WW2 bunker near Hambledon Hill
 

Hi folks. I'm curious about the purpose of the WW2 bunker/observation post which can be found between Mitchell lodges and Hambledon Hill (Near the Kings Highway). It's been suggested to me it was part of a decoy airfield as its construction is very similar to the MOD plans of the time. I was always under the impression it was used as an observation post as part of the home defense network. Does anyone have any firm information on it?

Thanks for reading. :wave:

Re: WW2 bunker near Hambledon Hill
 

It certainly has a dominant position over the valley northbound from Haslingden,so this would be my idea as to what it was and be very sceptical about a spoof airfield.

Re: WW2 bunker near Hambledon Hill
 

Where is this ? The only bunker I can think of is the large crater.

Re: WW2 bunker near Hambledon Hill
 

Cheers Les, I'm skeptical about the Q-station thing also. Can't find any further info on it, so I'm assuming as you suggest it was just an observation post.

Chris.

Re: WW2 bunker near Hambledon Hill
 

If you walk down the passage the room on the right housed two diesel generators.
The room on the left was accomodation, when I first went in the generators had been removed, the other room still had bunk beds a table and some chairs.
The only civilians allowed any where near were the farmers, even we as children out collecting whimberries were turned away by the sentries. What little we could see was camoflaged.
After the last air raids on Manchester, the generators were removed and what ever had been camoflaged had also gone.

Retlaw

Re: WW2 bunker near Hambledon Hill
 

The presence of generators would suggest searchlights.I did not see evidence of any large gun emplacements,but they would have been in short supply at the time,small arms and rifles would be the limit.Another possibility would have been a barrage balloon,but these were nearer to towns or important sites.So,it's looking like an observation and searchlight post.The location is off the A56 by-pass as on the attached Google Earth grabs.

Re: WW2 bunker near Hambledon Hill
 

A lot depends on the size of the generators. Most searchlight batteries, exept those around major cities and defence/military sites, were mobile as were the generators for them, the same applied to barrage balloons.
It could well have been a communications site -the receiver antennae could have been part of the site but the transmitter antennae would probably hae been some distance away and connected by cable, of which there should still be me sign of it.
Being so far away from habitation wireless communications would have been essential, so whatever the use it would have had some form of wireless link, probably VHF, which in that location would have given quite a reasonable range. In all probability it is an observation post run by the Observer Corps with just a small possibility that it was Home Guard.
The generators, bunk beds would tend to suggest that it was manned and operational 24/7. I will try and have a look at it when I am in Accrington next month.

Re: WW2 bunker near Hambledon Hill
 

I went up to this many times as a kid, but had know idea it was possibly something to do with the ROC. I knew the ROC had posts in Padium/Burnley and Mellor/Blackburn, but didn't know they were possibly on our door step. I hope your research pays off Barrie.

Re: WW2 bunker near Hambledon Hill
 

The following is an etract from "A Brief History of the ROC"

"Regular training continued through the 70's and 80's but in 1991 it was decided by the Home Office & MOD that the ROC would cease active training and the remaining underground posts were closed at the end of September that year. Most of the posts closed in 1968 reverted back to the original landowners while those closed in 1992 were put out to public tender. Nationally, many were snapped up by cellular telephone operators because of their strategic positions on high ground."

I have never seen the site even though as a child in the late '40s i used to be taken for walks every Sunday across the Coppice, Moleside and Hambledon.
Is it an above ground structure? It may have been in use uring the Cold War as a Nuclear Attack Reporting Site, but i cannot find any record in the ROC listing of Lancashire sites.

Re: WW2 bunker near Hambledon Hill
 

It is an above ground structure, but landscaped, the only obvious feature was a brick blast wall in front of the entrance, one brick had been left out 5ft up as a peep hole.
Its pointless looking for any thing to do with the cold war, or anything to do with the 50's, 60's 70's or 80's. It was stripped and closed down before the end of 1944.
From what I can make out on google earth it looks to have collapsed in on itself or deliberately destroyed.

Retlaw.

Re: WW2 bunker near Hambledon Hill
 

Searching the web comes up with one possibility, that it was just one of several decoy units scattered over the moors during WW2, to confuse Jerry's bomber navigators.
Don't think they worked very well, Salford & Manchester got a right shellacking during the early 1940's.

Retlaw.

Re: WW2 bunker near Hambledon Hill
 

Thanks Retlaw

Re: WW2 bunker near Hambledon Hill
 

Just found these 2 photos from my archive,taken about 8 years ago

Re: WW2 bunker near Hambledon Hill
 

Thats deteriorated a heck of a lot since I last saw it 60 years ago. Looks like its had some help from some one, to get in that state.
The blast wall looks ready to fall, needs a push before it falls on somebody.
Retlaw.

Re: WW2 bunker near Hambledon Hill
 

http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/f...ii-3711-4.html

Read this its as I thought a decoy to fool jerry navigators.
Retlaw.