At the start of World War II; September 1939, the population of North Baddesley, including Scragg Hill, then a part of Romsey Extra (this was till 1951) was about 1,000. For most of the adults the war years consisted of hard toil on farms and the factories, including 12 hour shifts, 7 days a week at Follands Aircraft (the old Borden site) and in many more jobs with night time duties in the Home Guard, ARP or Auxillary Fire Service thrown in to keep them awake.
For older children it was an exciting time, in spite of an existence only diet, and they saw sights and sounds never seen before in our island history.
Soon after war commenced on 3rd September 1939 hundreds of troops in lorries and Bren Gun Carriers were seen on Nutburn Road; on their way to join the British Expeditionary Force in France.
About this time too, a searchlight site complete with wooden hut, a Sound Predictor and dipole mounted Lewis machine gun was set up on Baddesley Common, opposite where Emer Close now stands; the actual site being right on the repositioned A27.
This site was here for most of the war, gradually upgrading to a radar controlled 36″ master searchlight, the blue beam of this was often a beacon in the night sky but was instant death to thousands of moths which came within range of the heat from it’s carbon arcs; you could see them crackle and pop in the beam, when they tested the light at dusk.
In 1940, this searchlight became part of the Decoy Site set up further over on the Common. This was erected to lure German bombers away from Southampton.
On the 22nd November 1939 a little excitement was caused when the famous actor Ralph Richardson, later Sir Ralph, then a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm, crashed his Fairy Swordfish near Blackwater Pond, on Baddesley Common. He was unhurt, but his Telegraphist /Air Gunner Naval Airman A. Todd was injured. Richardson who had just taken off from Eastleigh. (FAA Base HMS Raven) to return to Worthy Down near Winchester; experienced engine problems and had to force land.
Richardson, who joined the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve at the outbreak of the war as a Sub-Lieutenant was already a qualified pilot, but after this episode picked up the nickname “Pranger”, but he and fellow actor and friend Laurence Olivier, who had also joined in April 1941, but was even less of a natural pilot than Richardson – he wrecked one plane and damaged two others whilst taxiing on the runway for his first flight at Worthy Down, were allowed, at about this time, to return to their acting careers by the Navy, who obviously worried about the attrition of their aircraft.
Photograph of Ralph Richardson in his Fairy Swordfish aeroplane
The first winter of the war was very severe—January 1940 and ice and snow everywhere—super cooled rain froze on everything it touched—power and telegraph wires built up a layer of ice about half inch in diameter and then snapped and telegraph poles along Botley Road and elsewhere were pulled together by the weight, until the wires touched the ground and all electricity and communication were cut off.
Trees of all sizes had branches snapped and roads and pavements were literally sheets of ice and icicles up to 2 feet long were common sights. It was a Fairyland scene but nobody appreciated the intense cold and loss of electric power it brought with it. Into February and the start of the thaw, and everyone got out the old prams, pushchairs and anything with wheels, to gather the branches that had broken off the trees—Castle Lane was the favourite spot. This free bounty of firewood was never more welcome than at this time.
Notice there were telegraph, not telephone poles then—very few people had their own phone—the telegram was the quick means of communication—I expect quite a few people here tonight remember the uniformed Telegraph boy, with his leather belt and pouch for the telegrams, riding his small motorcycle and the feeling of dread if he came to your door—80% of the news he brought during the war was bad news.
During the “Battle of Britain” on the 13th August 1940; Adler Tag (Eagle Day) the day chosen by Reichmarshal Hermann Goering to start the destruction of our RAF fighters and airfields to pave the way for the invasion of England, nine Messerschmitt 110 twin engined escort fighters were shot down. One of these was destroyed by Sergeant N.L.Guy of 601 Hurricane squadron based at Tangmere, which, after a dog fight above the high overcast sky, came screaming to earth at Flexford, North Baddesley. The pilot baled out, badly wounded, but his crewman died. Sgt. Guy was himself killed just five days later (18th August) shot down into the sea off Sussex, engaging ME109 fighters.
Aviation archaeologists recovered one engine and other parts in 1976 but in 1993, another recovery team led by Ian Hutton found most of the other pieces at around 20ft deep.
In 1990 the late Tony Holmes of Pound Lane Nursery was digging the foundation for his new house and found a part of this ME110, almost certainly shot off during the combat and identified as an elevator control surface mounting.
During the “Battle of Britain” quite a few German and British planes were shot down in the area including two Hurricanes at Rownhams and Lee; one belonging to Flight Lieutenant Nicholson, the only Fighter Pilot VC of the war. Of course the wreckage was collected for souvenirs by anyone near the crash sites, much to the disgust of the authorities. Head mistress Mrs Mc Coll was asked to read the riot act to all the school pupils about this, and within a week or so, the long paling fence between the school and Ron Lewis’s coal yard was completely covered in bits of fuselage, wings, tail fins, undercarriages - marked with German crosses, swastikas, RAF roundels etc. and it took a 60ft RAF “QUEEN MARY” aircraft transporter to take all the wreckage away.
During 1940, after Dunkirk, the Local Defence Volunteers were formed to resist invasion. A platoon was formed in Baddesley under the command of John Lister of Manor Farm and when the name was changed to Home Guard he became Lieutenant Lister with two sergeants – Colonel Frakes and Billy Hibberd.
Names in photo – from Left to Right —
TOP ROW
Unknown—unknown—JOHN ANDREWS—unknown—ALEC FOYLE—HARRY PIERCE—HUGH MATTHEWS—JIM PHILLIPS(Ryders farm)—CHARLIE MACK
CENTRE ROW
ARTHUR BETTERIDGE—unknown—PERCY COBERN—BILL HURST—JESSIE BETTERIDGE—unknown—unknown—ALF HURST—HERBIE ANDREWS—MR HILL—CHARLIE OLIVER—JIM LANE
BOTTOM ROW
ARTHUR BETTERIDGE—unknown—unknown—COLONEL FRAKES—JOHN LISTER—BILLIE HIBBERD—MR TRENERY—unknown—PERCY HAYBALL
The arsenal of weapons and ammunition, grenades etc. not issued for personal use, were kept in the Stable Block at the Manor House.
Weapon pits were built in Nutburn Lane above the sunken road to the church. A Vickers machine gun was obtained and this was sited by the Red Hut and sometimes mounted on a motorcycle combination adapted by Colonel Frakes for mobile use. He was a Channel Islander who had been a cavalry officer in the French Army in the 1914-1918 war and ran a poultry farm on what is now the Firgrove estate. Contrary to popular belief he was not slightly mad but very inventive and was a very talented oil and watercolour artist.
Photograph of Home Guard soldiers manning a Vickers machine gun by the Red Hut
During the “Battle of Britain” and the ensuing main night Blitz period – July 1940 to May 1941, hundreds of evacuees and bombed out families were lodged with families, and in the worst period were put up for nights at the school.
The School Log for Jan 10th 1941 states—
The number on the combined roll of seniors, juniors and infants for weeks is 304, this includes-
63 Gosport evacuees, 39 Southampton, 1 Portsmouth, 4 London
Feb 21st 1941 the roll is now 318, including the following:-
58 Gosport evacuees, 52 Southampton, 2 Portsmouth, 4 London, 2 Bristol
45 of the evacuees were boys from Newton Junior Boys School, Gosport, who came with their teacher Mr Smith on June 27th 1940.
How the head mistress Annie Mc Coll and her 4 teachers taught about 60 children each was a major miracle, but they did this and looked after the school dwellers at night.
Soon after the main blitz period ended, North Baddesley suffered the worst time in its history. Beginning at 2am on the night of the 22nd June 1941, about 60 Luftwaffe bombers attacked the Southampton area, and of course the Starfish (fire) Decoy Site on Baddesley Common and others in surrounding villages were lit to serve their purpose of decoying the planes from the city. The first phase was hundreds of incendiary bombs. Many fell harmlessly in the fields surrounding the sites, but some hit buildings, most were put out, but the roof of Doonbank Kennels, at the top of Scragg Hill owned then by Mr and Mrs Barr, was soon completely ablaze. Then a very violent, noisy and terrifying two hours commenced as bomber after bomber came over dropping 1000kg parachute mines. The 3.7inch mobile heavy anti-aircraft guns which were positioned along the Scragg Hill end of Rownhams Lane as part of the box barrage surrounding Southampton were blasting away.
About 5mins after the planes had gone and the guns stopped firing there would be a vivid violet flash and terrific explosion as the mines contacted earth. As there were 8 or 9 of these on Baddesley alone, the waiting for the next explosion was very trying on the nerves. The fortunate residents only had a few windows blown in, or shrapnel or an incendiary through their roof, but 39 dwellings were completely destroyed or made totally uninhabitable.
By some miracle only one person was seriously injured – this in spite of the fact that no personal or public shelters had been provided, except at the school. After this raid and within a few months everyone had one. Of course the residents had to suffer in silence, - the authorities could hardly announce that the decoys had worked, and Baddesley, Chilworth and Rownhams had received 30 of the mines and Southampton only 19. We are still looking for photos of the damage after 66 years.
Just before the disastrous Dieppe raid of August 1942 the Churchill tanks involved with their Canadian crews, were parked at the Scragg Hill end of Rownhams Lane. The sides of the gun turrets had the names of famous Hollywood actresses, like Betty (Grable) and Jane (Russell) painted in large white letters.
After the raid, in which 5,000 Canadian troops took part, with 60% being killed or wounded with 2,000 taken prisoner by the Germans, their aircraft came over and dropped bundles of leaflets showing the aftermath of the battle on Dieppe Beach with the same tanks we had seen in Baddesley strewn around smashed and disabled – this time the propaganda was TRUE.
In the run up to “D” Day 6th June 1944 and after, civilians in the village paid a price. At this time, one sand pit in Hoe Lane was still active, but the one to the right of the entrance track was worked out and used by the Army & Home Guard as a firing range for small automatic weapons & anti tank projectors. Two 12 year olds, Ralph Potter and Kenny Brompton were walking along the Lane when, what is thought to be a practice Piat missile, hit Kenny in the chest. He did not survive. Ralph still lives here.
One of the many convoys of American troops who poured through our village after “D” Day came along Rownhams Lane. At Scragg Hill a very young boy called Morgan ran excitedly into the road but was hit by a half track personnel carrier and was also killed.
At the time these two tragic accidents cast a deep gloom over the families and residents in our then small village.
Most of the older boys at this time played with ammunition and explosives left lying about or acquired, and there were quite a few minor accidents, the worst of which was Derek Rogers losing an eye when he hit a detonator with an axe in Castle Lane woods.
In the months before “D” Day a live firing mortar range was set up on Baddesley Common with the firing point where Baddesley Close now stands and the target area near the lower end of the “Double Bank”. A very noisy time was had by one and all.
From just before “D” Day 1944 and through June, July and August the main A27 Botley Road was filled with an almost continuous stream of military vehicles embarking at Southampton docks; these included tank transporters, tanks of all types, artillery pieces from small to huge, DUKWS, bulldozers, ambulances, bailey bridges, pontoon bridges. In the fourteen months from “D” Day to the war’s end, three and a half million British, Canadian and American troops with a quarter of a million vehicles passed through the docks to the Continent.
This of course was the largest seaborne invasion in history and a sight never to be repeated or forgotten by anyone at that time privileged to witness any part of it, which included the airborne part on the evening of “D” Day when hundreds of troop carrying gliders were seen being towed over our area on their way to France.
The war in Europe and the Far East went on for about another year, but was a bit of an anti-climax for everyone after the victory celebrations—some badly traumatised prisoners-of-war of the Japanese came home, never to be quite the men they were.
Rationing of food and other scarce commodities went on for another decade, the Cold War started and the older village boys were called for National Service, again for another decade. The person who said “to the victor the spoils” must have been joking.
To sum up—Baddesley had more than its share of excitement during the war—its proximity to Southampton with it’s 1600 air raid warnings and 57 actual air raids—evacuations and military movements saw to that, but most of the then residents of all ages stood the test well, stuck together, helped others and worked all hours to get the job done.