History Challenge & Journal

[Jimbob]

Yes team, you are on the right continent, and a movie was made about this fort. The movie was big in my short pants period memory.

[redzonerocker]

Fort Ticonderoga, formerly Fort Carillon, situated by Lake Champlain, New York State.

[Jimbob]

Yes, RZR Woolwich fan, I drove past it once.
interesting history in a nice part of New York state.
Mortars and howitzers made this sort of fort redundant.

[STEVE G]

Here's another one for you,

Where, when built and what for:

[Norseman]

This looks like one of the WW2 listening devises (sound mirrors), forerunner of radar.
Their intention were to provide early warning of enemy aircraft's approaching Britain.
Many years ago I saw a couple of these mirrors, not far from Folkestone if (I remember correct) and the shape of them is about the same as the picture shown.

[pharvey]

This looks like one of the WW2 listening devises (sound mirrors), forerunner of radar.
Their intention were to provide early warning of enemy aircraft's approaching Britain.
Many years ago I saw a couple of these mirrors, not far from Folkestone if (I remember correct) and the shape of them is about the same as the picture shown.

You've certainly nailed what it is Norseman - just can't place where this one is. A few years ago I visited the Dungeness Nature Reserve, where all 3 of the mirror designs are there to see. I also seem to remember a BBC program where they did a test to see if there really was any advantage - very interesting.

The "Ears" at Greatstone..

[STEVE G]

This looks like one of the WW2 listening devises (sound mirrors), forerunner of radar.

It is but quite a bit earlier than WWII.

[dtaai-maai]

Very interesting challenge.

This one is at Redcar, though there are others at Boulby, Seaham and other places. They are the forerunners to the sound mirrors at Dunge and Abbot's Cliff and date back to 1916 - aimed principally at Zeppelins.


Here is a later attempt at maritime radar that, thankfully, didn't catch on...

1960 maritime acoustic radar.jpg (3.96 KiB) Viewed 370 times

[STEVE G]

Yes, it was a sound mirror as Norseman spotted right away and was built in 1916, in Redcar, to detect Zeppelins raiding across the North Sea as DM has told us. The sound was reflected off the large concrete curved "mirror" and detected by an operator using a stethoscope type device in front of it.
There are some strange things laying about in the countryside!

[lindosfan1]

The Dungeness one gave the ear heard a plane 3 minutes before the human ear, ok in the early days but when planes got faster did not give enough warning time.

[STEVE G]

Another quick one on the same vein, what was this used for:

[dtaai-maai]

Presumably military, obviously underground, not that old - WWII? - In the UK? - does the size of the chimney suggest there is more than a bit of smoke being evacuated?

[Siani]

It looks like an air raid shelter. Along th wall looks like a pipe, does that lead to the chimney, did they make something there?

[sandman67]

my guess is its the top end of a 1950s government nuke bunker. There are quite a few around the New Forest area so Id guess in one of the counties just north of the M25.

[traveller2]

I would agree with Sandman on this. There are a few cold war nuclear bunkers/early warning bunkers open to the public in the UK, for visits. They are still owned and run by the RAF.
The large 'chimney' could be an air intake/exhaust?

t2