Aerial photo of
Dover Lane Camp
in the 1940's Picture: Lancashire
County Council MARIO
site
A camp was built sometime around
the start of World War Two on Dover
Lane, on the north east boundary
of the village in the shadow of
Duxon Hill. Named Dover Lane because
its main entrance was off the lane,
it housed men who serviced the guns
and searchlights for the Army in
the North West.
For most of the time it was used
by The Pioneer Corps from North
West Command at Chester, under the
local command of Major MacDonald
and Sgt. Major Malcolm. The troops
were mainly Soldiers whose health
was not ‘A1’. After 1941, their
numbers were augmented by wounded
men from various regiments who had
served in the Far East, some Polish
soldiers and members of the Irish
Free State Army (‘deserters’) who
had joined the British Army.
It was remembered that one of
these “Paddies” was a memorable
grower of potatoes and vegetables.
Soldiers would, however, supplement
their rations by buying food (including
home-made meat & potato pies) from
the cottage, cum shop, on Preston
Road facing Dover Lane. It was run
by Mary Moon and she sold pop and
sweets from the cottage porch. It
became a regular meeting place for
the soldiers and local girls; sadly
it is, like the Camp, no longer
there.
As for the Camp, there was a
Guard House situated on Dover Lane,
whilst troops did there rifle practice
in Duxon Hill Quarry close-by. Drivers
at Brindle Camp would liaise with
others at Macclesfield, Newton-le-Willows,
Ashton-in-Makerfield, Flukeborough
(near Grange-over-Sands) as well
as POW camps in Greater Manchester.
On the Moss, opposite the camp
in what was called “Gan Field” (or
“Gun Field”) were four guns and
two searchlights. They were not
real guns as they were nothing more
than wooden effigies, covered with
net and camouflage. Sometimes the
men got bored at night and would
shine the searchlights on the Ribble
buses going between Preston and
Blackburn, hopefully catching sight
of any attractive young ladies on
the bus.
There were two rows of Nissen
huts to accommodate around 200 men.
There were two rows of huts, a latrine
block and a Canteen. The CO (Commanding
Officer) had his own accommodation
higher up the hill.
On Back Lane, off Dover Lane
going up to Duxon Hill, was the
entrance to the Canteen (its base
can still be seen today). Here on
a Tuesday evening there would be
a film show, open to all; invariably
the projector would break down a
few times during the performance!
On Friday evenings there were ENSA
(Entertainments National Service
Association) concerts with locals
invited to put a donation on a plate
by the entrance.
Men would march each Sunday to
Brindle St. James’ Church in the
centre of the village, despite the
Camp being a few hundred yards to
Hoghton Parish Church (protocol,
apparently, stated that Church Parade
was in the local Parish Church –
hence Brindle). They were led each
Sunday by a big black dog called
Bonzo, which one of the soldiers
looked after.
The wedding of Corporal
James Binks and
Elizabeth Crook
during World War
Two
During the War marriages was
recorded of soldiers from the Camp.
That of Corporal James Binks to
Elizabeth ‘Lilly’ Crook (a local
girl from The Straits in Hoghton)
and “Banns were read on the 25th
July 1943 for Thomas David Brancher
to Irene Margaret Ovenden of Dagenham
in Essex”. Also one of the Officers,
Lt. Frederick Ellis MBE of the Pioneer
Corps died of illness on the 12th
February 1943 and was buried in
Brindle St. James’ graveyard at
a full military funeral a few days
later; he was 47 years of age and
lived in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire.
Locals say that the Army moved
out in 1943 but others say it was
used for D-Day preparations in 1944.
Either way, after the War had ended,
returning servicemen and locals
(mainly middle-aged and married)
squatted in the huts on the Camp.
The Caretaker, Jim Hargreaves, could
only watch and duly report same
to the local Council. They, in turn,
installed baths, laid concrete paving
and expanded the sewage works on
site. Records at Brindle St. James’
Church record a number of births
and deaths of civilian families
on the Camp, post 1945. A number
of babies living on the Camp were
recorded as being baptised in June
1947, October 1948 and March 1950.
The burial entry for Joshua Holden
dated 27th April 1948 and for his
wife Jennie dated 25th July 1949
recorded them as living at “Dover
Lane Camp”.
All the families on the Camp
were eventually re-housed, much
against their wishes; it was eventually
demolished, reportedly by Lithuanian
workers – contractors working for
the Ministry of War.
Today the site is private property,
although some of the features can
still be seen through the hedgerows
off Dover Lane and Back Lane.
Thanks to Anne
Bradley, Editor of the book ‘Sexton’s
Daughter Comes Home’ (ISBN 095164328)
and contributors to same - Margaret
Moon, Mr. W. Milne, Mrs. M. Walmsley,
Mr. J. Whiteside and Stanley Miller.
Also to John Knowles, the current
owner of the Dover Lane Camp site
(which is now private property)
and to Brindle St. James’ PCC for
allowing sight of the Church records.
