The Ack Ack Camp on Mumbles Hill
by Michael Llewellyn
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The Ack Ack Camp on Mumbles Hill
by Michael Llewellyn
by Michael Llewellyn
The camp on the Mumbles Hill was a big part of my early life from 1939 to 1945, as I was a child living nearby in Michaels Field. I can remember my time with the men on the Hill, where the Royal Artillery manned the Battery. At one stage, they were commanded by Colonel ‘Chalky’ White. (I was told that he had won a VC).. The officers included Lieutenant Harewood, who enjoyed a society wedding with his bride Elaine, with whom I shared our dug-out for several months (in separate bunks I hasten to say). I was aged eight and felt it appropriate to confide in her that I thought her to be ‘a smashing bit of stuff,’ which was well received and is evidenced by a newspaper photograph of her wedding. There was also Lieutenant Maurice Smart, Bombardier Tiny Ellis and Private Alex James. I think that Maurice Smart arrived in Singapore just in time to be captured by the Japanese. Company Sergeant Major Bill Cargill was my personal hero: a regular soldier, he had been a Chindit in Burma with Wingate and had also served in Palestine before the War.
Although there was much barbed wire surrounding the Mumbles Hill Camp, access for small lads like me was extremely easy— just hop over the hedge onto Boulanger's carriage drive, or in our case, open the gate at the end of the garden, for our house had been designated for requisition in the event of invasion and had concrete steps with a gate provided. We used to wander into the camp with some freedom, as long as we did not adopt too high a profile and avoided officers. The soldiers were always kind to us, and we used to Blanco kit in return for cap badges, uniform buttons and the like: clean the webbing with a toothbrush and khaki paste, which came in tins, rather like cleaning tennis shoes. There was plenty of kit to clean and it was something of a chore. Haversack, anklets, belt, frog for bayonet, rifle sling, two pouches and various straps—We became quite expert. When the NAAFI hut (at first an ordinary Nissen hut, but later quite a smart building) showed films or had entertainments there were usually a gang of local kids sitting at the front.
Later in the War, Nissen huts were erected in the field, which is now Thistleboon Drive, and were separate from the main camp. A contingent of ATS (women soldiers) was accommodated there. I'm not certain what role they performed but they greatly added to the occasion and rather daringly (for the times) usually wore slacks and, we were interested to note from various washing lines, enormous khaki bloomers!
We were always having parades in the village, usually associated with raising funds ‘Mrs Churchill's Aid to Russia Fund’, or ‘Spitfire Week’ for example, or to celebrate Armistice Day or some other important event. The Parades would form up somewhere along the Mumbles Road and march to a Saluting Base at Oystermouth Square and turn up Dunns Lane. A naval contingent (if available from the Docks) would, as Senior Service, always lead the parade, followed by contingents from the Army, the Home Guard, the Air Force, Sea, Air and Army Cadets, ARP Wardens, Queen Alexandra's Nursing Corps, Sea Scouts (3rd Mumbles Troop), Scouts (1st Mumbles Troop, I'm not certain there was a 2nd Mumbles) Girl Guides, Cubs and Brownies. We took it all very seriously and it was much enjoyed by everyone. We all felt that we were ‘doing our bit’ by parading in uniform.
By the time of D Day, I'm not certain that the AA Guns were still on the hill. A contingent of the Black Watch was there at about that time. A piper paraded through the camp with pipes wailing several times a day, to the enormous amusement of us youngsters, who would follow him at a distance shouting rude remarks until chased away! We had American negro soldiers at the camp just before D-Day. On discovering their presence, we pestered them for gum, candy and comics to be told to come back next day. Their stay was extremely brief for when we returned, they had gone.
The camp was then deserted until squatters arrived at the end of the War. They were very decent people, who lacked homes and were there for some time.
I knew Bert Slee as he was a friend of my Dad's and used to come out with us in the motorboat Bessie, which my Dad owned and moored at Southend. I knew that later he had been lost in the Rawalpindi. He seemed a very nice man and it was so sad that he was lost in those early stages of the War. The Rawalpindi didn't have a hope against the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau, who appeared suddenly in low visibility. Very gallant to fight, but at a fearful cost and to little purpose. When the "Jervis Bay", another armed merchant cruiser, placed herself between a German Raider and the convoy she was escorting later in the war, she suffered a similar fate but delayed the raider long enough for the convoy to break and scatter, which saved many ships and lives. Captain Fogarty Fegen R.N. was awarded the Victoria Cross and a number of his officers gained decorations. I don't know of any awards being made to "Rawalpindi" personnel.
Surprisingly, many of the anti-aircraft gun emplacements still remain for walkers to view and explore and an on-going project has cleared the vegetation from several of the emplacements and bunkers, and helping to assist in their preservation. Some are still hidden by vegetation and attempts at clearance are made regularly, when any remains found are recorded.
The Battery was sited adjacent to Thistleboon Common and west of the 299th Coastal Defence Battery on Mumbles Hill. In all, there were several thousand serving personnel, including the Royal Sussex Regiment, ATS and 360 members of the Home Guard, working at different times on the headland during the Second World War.
Nowadays by contrast, Mumbles Hill is a largely-deserted peaceful haven, overgrown in places, but beautiful nonetheless, where one can escape for a while to just ‘stand and stare’ at the wonderful views, enjoy a picnic, read a favourite book or explore the gradually re-emerging wartime remains.
Mumbles Hill Local Nature Reserve today
Mumbles Hill resident, Hilary Mackenzie:
‘On warm summer days, my mother and I would walk across the hill, past the lush buttercup meadow of Mr. Boulanger’s large house, Somerset House, and down through the bracken to Bracelet Bay. It all came to an abrupt halt in the autumn of 1939, when war descended on our peaceful little corner. The far section of our lovely hill was requisitioned by the War Department for a large anti-aircraft station, our walk to Bracelet was shut off by barbed wire, and where the sheep grazed, nissen huts of tough soldiers appeared.
This weather-worn Royal Artillery sign obviously directed traffic to Mumbles Battery. 262 Maintenance Battery Royal Artillery.
The task of the guns of the 623rd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery was to defend against airborne attacks and to engage and destroy enemy aircraft
There were Four 'Round' AA Emplacements from 1940
Emplacement Number Two
view towards Swansea. This gunsite is on a public footpath and is always available to view.
The cable trenches lead from the control bunker to the guns and here they were added into the concrete hardstanding of the gun after construction.
Another view of the cable trench which led to the gun from control bunker in the background.
The emplacements are designed so the C/O can see each of the four guns from his position at the Control bunker.
The Royal Artillery Gunners
In February 1941, the local Air Defence Command lay with 5th Anti Aircraft Division, with 6 Light Brigade covering the approximate area from Carmarthen to Bridgend, under command of Brigadier R C Reynold OBE MC. He deployed 79th HAA Regiment in and around Swansea, with a responsibility to provide a maximum wall of fire to defend the City from Air attacks. Guns from 246, 247 and 248 HAA Batteries were deployed in the Swansea area, with 2 guns from 246 Battery at Mumbles.
Before 1943, the Royal Artillery Gunners at the Control Bunker, manned the telephone, predictor, rangefinder, in addion to manning the four 3.7-inch guns, on mobile mountings. In 1942, a shortage of manpower brought great changes.
Their numbers were reduced to 49 X Gunners, 4 X Gun Position Assistants, as well as 2 X Subalterns, 4 X Sergeants, 3 X Engine Attendants, 2 X Batmen and a Medical Orderly.
Two new guns in 1944, RAF aerial 7 July 1946
1) Four obsolete 'round' emplacements 2) Two new 'square' emplacements 3) Officers Mess, now private 4) Control Bunker 5) Barracks 6) Sergeants Mess 7) Sergeants Barracks
Michael Llewellyn said:
Michael Llewellyn, who lived in the house on the lower left, revealed ‘I was eight years old, and although there was much barbed wire surrounding the camp (and the Barracks), access for small lads like me was extremely easy. We used to wander into the camp with some freedom, as long as we did not adopt too high a profile and avoided officers. The soldiers were always kind to us, and we used to Blanco kit in return for cap badges, uniform buttons and the like. There was plenty of kit to clean and it was something of a chore —We became quite expert.
At one stage, the battery was commanded by Colonel ‘Chalky’ White, (Michael Llewellyn also noted that in the field, where the cricket club now play contained a searchlight battery.
More: Mumbles at War >
On the alarm being sounded the Royal Artillery gunners rush to take up action stations
at a typical gunsiteThe Gunners are Joined by the ATS Girls
By early 1942 the training regiments were turning out a regular stream of Mixed HAA batteries, which AA Command formed into regiments to take the place of the all-male units being sent to overseas theatres of war. One such new unit was
623rd (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery.
A hill-top resident, Michael Llewellyn remembers:
‘The ATS appeared on the camp at the Mumbles Hill sometime after 1941. They were accommodated in newly built Nissen Huts in the lower field in which Thistleboon Drive is now situated and were inclined to clip small boys over the ear if discovered in the vicinity of their huts. The sight of enormous khaki bloomers swaying in the wind on clothes lines held a compulsive attraction for young lads. ‘
The NAAFI and Cinema
Michael continued: 'When the NAAFI hut (at first an ordinary Nissen hut, but later quite a smart building) showed films or had entertainments there were usually a gang of local kids sitting at the front. As well as concerts other camps also had dancing, table tennis, and darts in the canteen as well as various sporting events outdoors.
The Predictor Girls at nearby Ashleigh Road.
The ten ATS girls assembled here, served at the nearby battery at Ashleigh Road and were described in a caption as, 'The Radar Girls, stationed at Mumbles Road, between 1943 and 1944'.
The full team of a dozen girls are also shown at work in the photo further above and served at the 'Control Bunker' (names vary). Around six girls would have worked on the predictor, there were always two on the phone lines to command and another two worked on the radar set. The information they processed was passed to the guns, for the enemy to be targeted.
The servicemen and women, were able to spend some of their off duty time and buy essential items at the NAAFI, and maybe watch film shows and other entertainment there. The village, with two cinemas, numerous pubs and several dance halls was nearby, for those with permission to be off camp. Joyce Stott remembered that at her camp Housey-Housey (Bingo) was played sometimes. Tea and buns could be bought and our ration of chocolate and cigarettes were served – at a price of course – 1s.0d. for 20 cigs I think- perhaps 1s.6d. for the better ones and perhaps a few extras like razor blades and writing paper.
Church Services were celebrated
Rev. Wilkinson, Vicar of All Saints'
Anne Ardouin, daughter of the Vicar of All Saints Church recalls her father’s wartime duties. ‘Every Sunday morning, between church services, he would celebrate Holy Eucharist at the army camp of Thistleboon on the Mumbles Hill, wearing a purple armband, emblazoned with O.C.F. (Officiating Chaplain to the Forces) on top of his clerical robes. If we were especially lucky, he would let us accompany him and later, in the Officers’ Mess, we would enjoy breakfast of bacon and eggs, which were so heavily rationed at home,’ although Muriel Schroter (née Hawkins) of the ATS, stationed on the hill, commented that she and her colleagues ‘always had bread and jam.’
Anne Ardouin
623rd (M) Heavy AA Battery comprised,; 76 gunners and other ranks, 33 Home Guard and 86 women of the ATS. The Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) was the women's branch of the British Army during the Second World War. The Royal Artillary men crewed the guns and the women of the ATS handled all other aspects of control, including prediction, range finding, communication and all other roles, other than actually firing the guns.
On Mumbles Hill, around eighty-six ATS women served in the battery (including 23 Fire Control Operators, 50 'Instrument Numbers' clerks, orderlies, drivers, storekeepers. and 9 cooks in addition to several NCOs & officers). ,
The ATS women worked the manually-controlled predictors tracking the target, taking inputs from optical or radar rangefinders and calculating firing data for the guns, including allowance for wind and temperature.
The Mumbles Defence Plan had a total establishment of around 700, it included 200 Home Guard tasked with local defence on the hill, The Tutt and the Lighthouse Island, In addition 152 HG assisted in manning a variety of weapons at these batteries. This included 33 HG which crewed one AA gun, working one night every eight days.
Control bunker or Command Post, today
The Control bunker (or Control Post) with its offices, plotting room and telephone room, still stands at the centre of the gun emplacements, designed so that the CO could see each gun when he looked out. In the plotting room, women worked round a map of the area. It also ‘housed’ a height-finder and a manually controlled predictor outside. Other ruins still visible today, include curved sections of brick walls, bolts in the ground, ducts and the remains of several brick structures.
My life in the ATS on an Ack Ack Battery >
The memories of Muriel Schroter, who served in the ATS as 'Private Muriel Hawkins 205907', at SWANSEA SIX (N6) Ashleigh Road and later SWANSEA FIVE (N5 )Mumbles Hill.
Muriel Schroter, who served in the ATS, as 'Private Muriel Hawkins 205907', from 1942, noted: 'When we arrived at the camp the men were moved out of the wooden huts and they lived in tents for several months, while Nissan huts were built opposite'.'
Mumbles Hill Home Guard gun crew, in 1944
Now, Mumbles Local Nature Reserve
Mumbles Hill was the obvious location for Naval Coastal Defence guns and an Anti-Aircraft battery for the protection of Swansea and the Bristol Channel.
Decommissioning: used by homeless families
After the end of the war, guns and other equipment were removed from both batteries. (The examination battery on the lighthouse island had already been disbanded.) Mumbles Head was finally decommissioned in 1957 and the six-inch gun battery bunkers and gun emplacements were either removed or covered over.
Today, only markers and information boards indicate what was once there. The searchlight emplacements and the engine house on the lighthouse island still exist and remains of the concrete causeway going out to the island can be seen at low tide. Nissen huts at both Bracelet Bay and Mumbles Hill were used for a while as temporary accommodation for homeless families, (see below).
Postwar, a friend of Ronald Studden named Christtancock lived in one of the Nissan huts at Bracelet Bay and noted that in the early 1950s they had prior warnings, which arrived in the post twice a year, 'we were warned that the guns on the hill would fire twice a year for testing, usually January and July and as a security measure we should tape up our windows.'
By 30 August 1944 the number of heavy anti-aircraft guns around Swansea had been halved and by 3 January 1945 all had been removed. On Mumbles Hill, the anti-aircraft gun emplacements fell into ruin and became hidden beneath vegetation.
Another young resident of Mumbles Hill was Mike Hurst, who is pictured outside one of the army huts which, after the war. was home to some of thosewho had been bombed-out during the Swansea blitz
David Passmore with a cat, outside his hut at Mumbles Hill Camp postwar, with his cousins Dave and Alan Brewer.
A simple Google Map with access to photos
With the situation of the Second World War Remains, parking, seating and footpaths
(Acknowledgements: City and County of Swansea; The National Archives; West Glamorgan Archives; Mumbles Development Trust; Oystermouth Historical Association; John & Carol Powell; Gareth Ellis; Kate Elliott- Jones.)
Contact the Website Editor Part of this article was published in The Swansea History Journal
Guided walks onto the hill have been held held as a part of the- The Gower Walking Festival >
Mumbles Hill Local Nature Reserve,
Contact: Sean Hathaway 01792 635749 or 07974 760980.
Nature Conservation Team > Environment Department, City and County of Swansea, The Guildhall, Swansea SA1 4PH
This City & County of Swansea project is under the supervision of Glamorgan Gwent Archaeology Trust Ltd., with assistance from Mumbles Development Trust and Oystermouth Historical Association.
Oystermouth Historical Association (OHA) Publications
Many leaflets are available to order including:- Mumbles at War, 623 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery and Mumbles at War, Coastal Defences 299th Battery,
Self-Guided Walk: Swansea Ramblers >
Vehicles
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
Description
WWII Anti-Aircraft Battery adjacent to Thistleboon Common, Mumbles. The 623rd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery comprised of a Control bunker with underground command post, offices and plotting room, and four 3.7" AA guns in round, brick-walled emplacement, to the north. The round emplacements were replaced in 1944 with two square ones, located to the east.
NPRN416841 - Map ReferenceSS68NW - Grid ReferenceSS6224087600 - Unitary (Local) AuthoritySwansea - Old CountyGlamorgan - CommunityMumbles
Type Of Site ANTI AIRCRAFT BATTERY - PeriodPost Medieval
Archive Notes
Some areas were issued with ex-naval guns on static mountings, which were 4.5-inch calibre, but nevertheless fired a 3.7-inch shell, a new barrel having been installed to allow this. Early trials were made using 3.7 inch sleeve in the 4.5 inch barrel, but were found to be unsatisfactory.
The larger, heavier gun fired shells faster and higher than the earlier designs, as it allowed more cordite to be used, and when combined with an anto-fuse setter, they gave the gun an effective ceiling of around 35,000 feet.
The Proximity Fuse was not used at Mumbles Hill.
Aditional Information
By John Smith
The Spanish Civil War of 1937 had highlighted the awesome potential of air weaponry to undermine a country's ability to defend itself against the destruction of its strategic infrastructure and its civilian population. To counter this situation, the British Government set up the 'Air Defence of Great Britain'. This Organisation unified Fighter Command and Anti Aircraft Commands, together with the Royal Observer Corps.
The country was divided into defence regions interlinked to a central command with communications established through the national telephone network. Radar stations were strategically established to track and notify the Air Defence Command about incoming enemy bombers and this was disseminated to regions.
A system of air raid warnings were introduced, with 'yellow' as a preliminary warning to bring Anti Aircraft Units, Civil Defence, Fire Fighting, Police and Hospital authorities to the ready. 'Red' alerted the civilian population of imminent attack by the sounding of air raid sirens. 'White' sounded the all clear.
During early 1941, night fighters lacked the technology to successfully intercept and destroy the attacking enemy bombers. Therefore the primary night time means of defence fell to the Anti Aircraft Units of the Royal Artillery whose principle weapon of defence was the 3.7 inch (94mm) QF Mobile Anti Aircraft Gun supported by Searchlights which enabled them to identify German bombers at night.
This equipment was developed in co-operation with Vickers Company and issued to the Royal Artillery in 1938. It was designed for both static and mobile use, mounted on four wheels and towed by a Scammell Tractor Unit. The Gun weighed nearly 10 tons, has a maximum ceiling of fire of 30,000 feet (6 miles), fires a shell weighing 281bs and is capable of elevating and traversing through 80 and 360 degrees respectively. The Gun mounted on the monument is identical to the 3.7 inch Anti Aircraft Guns that were used during WW2, in the defence of Swansea during the Blitz.
In February 1941, the local Air Defence Command lay with 5th Anti Aircraft Division, with 6 Light Brigade covering the approximate area from Carmarthen to Bridgend, under command of Brigadier R C Reynold OBE MC. He deployed 79th HAA Regiment in and around Swansea with a responsibility to provide a maximum wall of fire to defend the City from Air attacks.
Guns from 246, 247 and 248 HAA Batteries were deployed in the Swansea area as follows:
246 Battery - 4 guns at Neath Abbey and 2 guns at Mumbles. ## Probably not correct
247 Battery - 4 guns at Morriston and 4 guns at the Jersey Marine.
248 Battery - 4 guns at Sketty. Ref: Anti-Aircraft & Rocket Battery, Ashleigh Road
To assist the guns, predictors and Sound Locating Units were in support to track the height and path of the attacking aircraft. Additionally, in support of the guns, were searchlights and several Light Anti Aircraft Detachments equipped with machine guns to combat low flying aircraft.
The 'Ack-Ack Gunners' as they were known, were formed from Territorials, Militiamen and regular soldiers, some who had returned from Dunkirk. They undertook their duties in all weathers and were at 'Action Stations' for long periods. Their main frustration was, in spite of their very hard work and best efforts, very few raiders were shot down. This was unfortunately due to the fact that the technology to do this was not then available. However the guns played an important role, by forcing the raiders to fly at higher altitudes to take avoiding action, all of which made it much more difficult for them to aim accurately at the target. This reduced the number of hits they made on the targets, which effectively reduced the damage sustained to life and property. It was also very important to boost civilian morale by providing the feeling that 'we were hitting back'.
Reference - Wikipedia
79th (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
By the end of February 1941 the HAA guns in the Swansea GDA still only numbered 18 out of a planned establishment of 36. These were distributed to sites as follows:[61][62]
N1 Llansamlet – 4 x 3.7-inch (247 Bty)
N2 Neath – 4 x 3.7-inch (246 Bty)
N3 Jersey Marine – 4 x 3.7-inch (247 Bty)
N4 Ravenhill (under construction by 246 Bty)
N5 Mumbles – 4 x 3.7-inch (248 Bty)
These had been increased a month later to 36
Information Boards on the site of the Coastal Gun Battery
NEWS - November 2021 - MUSEUM IS LOOKING FOR A NEW SITE
1940s Swansea Bay museum on Fabian Way, has closed while searching for a new site for its extensive collection.