HOME WAS A NISSEN HUT

The above was kindly sent to me by Richard Drew author of the Atlantikwall Wall site. Here.

Beech House was a charming old country mansion which during the war the RAF had used it as their Officers Mess, and post war it was later converted to flats by Christchurch Council. On the ground floor we used to have our school dinners in one of the rooms.

Two smaller areas were on the North side of Lyndhurst Road opposite Beech House on the corner of Harrow Road.
This main site was originally the W.A.A.F. quarters on the right hand side of Harrow Road, and on the left hand side behind Harrow Lodge was a smaller site.

Reproduced with permission of the RAF Museum

As seen on this ministry record site plan, the area was divided into smaller sites. At Beech House was pathways to Sites 3,4,5,6,7 and 8.

On the right hand corner of Harrow Road which I will call Harrow Farm area as it stretched down Harrow Road to the boundary with Harrow Farm was 10 and 11 sites.

On the left hand side behind Harrow Lodge was number 9 site. Ringwood Council responsibility at the time for these three sites.

The sewage disposal site which served all the sites was in a field in front of Harrow Farm near the boundary with Harrow Road.

To get that overall feel and sense of size, the above 'Google' map has been superimposed with the original war office drawing, which as you can see is very accurate.

Further more, a limited 1961 OS Map here still shows Nissen huts which I have highlighted in Red, especially site 8, where I used to live. Also it still shows the infant/primary school near Beech House which was the old RAF Gymnasium.

The New Forest National Park has recently produced below LIDAR imaging covering this area and interestingly any Field Archaeology really especially in this area can be compared in my opinion should also use the original war office site plans for superb accuracy.

The above was sent me by Phillip Drew now living in Poole. Believes it to be a site map from the Christchurch Council, based on the Site Office that was at the Communal Site. I suspect there must be more like this. My Hut Number 23 can be clearly seen. The original Nissen Hut school was rebuilt on where the Welfare Hall and Youth Club was, around 1952.

Holmsley Junior School with Mrs Sayers the teacher..c Emma Pounds. c.1955

	These wonderful photographs have been sent to me from a Mr. Clive Davidson who was at Holmsley South the same time as me, not only that he lived one Nissan Hut down from me at 20 Forest Grove (Site 8). The Pictures here show:Clive batting and bowling about 1955, Clive's Mum, Robert Kingham and Nigel Burgess. Clive's Holmsley County Primary School Report. In 1955 Clive and family were allocated a Council House at 79 Everest Road on the Somerford Estate, Christchurch.

Corresponding with Mr Anthony R Hewitt BA (Hons) Lt Cdr RN (Retd) who is now living at the Port St Mary, Isle of Man, who lived at 4 Forest Grove (Site 8) from 1949 to 1953. This was when his father worked at the Airspeed’s Factory at Somerford. He has kindly sent me the following photographs:

Look Milk Bottles
Mr Anthony Hewitt visited the old Site 8 - Forest Grove in January 2017 and has kindly sent the above photographs of the the Nissen Hut bases of Numbers 4 and 6 Forest Grove that are clearly still visible today. Notice the external rendering at the end of the Nissen Hut again still visible.

Wow, looking at these images of these Nissen Huts, they do fit and reflect the drawing that Phillip Drew sent to me shown above, and its where I used to live. What memories.

The accommodation camps in the main were mainly all Nissen Huts supported with a few Temporary Brick huts for ablution and drying rooms.

Typical of Huts that was home.

My dad had to do the shopping on the way home from his work at MEXE, Barrack Road, Christchurch, otherwise it was a long walk to Bransgore and back especially in winter time along cold dark lanes where the only shop was.
Very few people had transport which in those days was mainly a bicycle.

My Father was told by Christchurch Town Council we would be at Holmsley for up to two years, and in the Nissen Hut we had running water, electric light and a cooking range.
Rent was 12 shillings and 6 pence a week which included using electricity. In today's money converted to decimal equals 62 pence and half, convert it to 2017 values is £72.36 a week!

There were no flush toilets only the forerunner of the portaloo which were emptied at communal toilets. To bathe so out came the tin bath in front of the fire or washing in an enamel bowl. Rationing ended when I was four years old. Dad always said he needed a torch or candles as the lights would often go out. I remember collecting fir cones and wood with my father to keep the range alight. Water was even then provided by water towers like these shown here at the junction of site 8:

As far as I can remember, I didn't know buses ran to Holmsley South so the only way to get to Christchurch or Bournemouth I thought was to walk into Bransgore and catch the bus. However, corresponding with Mr Jim Brown who was at Holmsley far longer than me, say's there was a good bus service by Hants and Dorset number 15A into Christchurch right up to 10.30pm. I have been contacted by D.J. of Gloucestershire who collects old bus time-tables and has stated that Buses to Holmsley South finally ceased on 30 March 1974.

Accommodation Site Naming and Numbering

It wasn't until early 1950 because of postal problems, the Post Office in Christchurch together with the Christchurch council they changed the names.

The Council also decided to renumbered the sites, starting from main runway turning apron down the hill on the south side of Lyndhurst Road up to the Beech House site, across the road to the north side and back down to Harrow Lodge.
The Nissen Huts all had numbers and the areas had names, such as Hillside Grove and Pine Grove (sites1 and 2 Runway turning apron pans) until 1954, Bush Grove (site 3), Harrow Crescent (W.A.A.F Communal site), Oak Grove (site 4), Orchard Grove (site 5), Bush Grrove (Site 6), Beech Grove (site 9) and Forest Grove (site 8), the latter is where I was living. Site 7 was used for Christchurch council staff and was used to store priority euipment such as lightening cables. Post and milk was delivered to the door.

Recieving correspondance from Mark Rudge, who Grandmother, Mrs Winifred Alice Rudge who lived at Holmsley, opened a Post Officer Saving Book, and has Holmsley South stamped on the front. The initial entry is stamped on the 21 August 1951 at Holmsley South, 8 Oakwood Grove, Holmsley South, Christchurch, Hants. Oh dear the Holmsley post office gave a missleading address on her PO Book. That said, so what, whilst families were at Holmsley South many PO books, ration and ID Cards many area names where wrongly worded written in by the person who wrote the name and address working in the post office. I've heard many additional names such as 'Pine tree grove, Beech nut grove  and Harrowing Crescent'). That said, postman knew where the actual address sould be. Eventually, Mark's grandparents Arthur & Winifred Rudge who lived at Oak Grove for some years, then moved into a new council house at 2 Druitt Road, Somerford, Christchurch about 1954.

Mark Rudge's two photos here:

So that the sites can be easily identified I will be using the original numbers which was used by the Ministry of War on a plan of the areas which can be seen on the web under the New Forest Remembers. See link here:

Site No 1 Coronation Day, June 1953, site party. Christine Hirsch Copyright.
Note: Mrs Winifred Alice Rudge (Grandmother of Mark Rudge). She is the lady stood on her own on the left hand side.

Site No 9

Site No 5

Site 10

Site No 9

The above pictures have been sent to me since asking for information on 'Friends Reunited' which is now closed.

Temporary brick Building at Holmsley South

1948 Kids Party for all the children outside one of the Holmsley South large Nissen Hut (Communal Site 3), with Mrs Sheila Moss and Mrs Betty Whitaker as adult helpers in the background, photograph credit from Woodie (Newcastle Upon Tyne) Link Here

Neil Wooding and his two sisters Anne and Noreen on a pre-war Royal Enfield at Holmsley South, which was needed, as their father had to travel 10 miles to work. Photograph credit from Woodie (Newcastle Upon Tyne) Link Here

Some of My Memories

The downside to summer was because the huts were surrounded by trees and bushes there were quite a lot of flies about during the day time, also the huts got hot and stuffy. Icy cold during the winter.
I can remember lots of bonfires that were always burning. Dad had bought some new furniture, a Queen Hygena Dresser, table and chairs a from Stour Road furniture auction next to Christchurch Railway Station which was delivered to our Nissen hut.

The washing was done in the sink with water heated on top of the range, and then it was put through a hand wringer if you were lucky enough to have one. Ironing was done with a flat iron heated up on the range.

The floors were covered with roofing felt painted with lino paint. Some people did lay proper lino or carpets but they wore quickly owing to the concrete floors. No Television as these were very, very expensive, and we only had a big radio. I remember going to the infant/primary school in a Nissen Hut which was close to Beech House which was the old RAF Gymnasium. The teachers where Miss Sayers and Miss Clough. At playtimes, I remember vividly we used to climb into the rhododendron bushes which in my small eyes where everywhere. The school free third-pint milk bottles used to freeze in winter and the milk crates were brought into the class room and stacked near to the pot-bellied black stove to thaw out. The milk would be that frozen into a pole of iced milk would be sticking out from neck of the bottle, the silver cap sitting on top! We still had to go out into the playground, though this would give us hot milk at break time.

A Christchurch Councillor's Vision Of A Tin Town For Outcasts

As you can well see by reading on the links above, there was a lot of concern over this temporary housing and Christchurch Town Council by 4th December 1953, Councillor Stanley Kermode the housing officer, drew attention to the way in which the whole encampment was deteriorating.

He said: "I have visions of Holmsley becoming another tin town settlement for outcasts such as I saw on the outskirts of Casablanca in North Africa."

Hence the term 'Tin Town' was used in which the Christchurch Times lead on this article as shown here stating a 'A Colony For Social Outcasts':

'YOU'LL BE SENT TO HOLMSLEY'

As can well it can be appreciated, this article enraged the families at Holmsley through no fault of them, especially just before Christmas, however, it did urged the council to get their act together and increase the speeding up of the building of council accommodation, especially at the new Somerford estate.

You can download these Christchurch Times Cutting as they will be slightly larger than shown here. Courtesy of the Christchurch Historical society.

I have received an email from Mr Phillip Beech who informs me, that the picture on the front of the Christchurch Times above showing a woman clearing up water from the floor of the nissen hut is his mother, Mrs Marion Beech as detailed in the 'House Wives Speak' column, which Phillip still has an original copy.

Corresponding with Mr Phil Beech he sent me the above photograph of a young Phil, who was at Holmsley South. His family were one of the very first to be accommodated at the Harrow Site in 1946. Address: 5, Harrow hill, site 7 (formerly Site 9). Pictured here with his Mum Marion and Dad. His family were one of the first to to move to holmsley in 1946. Phillip was born in that hut in 1947 and later went to school in the old RAF gymnasium that was converted into a school. He is now living at Bransgore. He also has school a report from Holmsley County Primary school, dated 24 July 1953 informing that there were 35 in the class, and the average age 5-6. The class teacher was Mrs EM Evans, head teacher was Mrs MA Sayer.

I have received details From Lynne Kapryn nee Oaten.

Here is the Nissen hut that my parents, Peter J. and Constance “Connie” Oaten lived in from January 1948 to June 1951.  They were both in the RAF – he was an instructor bomber pilot and my mother was in payroll.  When they first arrived at Holmsley South, Peter J. had just started working at the Ministry of Supply at M.E.X.E. in Christchurch. Previously, they both worked at B.O.A.C. at Hurn Airport and bicycled back and forth.  My father was an aero engine mechanic at B.O.A.C. and my mother worked in payroll.  She continued working at B.O.A.C. after they moved to Holmsley South.  They both continued riding their bikes back and forth to work while at Holmsley.  My mother resigned when she became pregnant with me in June 1949.

Their address is listed as No. 15, Site 6, Holmsley South as shown on part of my birth certificate.  I was born in Royal Victoria Hospital in Boscombe on March 10, 1950.  On another document the address is shown as 31 Oak Grove, Holmsley South. My mother told me she took a bus the day before she gave birth to me to go to the hospital. In fact, they took the bus on their days off to go into Christchurch and other places. Maybe as a special treat they took the bus to go to the Cat and Fiddle pub in Hinton.

Above is a picture of my father tending their vegetable garden outside their Nissen Hut – the fruits of which they shared with their neighbours. We must remember that after the war and for several years afterwards, things were still rationed, including vegetables. My father told me that the Nissen huts were divided into two rooms. Once a week they would pull out a “sit up” type bathtub and several kettles of warm water later, they could take a bath (separately, of course). It had to be hand filled and hand emptied. Very time consuming, I am sure. All washing was done by hand and hung out to dry on the clothesline. Below you can see the clothesline behind my mother and a friend holding their pet cat, Curly. They also had a fireplace in the hut where they burned wood to keep them warm. Overall, they were happy days. Having been through WWII for all of those years, this was heaven in comparison to what they had been through. They spoke about their RAF days quite often and had many good memories of their time in the RAF.

They had a black cat called Curly. See the clothesline in the background. Overall, you can tell by the pictures, they were happy days.  Having been through WWII for all of those years, this was heaven in comparison to what they had been through.

FINALLY THE CUTLER FAMILY MOVED .

Some young couples met and courted and married during their time at Tin Town. In 1954 just after my birthday we moved out of Forest Grove (Site 8) into a new Council house flat in 7 Slinn Road on the Somerford estate.
However, dad said for other families it was a big disappointment not seeing their names on the council list and not knowing when they were going to leave Tin Town.

As one family moved out another moved in and had to cope with all the hardships.

Old Holmsley Nissen Huts at Beech House Communal Site prior to being demolished in 1961.
These where found in my father's old Army suitcase, and had not been seen for 60 years:

Field Archaeology that is still available to be seen.

Above of what still remains, a few yards along Harrow Road as at April 2015 which still can been seen in the area of the old W.A.A.F. Number 10 site (Nissen Hut Bases and Blast Shelters) just by looking over the fence. You can also just see where the old entrance was, which when used, was known as Harrow Crescent.

Eventually, in the late 1960s, The New Forest area of responsibility the runways were removed, and the land returning to forest/heath land. Not though on the privately owned land.

Such a shame in my view, as a small part of our important local heritage and social history that lasted for over 15 years that a small area could not be put in place to step back in time to show the public of today what life was like post war.

If any of you recall living at Holmsley South during this period, please do contact me. Adge