Public & Naval Personnel Air Raid Shelter, Devonport Park, Plymouth = March/April 09
Firstly, this needs no introduction as Kernow, Scotty & Underworld have already posted their images from this site here http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=9354
Many of the artefacts in their pictures have been removed for public display in a local museum but there was much more whic you will see in the in the following images. What makes this shelter unique is the fact that it was shared by the public & naval personnel, segregated for security reasons, by a short corridor in the middle, which was also one of three entrances.
As mentioned in Kernow's report, it was uncovered by contractors working on a new adventure playground in the park. When unearthed a statement was made that is was "a surprise find", but funnily enough the shelter was on original Air Raid Precaution plans for the park in the records office, & it was in an official document that a shelter would opened up for a survey for the possibilty of opening it to the public.
Work was moved to another part of the site, whilst the debate on preserving the shelter raged between locals & officials. BBC Spotlight SW & BBC Radio Devon aired interviews from both sides Sadly the decision was made to fill in part of the shelter & drilling commence Wednesday morning (8th April) at what would have been the South Western entrance, much to the annoyance & despair of the people who tried to save it. The story will continue as we have already traced a member of family from some of the grafitti.
After six visits, over a thousand photos, an unofficial video 32 mins long, & a fully mapped plan of the shelter here are a few images from myself. The video will be posted on my website in the next month & further images from those who made the visits with me, TheTerrorWheel, Graybags & son, will follow.
This was my sons first real explore & i'll begin with a couple of pics from him of WWII grafitti;
A view in the NW public ection with the stove pipe just visible on the left
Stove pipe (vents now showing on the surface)
Infilled entrance in the public section. Notice the cables leading through a hole...these lead to a second buried shelter
1 of 4 escape hatches. In the event that a shelter took a hit, ladders would have been in situ to enable survivors to escape
1 of 4 twin toilet cubicles, buckets would have been placed in these....
....which would then have been emptied into the drainage hole...
...with an air vent above
One of the original light fittings...
...with one of the globes replaced on 7.7 1943
Periwinkle shells, part of the wars food rations
Spam tin & Simonds of Reading bottle stopper
Hair comb
Evaporated milk tin
Cigarette tin
WWII grafitti - Swastika
Semi naked lady drawing
Game of Dots & Squares...looks like A won!
Alien head
A view from above, trenches only exposing half of the shelter,with the demolition taking place in the background....
...leading to this, the destruction below & a sad sight to witness
Firstly, this needs no introduction as Kernow, Scotty & Underworld have already posted their images from this site here http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=9354
Many of the artefacts in their pictures have been removed for public display in a local museum but there was much more whic you will see in the in the following images. What makes this shelter unique is the fact that it was shared by the public & naval personnel, segregated for security reasons, by a short corridor in the middle, which was also one of three entrances.
As mentioned in Kernow's report, it was uncovered by contractors working on a new adventure playground in the park. When unearthed a statement was made that is was "a surprise find", but funnily enough the shelter was on original Air Raid Precaution plans for the park in the records office, & it was in an official document that a shelter would opened up for a survey for the possibilty of opening it to the public.
Work was moved to another part of the site, whilst the debate on preserving the shelter raged between locals & officials. BBC Spotlight SW & BBC Radio Devon aired interviews from both sides Sadly the decision was made to fill in part of the shelter & drilling commence Wednesday morning (8th April) at what would have been the South Western entrance, much to the annoyance & despair of the people who tried to save it. The story will continue as we have already traced a member of family from some of the grafitti.
After six visits, over a thousand photos, an unofficial video 32 mins long, & a fully mapped plan of the shelter here are a few images from myself. The video will be posted on my website in the next month & further images from those who made the visits with me, TheTerrorWheel, Graybags & son, will follow.
This was my sons first real explore & i'll begin with a couple of pics from him of WWII grafitti;
A view in the NW public ection with the stove pipe just visible on the left
Stove pipe (vents now showing on the surface)
Infilled entrance in the public section. Notice the cables leading through a hole...these lead to a second buried shelter
1 of 4 escape hatches. In the event that a shelter took a hit, ladders would have been in situ to enable survivors to escape
1 of 4 twin toilet cubicles, buckets would have been placed in these....
....which would then have been emptied into the drainage hole...
...with an air vent above
One of the original light fittings...
...with one of the globes replaced on 7.7 1943
Periwinkle shells, part of the wars food rations
Spam tin & Simonds of Reading bottle stopper
Hair comb
Evaporated milk tin
Cigarette tin
WWII grafitti - Swastika
Semi naked lady drawing
Game of Dots & Squares...looks like A won!
Alien head
A view from above, trenches only exposing half of the shelter,with the demolition taking place in the background....
...leading to this, the destruction below & a sad sight to witness
