40th Anniversary of The Aldershot Bombing

On this day 40 years ago, Aldershot found itself on the frontline of a terrorist attack. At 12.40pm a blast tore through the 16th Parachute Brigade Headquarters. A stolen blue Ford Cortina had been packed with 200lbs of explosives by the IRA. Its spokesperson in Dublin said the attack was first in a series of operations aimed at British headquarters serving in Northen Ireland. Now its also seen as a reprisal attack for the lives lost in what's now called "Bloody Sunday", all be it a "Miscalculated" one.

The explosion hit in the very heart of the Army town. But by an irony not unusual in such situations, the only army officer killed in the attack – which was meant to target army officers – was Captain Gerry Weston, a Roman Catholic chaplain. He had recently returned from service in Ulster, where he had acquired a reputation as a successful peacemaker.

Six other civilians, who all worked in the mess, were also killed in the attack on February 22 1972: Thelma Bosley, Margaret Grant, John Haslar, Joan Lunn, Jill Mansfield and Sheri Munton.

I remember being told the story of the attack when i was younger, and I couldn't understand how War could come to my hometown in one afternoon, but of course sadly now, its a concept we're all familiar with.

The bomb wrecked the three-storey building, shooting a plume of grey-brown smoke into the air and shattering the windows of shops in the High Street.

In a bumper edition of the then Weekend News, published after the explosion, the true devastation of the event was described.

“Within seconds, ambulances and fire tenders were on the scene,” the news article read.
“And men from nearby barracks whose windows had been blown in had already dashed to the dust-shrouded wreckage to claw at the rubble with their hands to release the trapped victims.
“On the scene itself, the square mess building stood a mere skeleton – with a heap of rubble as high as the ceiling of the ground floor spewed out in front of it.
“Grey concrete dust covered everything and soon the grim-faced rescue workers took on as pale a look with the powder on their faces as the injured they dragged from the debris.
“Pieces of cars – including the one used in the attack – rained down on buildings up to 150 yards away and charred wreckage from the vehicles littered Pennefathers Road.”

Within 10 minutes of the blast, police and army personnel ringed the entire area and searched traffic in and out of the barracks.
More than 150 extra police were brought into Aldershot, from Thames Valley, Surrey and the Metropolitan, and an inquiry was immediately set up.

My Dad and Nan were having lunch about 1 mile away when it happened, they said they felt a VERY strong shake in the ground, and the deep blast sound reverberated in your ears for a while after. They knew immediately what had occured, it was only the plume of smoke seconds later than confirmed their fears. Looking out the front door, they saw debris raining down. 

Frightnenly, my Grandad was on route to the Parachute Officers mess (where he was working as an accountant after coming out of the army) when he was called back for a cup of tea by the kitchens cook at a Barracks up the road - because he always went through the kitchen door rather than the front. Horrible to think that fellow women army cooks up the road were killed only minutes later, he could have been in THAT kitchen instead. I don't think he could believe his luck that day. But for all my Dad&Nan knew, he was there when it happened. I can't imagine how frightening that must have been for all of them. He said missed it by about 5 - 10 minutes. Makes you think.

Hundreds of soldiers and civilians flocked to the scene, where eyewitnesses described people running from the building, covered in blood. It was within two hours of the bomb going off that the Official IRA claimed responsibility for the attack. The branch said the operation, which was the first of a wave of IRA bombings against army targets on the mainland throughout the 1970s, was carried out as a reprisal for the ‘murderous killings perpetrated by troops’ from the Parachute Brigade in Derry.
But it later backtracked when news reached Dublin that its operation ‘success’ had killed a Roman Catholic army padre, five female kitchen staff and a gardener. The Official IRA admitted a ‘miscalculation’ had led to the murder of the civilian mess staff.

Noel Jenkinson was convicted of the murders after a 21-day trial at Winchester Crown Court and died four years later in prison.

Today to commemorate the tragedy, a service is being held at the (usually sealed-off) memorial in the former Montgomery Lines barracks in Aldershot. The event, organised by landowners Grainger and Rushmoor Borough Council, takes place at 12.15pm.

Thanks for reading!

Katie

Aldershot History - Frith Hill

As some know, I am currently undertaking a research project of the Hampshire and Surrey area during the first and second world wars. Obviously, Aldershot has a rich and proud military history, but i am more interested in digging out lesser-known events and areas, particularly the few prisoner of war camps that featured on the heathland very near my home. I was lucky enough to discover a 'Magic Lantern' glass slide on Ebay, which depicted (very unclearly in their original picture) a photograph taken of a very early camp of German prisoners. I managed to buy it, and after a long wait for it to arrive, I have finally scanned it in. Here is the first one to show you the slide casing details,



As you can see, there was a clear headline of "The Great European War" - referring to the First War of 1914-1918. The second line reads "German Prisoners at Aldershot" but does not provide a date.

After my own research (which could very well be incorrect, but I'm pretty confident!) I believe this to be a photograph of the 'Frith Hill' prisoner of war camp which was created in Aldershot during August 1914, as there were no other specifically built prisoner of war camps built in Britian at the time. It was a disused industrial area, in a suitable position due to it's closeness to the coast and rest of the south's road access. It was initially used to process prisoners before they were passed to various locations around the country.

I scanned the glass plate and managed to get quite a good result, considering it's nearly 100 years old! I chose not to edit out the damage to the plate, as i find it all part of it's interest!



My research leads to believe that there were both German and Austrian prisoners at the camp, and the description's i have found of "vast wire fencing and guard posts linked by telephones" fits the picture well enough! Inside the camp, they lived in the same bell tents as the British Army. Inside the camp there was also a post office a hospital and sports areas. The prisoners and internees received the same food ration as the British Front Line troops, which of course, wasn't the case for the captured British prisoners by Germany. This is what interests me about these British camps, it was a completely different environment to those abroad. I agree that it must have been awful for the prisoners to have been kept away from their homeland and families for so long, but no evidence states that they were mistreated. I was relieved to hear this, as i would have hated finding out a more unpleasant story about a place so near to my home!

I asked my Grandad about these camps which were in the area during World War 2, and he confirmed that the later camps involved the prisoners in the agriculture of the area, with German and Italian soldiers helping in the surrounding farmland.

Apparently, there was 6 successful escapes from Frith Hill, which caused serious alarm to the surrounding areas, with thousands of police and soldiers joining the search to find them. Only one evaded their capture, and escaped the camp.

In four years, only 3 or 4 inmates died at the camp, and were buried nearby. I would be interested to see what lies on this area now,

I know of later camps being build on the common land very nearby, so that is my next research venture, but to find such an early example is very exciting!
The picture is very telling of the fear, the barbed wire fence in the foreground preventing the photographer from approaching, and the men clasping at the fence is of course, upsetting. I wonder if it was taken by a soldier or civilian? For a local of the area, it must have been quite a spectacle to behold, and i would imagine, a very frightening prospect.

Now, for the record, this is simply for my own historical understanding, I obviously find these events upsetting, however, we can't deny the past, and also, one must remember that the English camps were very different to those over seas. Considering my paternal Grandmothers side of the family were Jewish and living through each of the world wars, I do not take this matter of history lightly, but that is another story all together! But I find it very important that we learn as much as we can about our (not so distant!) past.

I hope for those familiar with my local area, that was useful!

Thanks for reading!

Katie

Rememberance

One of own my collected photographs, Unknown Soldier.

My family has a long history of being in the Army or Navy, and with my Grandparents both having great involvement in WW2, I have always been fascinated with the 1930s and 1940s. I am currently in the process of researching my families involvement, and my local war history, as I am considering a project based upon these experiences.

Living in Aldershot all my life (despite my constant moaning about it) has also provided me with some great military history and knowledge. During the recent years, it has become a ghost town, but in the 1920s-40's it was a thriving military town, with American, Canadian and Dutch soldiers all being stationed at the barracks.


Soldiers arriving at Aldershot Station, 1942.

During my time at Farnham College, we took a trip to the Western Front Battlefields, where we visited the graves of boys who attended the Farnham Boys Grammer school. One was only 15 when he died- Rifleman Valentine Joe Strudwick from Dorking in Surrey. He was one of the youngest British casualties of the Great War. The names of 5 more boys from Farnham could be found on the monument of The Somme Battlefields - M. Heywood, T.Hine, M. Hopwood, W. Jones and S. Spencer.

Continuing these local findings, there are 2 large bomb craters in Rowhill Copse (opposite my house) that were left from an air raid in July 1940. They can still be clearly seen today, and were recently featured on Channel 4's "Blitz Street" program.



Rowhill copse, Diane Sambrook

The first bomb fell on Surrey on the 30 June, 1940. From 30 June to 31 December 1940, 5,668 high explosive bombs were dropped on the Surrey area.

I plan to take a trip to the Aldershot Military Museum very soon, to go through their photographic archives. My Grandad's efforts in Burma are also featured in the Museum collection, so i feel it would definitely be a beneficial visit. My Grandparents never really talked about their experiences, and this seems to be common behaviour. How much do we really know? However, the few stories I did hear, have always stuck with me. They are so frightening, I can barely believe them to be real.

During our Farnham College Battlefields tour, one visit I vividly remember was to the Hindenburg Line, where the war poet Siegfried Sassoon managed a single handed capture of a trench. We learned this 'mission' was actually a suicide attempt. His own depression and despair provoked such manic courage, and his fearless nature gave him the nickname "Mad Jack" for his near-suicidal exploits.
Sassoon’s use of bitter sarcasm and graphic imagery make him one of the most moving and provocative of all the war poets, read "The Attack". This poem captures the terror of men caught in a mechanised war. Sassoon doesn't hold back on the horrifying details.


Sasoon's trench on the Hindenburg Line

Despite his best efforts, he survived the war, and made it back home. On his gravestone reads a prose from his great friend, and fellow poet, Wilfred Owen "My subject is War, and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity."

Wilfred Owen sought out Sassoon to teach him how to be a better poet, as he didn't have the self confidence to publish his poetry alone. Hard to believe such doubt. It only takes one read of "Dulce et Decorum est" to really put things into perspective.

For Rememberance day, Cambridge University Library is displaying their collection of Sasson's archive.


(Siegfried Sassoon's notebooks)

The Dug-out

Why do you lie with your legs ungainly huddled,
And one arm bent across your sullen, cold,
Exhausted face? It hurts my heart to watch you,
Deep-shadowed from the candle's guttering gold;
And you wonder why I shake you by the shoulder
Drowsy, you mumble and sigh and turn your head...
You are too young to fall asleep for ever;
And when you sleep you remind me of the dead

Sassoon became a pacifist, and upon the conclusion of his convalescence in the summer of 1917, he refused to return to war, penning a widely-published open letter, entitled “Finished with the War: A Soldier’s Declaration,” to his commanding officer. The letter concluded:

“I have seen and endured the sufferings of the troops and I can no longer be a party to prolonging these sufferings for ends which I believe to be evil and unjust. I am not protesting against the conduct of the war, but against the political errors and insincerities for which the fighting men are being sacrificed.

On behalf of those who are suffering now, I make this protest against the deception which is being practised upon them; also I believe it may help to destroy the callous complacency with which the majority of those at home regard the continuance of agonies which they do not share and which they have not enough imagination to realise.”

If you are interested in reading more about Sassoon, Wilfred Owen and the lives of such other Great War Poets, i suggest 'Regeneration' by Pat Barker. Also, my favourite book of all time "Birdsong" by Sebastian Faulks.

I am continuing my research of this era, this is only a small insight, as i thought the timing was appropriate. This week, I hope you've taken a moment to remember those who have died in wars throughout history, and those who are out there fighting right now.

To finish, Phillip Larkin's "MCMXIV", one poem that captures the aftermath of such horror, the wondering of how can we ever recover from such devastation?

Those long uneven lines
Standing as patiently
As if they were stretched outside
The Oval or Villa Park,
The crowns of hats, the sun
On moustached archaic faces
Grinning as if it were all
An August Bank Holiday lark;

And the shut shops, the bleached
Established names on the sunblinds,
The farthings and sovereigns,
And dark-clothed children at play
Called after kings and queens,
The tin advertisements
For cocoa and twist, and the pubs
Wide open all day;

And the countryside not caring
The place-names all hazed over
With flowering grasses, and fields
Shadowing Domesday lines
Under wheats' restless silence;
The differently-dressed servants
With tiny rooms in huge houses,
The dust behind limousines;

Never such innocence,
Never before or since,
As changed itself to past
Without a word--the men
Leaving the gardens tidy,
The thousands of marriages
Lasting a little while longer:
Never such innocence again.


Thanks for reading.