mouth of the River Tyne and was the location of military activity over a period of 300 years.

During the English Civil War (1642 - 1651) a fort and watchtower was constructed in the vicinity of the Lawe. A Scottish Army sympathetic to the Parliamentarians laid siege to Newcastle from February to October 1644. They also turned their attention to Tynemouth attacking and capturing the castle and priory. The fort on the Lawe was captured in March 1644.

The mainstay of defence of the Tyne was Cliffords Fort, opposite the Lawe, on the Tyne's north bank built in 1677. The Dutch fleet had attacked the Meday in 1667, sailing up the river attacking the British fleet and bombarding the coast. This prompted a strengthening of coastal defences around the UK. 

The next major threat occurred in Napoleonic times, the invasion threat once again leading to increased focus on the defence of the British coast. In response coastal defences were organised into districts, batteries were placed around the coast and a volunteer force raised to man the guns.

The South Shields Loyal Volunteers were raised, and on the Lawe a barracks was built and four 18 pound cannon formed part of the Tyne defences. On the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, all volunteers corps were disbanded.

Lawe Top Napoleonic Barracks

Lawe Top Napoleonic Barracks 1960s.

Lawe Top Napoleonic Barracks 2020

In 1832, Trinity House constructed two beacons on The Lawe as a navigational aid to ships entering the Tyne. By lining up the two beacons the mid channel of the Tyne could be located. 

Lawe Beacons

Lawe Beacon and mouth of the Tyne

Lawe Beacon alignement

Following the Crimean War (1854 - 1856), many towns in the UK were presented with captured Russian Cannon from the conflict. South Shields was presented with two cannons, a 24 pounder and a 42 pounder, which were mounted on top of the Lawe. The cannons remained until 1940 when they were melted down for armaments. The current cannons are replicas.

Lawe Russian Cannon

Lawe Russian Cannon replicas

In November 1917, the National War Savings Committee was initiated to sell War Bonds and War Savings Certificates through a display of tanks throughout the country. The recent Battle of Cambrai had raised public interest in the new weapon and six tanks toured towns and cities being on display for week at a time. 

South Shields Tank Week Fund raising

The tank "Nelson" was placed on display outside South Shields Town Hall on 28th January 1918. By the end of it's  week display £1,239,480 had been raised, an equivalent to nearly £71 million today. 

South Shields Town Hall
Tank Week January 1918
Source: South Tyneside Libraries STH0004753

In recognition of fund raising efforts, at the end of the First World War the Government presented 265 tanks to towns and cities, including Newcastle, Sunderland and South Shields. The South Shields tank was installed on the Lawe Top on 18th June 1919, and remained until the 1930's. 

Lawe Top WW1 Tank presented to South Shields
18th June 1919

During World War Two, the park on the Lawe was the location of an emergency gun battery built in 1940.  A permanent battery was constructed in 1943, which was decommissioned at the end of the war and dismantled in 1956.

Lawe Park Battery

South Shields - Lawe (Park) Battery

A history of the Lawe is detailed on an information panel initiated by 205 Battery - 3rd Durham Volunteer Artillery Branch Royal Artillery Association. 

Lawe Top information panel