HOME | ||
TANKS ON NORTH HILL MINEHEAD |
Military use of the high land within the parish has been considerable.
From the time of the iron age to World War II
A hill spur enclosure known as Furzebury Brake is situated at the crest of a hill overlooking steep slopes to the sea and to Grexy Combe. It was presumably used for normal living purposes, and probably also for defence. Henry VIII planned to build a round tower for the protection of the coast at Hurlstone Point, just outside the parish to the west, and a battery at Minehead to the east, both equipped with heavy cannon. However, these appear not to have been used, and indeed may never have been constructed. Queen Anne authorised a navigation light to be shown, also at Hurlstone, but this again does not seem to have been built. A beacon was set up and maintained above Selworthy from 1555, eventually giving its name to the site. Modern military use of the area started in the late 19th cenutury with the establishment of a training camp on North Hill. This camp was on a large scale and possible extended across the whole northern part of the parish. There were 4000 men from Severn Brigade, presumably infantry, transferred to the area in 1893. Welsh volunteers were brought to Minehead by cross-channel steamers and by the Great Western Railway. The area continued as a major military training zone up to the First World War, and in 1907 the Army Summer Camp at North Hill even had its own special postmark. In 1914 the permanent garrison was withdrawn and the camp used by various corps for training new recruits. Below left is a picture of D Squadron, West Somerset Yeomanry, in Minehead 1915. Below right, a picture of North Somerset Imperial Yeomanry, Minehead in 1908 . |
|||||
This picture, on the left, shows the 12th Somerset Light Infantry on horseback riding along the road at Horner, Near Porlock, their camp in the background. I have a relative amongst them, he sent this actual postcard to his mother. He died in France in 1918 aged 25. |
|||||
Link to History of the 81st Tank Battalion Update 2010, I have taken pictures of a lot of the foundations which have just been uncovered and can be viewed here
|
|||||
Below is a postcard sent from Minehead in 1906 |
|||||
An interesting site about the Imperial Yeomanry CLICK HERE | |||||
MINEHEAD HOME GUARD WW2. PICTURE SUPPLIED BY DAVE LLOYD Key: E = PO Engineer P = Postal staff MT = Motor Transport & d = those I know are deceased. I think this is the stand down march of the ARP wardens probably the same march as the Home Guard. My dad is the first on the left. MORE ABOUT DAVE LLOYD CAN BE FOUND HERE |
MAIN PAGE LINKS