FUJI AT WORK

[FUJI]

Not very flattering I know, but I thought you might like to see yours truly in one of his other roles:

For thepast thirty years I have been researching an exceptionally well preserved WWII Heavy Anti-Aircraft Gun Site a mile or so out of town.....during all that time, I have metal detected dozens of relevant finds, written reams, interviewed and recorded ATS and other personel who served there during the War..I have also interviewed ex German Prosoners of War who were incacerated there from 1945 to 1948.

Currently I am working with a fellow historian in preparing a book on the subject; only yesterday we interviewd a 93 year old Ex Gunnery Officer who was in charge of a Site like ours:

During the past three years the daughter of the late farmer has taken a great interest in my work and in the care and upkeep of a wonderfully well preserved WWII Gun Site........Between us, a local village History Group and a band of keen volunteers help her to do that.

Two weekends ago we ran our second ...Open Day which was attended by over 200 people plus three sets of WWII re-enactors and a Military Archaology Group:

I am always invited to give a talk and presentation from within the partially buried ...Command Post......here you see me, first. preparing to begin and, second, in mid flow as I explain the fuse settings on an Anti-Aicraft Shell.................Conditions for photography were horrendus.....I was part in deep shade in the gloom of a partially underground bunker and he exceptionally bright sun glaring through one of the communications Hatches:

FUJI

[Guest Salvatore]

The poor photographic conditions in no way detract from the subject matter and true worth of your exercise.

Well done and thank you for sharing.

Have you any more from the day that you'd care to add ?

[annie]

how interesting fuji..............my i wish i had some of your energy.your always up to something! lovely to see you in action too xxx

[Guest Lee]

Sounds and looks really interesting Fuji.

[Phil]

Fascinating :)

[Heather]

very interesting stuff Fuji :)

[Kobione]

Great stuff, Fuji! Good on you for being involved, interested and active in a fascinating subject/

[FUJI]

Thank you folks........

.......What many if you may not realise is that these rather isolated, cold, damp, miserable Heavy Anti-Aircraft Gun Sites were partly manned ( if that's the right word?) .....by very young ATS girls.....General Pile at the time caused great controversy at he time by instigating the formation of .....Mixed Batteries, the Forces at the time needed all the fit young men to be at the Front, so, General Pile, recruited older, married, party unfit men to man and fire the huge 3.7 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Guns, while the girls were trained to operate the technical stuff .......Spotting Telescopes, Height Finders, Predictors and the, then, top secret Radar....these girls protected only by their heavy clothing and tin helmets worked on the roof of the Command Post or in the Radar Truck in the middle of a field.

When off duty, they all lived in inadequate bitterly cold Nissen Huts whilst having to share guard duties and fatigues with the men. The hundreds of sites ringing UK cities were all very similar with circa 150 personnel per Heavy Artillery Battery. towards the end of the war they were ALL mobilised to the London area for Operation Diver to help shoot down as many nazi Flying Bombs ( or Doodlebugs) as they could.....they had great success thereby saving thousands if lives.....unsung heroes all.......My Dad was one of those Heavy Artillery Gunners....as little kids, we. Never saw him fir over six years.

Should you be interested, there are many books....but most informative and enjoyable is the 1943Film called......

The Gentle Sex.....which features, ATS Girls being recruited, trained and in action all filmed in 1943 at one if the worst points in the War.....the whole film is freely available on Google.....make sure you Google.....The Gentle Sex/Film.....or you might uncover all kinds of nasties ;-)

Towards the end of the film some if the main characters can be seen manning the equipment on a Gun Site during an air raid.....it brings conditions for those girls to the fore.....Please watch it and let me know what you think.

HERE IS THE LINK...

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=c-tVTSJQjk8&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dc-tVTSJQjk8&gl=GB

FUJI