PDA

View Full Version : Archived: Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery, Stallingborough.



Goldfinger234
30-10-2011, 02:18 PM
This post follows a visit I made to the site approximately 2 months ago. The site itself is known locally by various names: RAF Stallingborough, Little London Camp, Greenlands Farm Camp and the name I've used, which I believe is the correct one. Originally it was a WW2 AA site housing four 3.75" guns. Any remains of this are now gone, the existing fortifications having been built over the top.

The information I've got about the site has been collated from various online sources, many of which are wrong. I'm still waiting for a book from Beverley Library that should clear up many of my unanswered questions. One thing to be said from the outset is this site is NOT "Stallingborough Battery". This mistake crops up all over the place. Stallingborough Battery is the sister site to Sunk Island Battery, the subject of my first post here and more recently Smilers post. These two sites were built to shoot at enemy shipping in the Humber. HAA Stallingborough is located at Little London, North Lincs, and short of having bendy ammunition would not be hitting any ships anywhere.

The date of construction of the site is open to conjecture. The guns are listed as being operational in 1944, along with the HAA guns at Wawne, between Hull and Beverley. I know of one site where a long since retired serviceman who was posted here just after the war has stated the guns were definitely fired before the wars end. Hopefully I'll be able to fill in the blanks soon.

There were four 5.25" guns mounted here. Beneath the gun mounts were living quarters, gunfitter and limber gunner workshops, toilets and basic cooking facilities. The guns fired 90lb shells with 56lb cartridges which were located in the visible storage areas at gun level. As the guns traversed through 360 degrees ammunition was always to hand. The hydraulics were powered by a single Crossley generator, one per gun.

The land is privately owned and rented for stabling horses. At first I was given the clear off treatment. There is a public footpath that runs down the side of the site, and all you've got to do is walk into the trees to the remains themselves, but as someone was there I thought I'd do the decent thing and ask. Anyway, in the end I was allowed in, but only for as long as it took the girl in the field to stable the horses, which was 20 minutes, so please excuse the rushed pictures. Suffice it to say access isn't difficult. For those of you who specialise in these things, Stallingborough ROC post is on this site. I didn't get any pictures as time was short, but apparently it is locked and in mint condition. Good luck.

http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m556/goldfinger234/HAA%20Stallingborough/006.jpg

http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m556/goldfinger234/HAA%20Stallingborough/007.jpg

http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m556/goldfinger234/HAA%20Stallingborough/009.jpg

http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m556/goldfinger234/HAA%20Stallingborough/011.jpg

http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m556/goldfinger234/HAA%20Stallingborough/013.jpg

http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m556/goldfinger234/HAA%20Stallingborough/015.jpg

http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m556/goldfinger234/HAA%20Stallingborough/024.jpg

http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m556/goldfinger234/HAA%20Stallingborough/033.jpg

http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m556/goldfinger234/HAA%20Stallingborough/034.jpg