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The forgotten WW2 Rifle Range at Formby Point in Merseyside
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ส.ค. 2024
- Mr H takes a look at the colossal brick target wall of a forgotten WW2 era rifle range hat lies abandoned in the sand dunes at Formby Point in Merseyside, which is the only remaining structure of Harington Barracks a hastily built Training Camp in 1940 on the Formby coast that trained thousands of British troops throughout WW2 and beyond until it's closure in 1960.
Great bit of WW2 history
Hi Gary, long time no see and I hope that ?you are keeping well?
It's amazing that it has been left standing to be honest given that the barracks that it was attached to has long since been built over.
I'm still tempted to take the metal detector and see if I can find any 'ricochets' or discarded brass casings lying around as they wasn't as keen regarding clearing away spent ammo as they are now.
Anyway good to hear from you again and all the best. 👍
Hey Mr Aitch, my dear late dad was born in 44, he told me a story of how he and his friends once broke into some kind of scrap yard just doing boy stuff exploring, where they happened to find a case full of bullets, surplus from the war, aged 9 or ten he and his friends all cowered around the corner of a brick wall whilst my dad (who was the oldest) swung his right arm around the corner and hit the bullet with a hammer, whereupon it whizzed straight through an old dears window over the way who was casually sorting some laundry. 😂 'you wouldnt get away wi' that nowadays mi lad', he would say. I bet such instances were occuring up and down the country back then. 😂 Regards to you Mr H, been watching around 5 years now. Always enjoy your vids. Hope you and fam are well Sir. Cheers, Mike
Hi Mike, yes it was a different world back then regarding the disposal of live ammunition probably because there was so much of it lying around peoples attitude towards it was blasé. Whereas today finding just a single round discarded would trigger an armed response as happened on Formby Beach in 2020, funnily enough not far from where I made this video::-
www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/armed-response-called-out-after-18376591
Your Dads story reminds me of something similar that we did as kids but with railway detonators that we'd found in a canister when we'd been mooching about in the local stretch of the canal after it had been drained.
My friend also did the 'hit it with a hammer from around the corner trick' but luckily for him it didn't go off or it would have taken his hand with it.
Looking back at some of the tricks we did as kids it makes you wonder how we didn't get seriously hurt or worse.
Yes both Mrs H and little Toby are doing well they both came with me on this bimble but Toby has hit that age now where he is trying to talk over me so Mrs H took him off climbing a tree whilst I did the video.
Anyway glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for commenting. 👍
@@MrHsHotPot Hey Mr Aitch
Thanks for your response, brilliant stuff! Yeah attitudes were much different hey. Very funny that they called out the armed response. And fab, i am happy to hear you know of the "round the corner of a wall" trick! haha, aye, my dad was a trainspotter as a young lad, and the kids would all wait near a bend on the mainline for the Coal train to come speeding through and would go and poach the stones which flew off the tops of the trucks to take home for their parents. Really enjoy your stuff, have watched most of your vids, will make sure to catch up on recent ones! And good on Toby, glad to hear he is a tree climbing enthusiast, ya can't beat being out in natures playground!
Kind regards to you and yours!
Mike
Nice vid and very educational!
I’ll always thank Mr H for genning me up on Harris fencing on a vid a while back.. I see it everywhere I go (and didn’t previously know it’s real name lol)
Nice one mr h.
NICE 1 MR H
Cool did you see remains of old Promenade steps and the old Bunker on sand dunes near to devils hole?
Few interesting wrecks on beach at Taylors Bank and ainsdale.
Hi Frazerweb, I didn't see the old Promenade steps as I'd approached the old rifle range from the Cabin Hill end first taking in the Decoy Bunker then Devil's Hole, the ROC Post and finally the rifle range.
Will take a look online at the wrecks on Taylors Bank and Ainsdale thanks for the tips. 👍
BTW Formby ROC Post was one of my first videos which looking back could have been better but I was still on a learning curve at the time.
Anyway if you haven't already seen the video it can be viewed by following the link below:-
th-cam.com/video/Ie9BCjvAuB8/w-d-xo.html
@MrHsHotPot The Promenade steps are a little difficult to find. Easiest way is come up the slope out of rifle range your behind the houses on a track. Then walk right and then look for path on left towards the sea across a smsll bit of grassland. Amongst some trees you will find the steps in a dip, the white building will be to the left of you in distance slightly set back.
53°32'33"N 3°05'44"W
There was a nuclear observation bunker in that area, somewhere.
Fred could have re pointed that in a day.😂 interesting video.❤
Hi RGH, and probably just working off a ladder or a couple of beer crates. 😉Lol.
Glad that you enjoyed the video and all the best. 👍
Sorry mr h the t/a used to go to altcar which is formby my mistake
Used to be a Rifle range at Altcar just before Formby dont know if its still there or not
Hi Ronnie, and I hope that you are keeping well.
Yes the ranges at Altcar are still there and on most weekends you can hear shots being fired if you are in the dunes or on Formby Beach close to Cabin Hill.
More often than not there will be red flags flying and a soldier stagging on in a little hut warning the public not to proceed any further along the beach towards Altcar when the ranges are in use. 👍
@@MrHsHotPot good i remember hearing shots going past about 50 years ago hope your keeping well Roy Licence free for 10 years now cheers Roy
Was it sacked? Given the bullet?
Hi Keith, I've no idea as unfortunately I was unable to find any photographs of the rifle range when it was active however given it's location and with sand being so readily available I'd say that there is a good chance that it was. 👍
@MrHsHotPot I think my little pun went over your head, rifles/bullets? - I gave it my best shot
@@Keithbarber You're fired.
@@Keithbarber Ha=ha now I see what you did! 👏
Sorry that your sense of humour was wasted on me this time it's been a long day. 😳 😆
@MrHsHotPot no worries
That was used by the t/a and the cadets in the late sixties early seventies
Hi Carl, and interesting info as I haven't read that anywhere when doing research for this video but it makes sense as to why it survived when the rest of Harington Barracks was demolished and replaced by a housing estate in the 1960's.
Where did you get your info from or is this local knowledge?
@@MrHsHotPot I was never in the t/a or cadets but local lads in liverpool who where often went to a rifle range in formby 1967 would be the first I remember I am only quesing
@@MrHsHotPot sorry mate pressed send by mistake formby isn’t that big it’s got to be the same place cheers
@@MrHsHotPot unfortunately there’s none of the old crew left to ask now but I’ll see what I can do
Hi Mr H, just subscribed. I have a few videos on my channel, just videoing around where I live and around Northwest. Cheers
Hi Mark and welcome aboard. 👍
Some interesting places that you have visited and I recognise one or two of them from my own bimbles especially the Crank Caverns at Rainford,.
Just out of interest did you hear anything strange such as low whispering voices emanating from the caverns during your visit?
Hello sir how are you doing ❤