World War Two. Liverpool City and Airport Images 1939-1945.

[viscount]

THE BROMBOROUGH JUNKERS, 8th OCTOBER 1940.

Although slight subject drift across the Mersey, in the Don Stephens collection, it is clear he had an interest in a Luftwaffe Junkers Ju-88 that was brought down by a No.312 (Czech) Squadron Hurricane pilot who was departing Speke as the German was lining up for a low level bombing run. From the size and paper quality, the prints come from four sources and were wrapped in a cutting from the 'Port Sunlight News' company magazine of October 1960 with eye-witness accounts from some of the workers who were involved at the time. Although not clear on the prints, the Ju.88A is coded M7+DK with a unit badge of a black eagle in a red circle.

The photos are nothing new, indeed I recognise most from either magazine/book articles or on the internet. Normally I would crop out information written on a print in blue biro, this this case it adds to the authenticity of the image. I've then helped the image quality by changing to 'black and white' to improve areas of fade.


















There is much on the Internet regarding this aircraft, so if you wish to find more:

oldwirral.net/files/Ju88_Crash_at_Brom.pdf

aviation-safety.net/wikibase/22438

www.wikiwirral.co.uk/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/276902/all/Ju88_Shot_Down_at_Bromborough_.html

www.bootlehistory.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=34566

issuu.com/newferryonline/docs/bromborough_dock_ju88_incident (to download as a free e-book).

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/in-your-area/ju88-that-crashed-at-dock-10149758

These are a good start, and there are further links to be found on a Google of 'Bromborough Junkers'


A further photo in the collection is of a Junkers Ju.88 that crashed on Mallwyd, near Machynlleth, Snowdonia en route to Liverpool on 31st August 1940.



A Google finds that this crash has not been so widely researched and written up, and that the same photo is elsewhere on the internet. An extended hunt in the bookcase for my copy of 'High Ground Wrecks' suggests that I no longer have my copy!

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:German_Junkers_88_brought_down_near_Mallwyd_on_a_raid_to_Liverpool_(4365437094).jpg This provides the photographer as Geoff Charles and the original as held by the National Library of Wales and that copyright has been waived.

www.aircrewremembrancesociety3.com/Aircraft-Losses/Luftwaffe-Losses/Luftwaffe-Aircraft-Databases/Junkers%20-Ju-88s/ Use the 'search' box to locate the details. This site gives the date as 7th September 1940 and the aircraft as Ju.88A 4U+BL of KG123 on a photo-reconnaissance mission over Liverpool - unless this is a separate crash in the same area a week later.

[CloudWarrior]

While trawling through various charity shops, I came across this book, printed in 2004, reprinted in 2007. Some of the photos shown in this thread are in the book along with an article on the downed JU88 at Bromborough.

Book by CloudWarrior2010, on Flickr

[viscount]

Yes North West region (and beyond) author Aldon Ferguson, along with Dave Smith, Phil Butler and editor Michael Lewis are credited in the initial paragraph of this thread as being the likely donors of many of these photographs, having researched them from various museum and library sources. The thread does state in several posts that some, if not all, the photos have appeared in print and on the internet in the past. All the images in this thread are clearly credited with my source, although the original source and pathways into Don's collection are only rarely apparent.

We are very fortunate over many years for the perseverance and diligence of author's research that have uncovered fascinating Liverpool Airport and local history images from hidden and obscure places. Don's interest in keeping images of the Bromborough Ju-88, together with a 1960 article on the subject, likely stem from his fascination as not only as historian and aviation enthusiast but his interest in wrecks which led to him being the author of the first two editions of 'Wrecks and Relics' in the early '60s.

The book for anything related to the history of Liverpool Airport is Phil Butler's 2008 'Liverpool John Lennon Airport - an Illustrated History', Tempus ISBN 978 0 7524 4511 3. Culmination of many years of observation and research into original documents, and builds on two previous editions in 1983 (published by the MAS) and 2004 by Tempus.

There is much detail about the wartime activities of both Lockheed and Rootes plus air force activity, plus further photos not used on this thread.

[paul1867]

Hi, Firstly, thank you very much for posting these great pictures of Liverpool/Speke.

Fortunately the image of Fazakerley balloon depot had some very distinuishing features around it so was able to come up with the location on today's map.

Unfortunately, the Warrington Depot is not so easy, so no luck so far.

                             

[viscount]

Great detective work. Fascinating result.

Wonder if T J Morris as a company owner and aircraft/helicopter operator is aware of the WWII Army/aviation connection with the land just across the River Alt, immediately adjacent to his warehouse?

Got out my Liverpool A-Z to see if the road names on the housing estate pay homage to the site's past - but the road names are themed to female names. All the times I've driven down Longmoor Lane (A506) between the M57 Junction 6 and Fazakerley Hospital, I never had any inkling of the past use of the area.

[paul1867]

  Thanks viscount.

Turns out the other location is not as difficult as I first thought. The picture included in the thread had very little distinguishing features so what we were looking for was the site No. 9 Balloon Centre whose address was stated as Houghton Green. A visit to the Scottish Archive map collection unfortunately did not produce any results but the maps would later come in handy for drawing the outline of the camp comparing aerial photos with the field and existing, in the 1940s, roads. So really struck lucky with Britain from Above with several aerial views from different angles.

The first image is from Britain from Above part of EAW001093.

              

  At the top of the image is No. 9 Balloon Centre and in the foreground is a small part of Padgate Camp RAF No 3 Depot 1946. The Padgate camp opened in April 1939 and was the national recruit training centre for the RAF and closed in 1957.

  The 25" map below is dated 1939 and republished in 1949. As you can see nothing shows of either establishment. The red line is a datum joining two properties that are on this map and are still present today. The upper point is The Plough Pub in Houghton Green and some houses just past a distinctive bend in Sandy Lane.

            

  Now the outline of the Barrage Balloon Centre needs to be made by comparing the aerial pictures with the map.

      

     So now putting the datum line on the image from the 2022 Google map and then superimposing the datum and site outline onto the map.

     Please note that some of the outine does not line up with the roads, remember the outine is the boundary not roads so houses with back gardens were built against the boundary so the road is that far from the boundary. The sharp point at the bottom lines up with the Padgate Brook and the distinctive curve is a footpath that runs between the backgardens of two rows of houses which can be clearly seen on the present map.

     

      Once again thanks for the great images of Liverpool.

[ronturner]

Totally fascinating stuff.
Thanks

[viscount]

To any visitors, finding this thread as a link from another website or 'Google', I trust that you found the images on this thread of interest.

There are many more 'Nostalgia' posts relating to Liverpool Airport, mostly 1950-2000 which are indexed through:

derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/3620/index-based-operator-histories-1946 .... This links to an index of image threads, airport logs 1950-1973 and various history themes.

derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/2839/index-aircraft-type-reviews-liverpool ... This links to an index of threads describing visits by selected aircraft types to Liverpool (most now with images restored to view).

derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/29030/football-charters-comparison-threads-index ... Also links to threads relating to EFC & LFC fan's airlifts to various finals in detail.

derbosoft.proboards.com/board/15/liverpool-airport-locality ... This links to the front page listing of all entries in the 'Nostalgia' section of NWAN Forum, back from the most recent threads.

Some threads are now aging and suffered from photo-deletion by Photobucket - however some have had the images replaced since. Feel free to have a browse around. If you want to add a comment then you will need to become a member of NWAN Forum (which is not difficult), however anyone is welcome to mooch around and visit the many sections and threads of this long established forum.


As a note to myself, this thread counter stands just under 1,800 'hits' (which in itself is not bad going in 2 months) when someone (absolutely not of my doing, I can honestly state) linked this thread to the Key Publishing Historic Aviation forum 17th January 2023.

Added later: In ten days after being linked to the 'FlyPast'/Key Press forum, around 350 (and still rising) further 'hits' recorded by this thread. By early April 2023 in just 4 months, the 'hits' count has risen to 2,800 visits and at the end of June 2023 3,250. That is a fairly amazing average of 18 'visits' per day to just this one thread. Clearly a popular subject. I hope you all have found something of interest to you and you are very welcome to return to scroll through this thread or find others historic or current on our Forum at any time. NWAN Forum Admin.

Added 11/23 (& 02/24): The interest in this thread continues, by towards the end of November 2023, so just over a year since the original posts, the 'hit' counter records 4,750 visits - a fairly remarkable average of 12+ 'visits' per day! The interest, presumably mostly via a Google search continues, the 'hit' counter now indicates 6,670 at the end of February 2024. Thank you all for your visit(s) and trust you found something of interest.

[steveplfc]

Ref the Don Stephens photo of P47s on 'Mather Avenue'- In fact this is on Booker Avenue at the junction of Melbreck Road. The clue was the hipped rooves.

[ij001]

Very late to the party, but this collection of pics is absolutely superb. Belated thanks for sharing them.

Cheers from a homesick aircraft enthusiast & Scouser, exiled in New Zealand.




Ian.

[maverick]

Nov 12, 2022 15:57:17 GMT 1 viscount said:

RIVER MERSEY, DOCK SIDE, PIER HEAD, STRAND ROAD AND INTO THE SUBURBS

I can recall that when Graham Ward used this photo in FoLA's '09/27' he went out, photo in hand and located the exact position along Mather Avenue. A quick look through my '09/27' has failed (so far) to locate that particular issue.

Yes, I can confirm it was the corner of Melbreck Road with Booker Avenue.
Graham