Aerial Photos of Ashleigh Road, Swansea

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Please, can you help identify any of these Home Guard soldiers?

'Dads Army' -who served the Z Battery Rocket Site

Mark Ridwell kindly shared this photo of number 7 section, Swansea Home Guard, who manned the Z Battery Rocket site at Ashleigh Road, Swansea, during the Second World War.

Private Peter Ridgewell and Sergeant Stan Ridgewell

Mark Ridgewell says, 'my dad Peter, is aged 16 in the picture (standing 4th from right in the back row). His father, Stan, aged 45 and a veteran of the First World War is proudly wearing his medal ribbons (sitting 4th from right in the 2nd row).

David Merrriman added, 'My father, Glyn Merriman is in the second row on the far left and was also a member of the rocket launching team. He was about 33 years old at the time of this photograph. He stated that on the first night of the blitz they didn’t fire any rockets, as there were no officers present to give the order, they were all attending a dinner at the Mackworth hotel.' Anyone got any more information on this?

The Z Battery, was a short range anti-aicraft weapon, which launched 3-inch diameter rockets, used in ground-based single and multiple launchers for air defence.

Please, can you help identify any of these Home Guard soldiers?

Home Guard Anti Aicraft Squad, Ashleigh Road, 1943

Published in Mumbles News, October 1974

22 October 1941

Aerial of Ashleigh Road, Swansea

Shows Rocket and several Anti-aircraft sites, along with RA & ATS barracks. Currently, the site is Council & University Playing fields, as well as Tennis Club [more detail soon]

10 August 1945

Aerial of Ashleigh Road, Swansea.

Shows Rocket and several Anti-aircraft sites, including one derilict and another new in c1940, replaced by one built in early 1944 along with the lower RA barracks & on Sketty Lane, the ATS barracks. ATS ladies remember that a NAFI 'Cinema' was close to this site. Currently, the site is Council & University Playing fields, as well as a small part of the American Forces Camp at Sketty Lane. [more detail soon]