A bit of Monday lunch break sleuthing and I think I've solved the mystery of a #WW2 #NewForest pic taken 77 years ago today. This @I_W_M image purports to be Lymington, but there's no such railway cutting and bridge in the town. So where is it? https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205198271
There's one other picture on the IWM website taken on the same day, also showing 47 Infantry Division at a Battle School "in Lymington", this time using bombed out houses for training. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205198272
The cracks above the kneeling soldier appear in this @BritishPathe video from 1942. It's almost certainly the same time, and the streets they train on are clearly not Lymington. The closest street fighting training area I know of is Southampton. https://www.britishpathe.com/video/backbone-of-our-army
The cracks above the kneeling soldier appear in this @BritishPathe video from 1942. It's almost certainly the same time, and the streets they train on are clearly not Lymington. The closest street fighting training area I know of is Southampton. https://www.britishpathe.com/video/backbone-of-our-army
The cracks above the kneeling soldier appear in this @BritishPathe video from 1942. It's almost certainly the same time, and the streets they train on are clearly not Lymington. The closest street fighting training area I know of is Southampton. https://www.britishpathe.com/video/backbone-of-our-army
The cracks above the kneeling soldier appear in this @BritishPathe video from 1942. It's almost certainly the same time, and the streets they train on are clearly not Lymington. The closest street fighting training area I know of is Southampton. https://www.britishpathe.com/video/backbone-of-our-army
The cracks above the kneeling soldier appear in this @BritishPathe video from 1942. It's almost certainly the same time, and the streets they train on are clearly not Lymington. The closest street fighting training area I know of is Southampton. https://www.britishpathe.com/video/backbone-of-our-army
A bit more searching on period maps shows the likely railway cutting and bridge to be Woolston. The photo was taken from the blue arrow - notice the station platform and curved track (in red) behind the bridge. The streets to the north are probably those visible in the video.
A bit more searching on period maps shows the likely railway cutting and bridge to be Woolston. The photo was taken from the blue arrow - notice the station platform and curved track (in red) behind the bridge. The streets to the north are probably those visible in the video.
A bit more searching on period maps shows the likely railway cutting and bridge to be Woolston. The photo was taken from the blue arrow - notice the station platform and curved track (in red) behind the bridge. The streets to the north are probably those visible in the video.
The siding north of Woolston Station has since been removed, but the bridge appears to be the same, with a metal wall and slightly raised bollards at either end. https://www.google.com/maps/place/50%C2%B053'57.0%22N+1%C2%B022'28.5%22W/@50.8982697,-1.3751662,194a,35y,25.14h,26.28t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d50.8991545!4d-1.3745794
The siding north of Woolston Station has since been removed, but the bridge appears to be the same, with a metal wall and slightly raised bollards at either end. https://www.google.com/maps/place/50%C2%B053'57.0%22N+1%C2%B022'28.5%22W/@50.8982697,-1.3751662,194a,35y,25.14h,26.28t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d50.8991545!4d-1.3745794
The siding north of Woolston Station has since been removed, but the bridge appears to be the same, with a metal wall and slightly raised bollards at either end. https://www.google.com/maps/place/50%C2%B053'57.0%22N+1%C2%B022'28.5%22W/@50.8982697,-1.3751662,194a,35y,25.14h,26.28t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d50.8991545!4d-1.3745794
So the pictures are from Southampton, but that leaves the first half of the Pathe video to locate. There's a mix of scrub and fields, so looks like the periphery of the #NewForest to me. Does anyone recognise the hill or the house the soldiers start in? https://www.britishpathe.com/video/backbone-of-our-army
So the pictures are from Southampton, but that leaves the first half of the Pathe video to locate. There's a mix of scrub and fields, so looks like the periphery of the #NewForest to me. Does anyone recognise the hill or the house the soldiers start in? https://www.britishpathe.com/video/backbone-of-our-army
So the pictures are from Southampton, but that leaves the first half of the Pathe video to locate. There's a mix of scrub and fields, so looks like the periphery of the #NewForest to me. Does anyone recognise the hill or the house the soldiers start in? https://www.britishpathe.com/video/backbone-of-our-army
So the pictures are from Southampton, but that leaves the first half of the Pathe video to locate. There's a mix of scrub and fields, so looks like the periphery of the #NewForest to me. Does anyone recognise the hill or the house the soldiers start in? https://www.britishpathe.com/video/backbone-of-our-army
So the pictures are from Southampton, but that leaves the first half of the Pathe video to locate. There's a mix of scrub and fields, so looks like the periphery of the #NewForest to me. Does anyone recognise the hill or the house the soldiers start in? https://www.britishpathe.com/video/backbone-of-our-army
@HistoryTrunk, @NewForestArch, @Hydor18, @TankieMike, @rgpoulussen for info.
I've found a better quality video that proves it was taken at the same time as the pictures, and confirms it's Woolston. WG Payne, Woolston Upholstery Co. is sadly closed for business. Question is, is this sufficient evidence for IWM to update the records?
I've found a better quality video that proves it was taken at the same time as the pictures, and confirms it's Woolston. WG Payne, Woolston Upholstery Co. is sadly closed for business. Question is, is this sufficient evidence for IWM to update the records?
I've found a better quality video that proves it was taken at the same time as the pictures, and confirms it's Woolston. WG Payne, Woolston Upholstery Co. is sadly closed for business. Question is, is this sufficient evidence for IWM to update the records?
I've found a better quality video that proves it was taken at the same time as the pictures, and confirms it's Woolston. WG Payne, Woolston Upholstery Co. is sadly closed for business. Question is, is this sufficient evidence for IWM to update the records?
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