Winter 2021 Wylam War Memorial

Wylam War Memorial

North East War Memorials Project - (newmp.org.uk)

Wylam War Memorial records the names of 42 men who lost their lives during the First World War and a further 19 from the Second World War.

The war memorial at Wylam was unveiled on the 10th March 1923 by C.J.W. Blackett and dedicated by Rev. H.H. Barff. Reverend Barff's son Edward's name would be added as one of those lost during the Second World War whilst serving with the Royal Air Force. 

Amongst those commemorated are the Knott Brothers, sons of Sir James Knott who resided at Close House, Wylam.

Northumbrian Gunner: Ex Somme Reflect - Knott Brothers Commemoration

Wylam War Memorial 1950s

Saint Barbara Commemoration 2020

 Saint Barbara is the patron saint of Gunners throughout the world who commemorate her feast day on the 4th December.  

SAINT BARBARA

Saint Barbara
Patron Saint of Gunners

Master Gunners St Barbara's message 2020

Saint Barbara Commemoration 2020

Saint Barbara Commemoration 

West Road Cemetery Newcastle 5th December 2020

101 (Northumbrian Regiment Royal Artillery

Royal Artillery Association

St Barbara Commemoration
2020

Royal Artillery Association Standard Bearers / Bugler

Royal Artillery Association Standard Bearers

Officers on Parade - RAA / 101 RA

Last Post Sounds

Standards Dipped

Commanding Officer 101 RA lays RA wreath

Commanding Officer 101 RA

Royal Artillery Association
St Barbara Commemoration

CWGC - Shine On

The lockdown of 2020 lead to the cancellation of many remembrance events. Remembrance was facilitated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Shine On Campaign. 

 

 

In Memory of Private Matthew Stephenson

8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry

Lost as a POW on SS Scillin

14th November 1942

 

CWGC Information

 

Commemorated on the  Alamein Memorial

This #ArmisticeDay the @CWGC is calling upon members of the public to partake in a form of remembrance like no other. Join us in looking up to the stars at 7pm on 11 November to remember those who died during the two World Wars. Learn more, here: https://t.co/uhNj3QDyN7 #ShineOn pic.twitter.com/MrjsedcbgG

— CommonwealthWarGraves (@CWGC) November 4, 2020

Remembrance Sunday 2020

Remembrance Sunday Jesmond United Reformed Church.

Remembrance Sunday IJ
Jesmond United Reformed Church

Tyneside Scottish Branch RAA Standard

Royal Artillery Remembrance

Breaking the sound of silence across the nation @KingsTroopRHA fire the Minute Gun on Horse Guards parade #WeWillRememberThem ⁦@DefenceHQ⁩ ⁦@BritishArmy⁩ pic.twitter.com/Srgikhtgnm

— The Army in London (@ArmyInLondon) November 8, 2020

King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery passing the Royal Artillery Memorial, Hyde Park Corner.

We WILL Remember Them. #IRemember2020 #RemembranceDay #RemembranceSunday #LestWeForget@rhqra pic.twitter.com/7IZxwkUWPu

— Marcus Cribb (@mcribbHistory) November 8, 2020

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