Guest Ron Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Hello again, I was wondering whether anyone knows where the anti aircraft gun sites were situated in sheffield during WWII.Has a map been produced showing where they were situated? Regards Ron Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dunsbyowl1867 18 Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Hello again, I was wondering whether anyone knows where the anti aircraft gun sites were situated in sheffield during WWII.Has a map been produced showing where they were situated? Regards Ron A couple of photos from "Sheffield at War". The caption below the bottom photo suggests there were 3 rocket sites. One was at Shirecliffe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ron Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Thanks alot for the reply. I assume that before the rocket sites were introduced there would have been a number of Heavy anti aircraft batteries with 3.7 inch guns as elsewhere around the country. Thanks Ron Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bayleaf 8 Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Hi Ron There was an AA battery on the playing fields at High Storrs School. There were three 3.7s and one 4.7 naval ack-ack, plus a range finder manned by ATS personnel, and a search-light. An eye-witness who talked to the gunners was told that in Sheffield this was the only site with a 4.7 naval gun. Someone has done an overlay for Google Earth with all the sites marked. There was a link on the Sheffield Forum some time ago. Here are the map references for the sites in and near Sheffield. The placenames are approximate but the references are accurate, taken from a book called AA Command by C. Dobinson, published a couple of years ago. Near Ringinglow SK296 832 Shirecliffe SK351 897 Burngreave SK360 895 Loxley SK313 890 Near Norton SK 360 815 and SK363 815 Chapeltown SK352 956 Parson Cross SK347 931 Grenoside SK324 936 High Bradfield SK273 937 High Green SK321 964 If you can find the overlay all the sites in the UK are marked, along with Starfish etc. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest tsavo Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 Ron said: Hello again, I was wondering whether anyone knows where the anti aircraft gun sites were situated in sheffield during WWII.Has a map been produced showing where they were situated? Regards Ron Warminster Road was one according to Picture Sheffield: Link: https://www.picturesheffield.com/;s03553 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
neddy 44 Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 Dunsbyowl said: A couple of photos from "Sheffield at War". The caption below the bottom photo suggests there were 3 rocket sites. One was at Shirecliffe. There was one at the top of what is now the ski slope, at Parkwood Springs, there were a series of concrete bunkers used to play in them as kids, can just remember the wooden huts that presumably housed the soldiers, i'm sure there was mention of a heavy gun being there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest zep Posted December 26, 2007 Share Posted December 26, 2007 There was a site near where the Coit school is at Chapeltown. We used to play around in the concrete blocks on the way to Chap baths from Ecclesfield Comprehensive. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bayleaf 8 Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 There's a wartime book been republished called 'Roof over Britain, the official story of the AA defences 1939-1942'. Although it doesn't mention Sheffield has some good illustrations of equipment and descriptions of how sites were laid out. I picked up a copy from Postscript Books (google for the address) , cost me less than a fiver, plus postage of course! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ayfer 10 Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 I'm sure I remember some concrete emplacements on the top of Wincobank Hill (but I haven't been up there for 50 years). My father told me that he was attached to 131 battery HG Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery at Norton. As far as I can make out this was either as a cadet from Dronfield Grammar School cadet corps, or as a member of the Home Guard at Bradway. Unfortunately, he's not around to ask for clarification. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Fangorn Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 Three AA guns on top of Wincobank hill with 2 or 3 observation posts, still trying to find out exactly what types of gun they were Andy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Carveti Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Hello again, I was wondering whether anyone knows where the anti aircraft gun sites were situated in sheffield during WWII.Has a map been produced showing where they were situated? Regards Ron I believe there was a site on the outer perimeter of Ecclesfield Comp. playing fields, above what is known locally as "the quarry". There was also a gun-site on the field by the side of Ecclesfield Road, near the junction with Grange Lane. We used to play in the "trenches" back in the 60s. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichardB 21 Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 I believe there was a site on the outer perimeter of Ecclesfield Comp. playing fields, above what is known locally as "the quarry". There was also a gun-site on the field by the side of Ecclesfield Road, near the junction with Grange Lane. We used to play in the "trenches" back in the 60s. Welcome to the Site, mooch around, find stuff, ask questions, post stuff - enjoy ... If only we had a bunch of "old-ish" maps and some people that knew what they were doing... <Sigh>. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
neddy 44 Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Found on this site a map of the Parkwood Springs emplacements, http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/sidebyside.cfm#zoom=16&lat=53.4019&lon=-1.4742&layers=10&right=BingHyb Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Keith_exS10 18 Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 On 20/06/2007 at 20:56, Bayleaf said: Hi Ron There was an AA battery on the playing fields at High Storrs School. There were three 3.7s and one 4.7 naval ack-ack, plus a range finder manned by ATS personnel, and a search-light. An eye-witness who talked to the gunners was told that in Sheffield this was the only site with a 4.7 naval gun. Someone has done an overlay for Google Earth with all the sites marked. There was a link on the Sheffield Forum some time ago. Here are the map references for the sites in and near Sheffield. The placenames are approximate but the references are accurate, taken from a book called AA Command by C. Dobinson, published a couple of years ago. Near Ringinglow SK296 832 Shirecliffe SK351 897 Burngreave SK360 895 Loxley SK313 890 Near Norton SK 360 815 and SK363 815 Chapeltown SK352 956 Parson Cross SK347 931 Grenoside SK324 936 High Bradfield SK273 937 High Green SK321 964 If you can find the overlay all the sites in the UK are marked, along with Starfish etc. As a pupil at High Storrs from 1942 to 1949 I was intrigued by Bayleafs comments As an Old Centralian my father hoped I would make it there and moved to Banner Cross in 1939. That gave us chance to occasionally get the 28 bus and then walk home along Ringinglow Road. Looking across the top field to the left there looked to be anti aircraft guns pointing toward the city. What we wondered was the horizontal fine mesh screen which covered the whole 100 yards length of the cricket field and extended to the groundsman's big shed. In the middle was a sort of small observation post with no obvious way in or sign of life. There was a war on, it probably had to do with defence and you just didn't ask. Comes the 1942 exams and I made it to Form 1 with a view over the field. The mesh contraption had gone without trace but we could see guns in the distance. In the dinner hour we were usually allowed on the bottom football fields. After a while several of us set off to have a close look and got a shock. Plywood replicas. Just them, no sign ofany army buildings except the genuine gun enclosures. They looked realistic from the road and probably from overhead. .In truth by then there was not much aerial activity and gas mask and shelter drills were things of the past. After another year and even the decoys had gone. I have no doubt they were genuine at the beginning of the war but as usual ideas changed and about this time there was a major redistribution. I suspect the inhabitants of Bents Green Road would be relieved as the guns were only just across the road on the waste ground. The reference to a naval anti aircraft gun is interesting. It would be the 4.7" design from the mid twenties. The army had some and these were passed back to the navy at about this time. For those who are still looking in there is a sting in the tail. Leaving in 1949, I did the mandatory year in industry before going to St. George's Square. The war was far away. then National Service in the R.E.M.E. It was decided I would go for trade training which ultimately took up some fourteen months. First day in the training workshop : "This is a 3.7 anti aircraft gun and you lot are going to take it apart and put it back again" We were used to cranes. "No cranes in the desert" We were actually in deepest Hampshire but we were trained in a continuous worst case situation. The plywood decoys were no preparation. There were some horrible lumps to heave about, the biggest needing eight of us and even then we put it down a bit too quick. . I suppose typically soon after we had seen the latest 4.7 auto loader being made at Woolwich Arsenal Anti Aircraft Command was abolished. Overall it made up for not having the real thing on the High Storrs fields but I still don't know what the mesh screen was for. As civilian photography was banned ( there weren't any films anrway) unless someone gets into M.O.D. archives that will be the end of that . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
History dude 92 Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 There was for certain an AA site on Manor Lane. The Lodge grounds had the gunners stationed there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
miked 0 Posted November 24 Share Posted November 24 On 20/06/2007 at 20:56, Bayleaf said: Hi Ron There was an AA battery on the playing fields at High Storrs School. There were three 3.7s and one 4.7 naval ack-ack, plus a range finder manned by ATS personnel, and a search-light. An eye-witness who talked to the gunners was told that in Sheffield this was the only site with a 4.7 naval gun. Someone has done an overlay for Google Earth with all the sites marked. There was a link on the Sheffield Forum some time ago. Here are the map references for the sites in and near Sheffield. The placenames are approximate but the references are accurate, taken from a book called AA Command by C. Dobinson, published a couple of years ago. Near Ringinglow SK296 832 Shirecliffe SK351 897 Burngreave SK360 895 Loxley SK313 890 Near Norton SK 360 815 and SK363 815 Chapeltown SK352 956 Parson Cross SK347 931 Grenoside SK324 936 High Bradfield SK273 937 High Green SK321 964 If you can find the overlay all the sites in the UK are marked, along with Starfish etc. Has anyone made sense of these locations, I cant. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rover1949 12 Posted November 25 Share Posted November 25 I tried it on OS maps and it works if you add 00 to the coordinates to make 5 digits. Parson Cross came up as Remington Road. There are online converters for different systems. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SteveHB 194 Posted November 25 Share Posted November 25 32 minutes ago, rover1949 said: I tried it on OS maps and it works if you add 00 to the coordinates to make 5 digits. Parson Cross came up as Remington Road. There are online converters for different systems. UK Grid Reference Finder https://gridreferencefinder.com/ "High Bradfield SK273 937" https://gridreferencefinder.com?gr=SK2730093700|SK273_s_937|1&t=SK273 937&v=r 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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