VP-63 - Madcats at PD in '43 (Part 3)

More about the US Navy Patrol Squadron VP-63 at RAF Pembroke Dock

VP-63 - Madcats at PD in '43 (Part 3)

The third part of the video, shows United States Navy sailors re-arming a PBY-5. They are shown installing the nose and blister guns, as well as belts and boxes of ammunition. The aircraft is also armed with rockets on under-wing racks.

The rockets seem to be versions of the lower example in the diagram below.  I am sure those better informed than me will put me straight!

It just occurred to me that I did not explain why VP-63 was known as "The Madcats". I will post about this later!!

VP-63 - Madcats at PD in '43 (Part 2)

VP-63 - Madcats at PD in '43 (Part 2)

In Part 1 I posted a video of VP-63's PBY-5s (Catalinas) with Coastal Command Sunderlands at Pembroke Dock (known by the RAF as PD).

The admiralty chartlet below shows the extent of the moorings for flying boats and sea planes at PD in 1943 (Hi-lighted in yellow).

The chart is not entirely up to date as the newly constructed "hards" at Llanstadwell and Neyland are not shown, although this may have been a security measure. In the VP-63 video, both of these hards can be seen on the far bank from RAF PD.


The second part of the video (click the link below) shows many interesting features of the old dockyard and the shores of Milford Haven in 1943. I have deliberately shown again the end of Part 1 posted earlier to draw attention to the size and camouflage of the huge Sunderland hangers. They were rather cleverly painted to mimic the terraced housing and old dockyard buildings of the area. We get a brief view of some of the buildings from the shipbuilding era as a PBY is slowly let down the launching slip to the water's edge. Also, keep an eye open for the hards mentioned above - built in anticipation of the forthcoming assault on the Normandy beaches.



The hangars were built in the mid. 1930s. The postcard below catches this period, with the hangar visible, still only partly clad in metal sheeting.

Click below to view the video clip "VP-63 - Madcats at PD in '43 (Part 2)".

More of the video to follow in my next post.

VP-63 - Madcats at PD in '43 (Part 1)

PBY Catalinas at Pembroke Dock

Pembroke Dock became a Royal Air Force flying boat base in the early 1930s, in a political move, to lessen the catastrophic blow to the town in 1926, when the Royal Dockyard - the raison d'etre for the place - closed.

During the Second World War, Pembroke Dock (PD) became the most important flying boat base in the United Kingdom. At its peak, PD was home for about 100 flying boats. For an overview of the history of this ear in PD's life, I can do no better than refer you to the The Sunderland Trust. See:

http://www.sunderlandtrust.org.uk/


For a short time, in 1943, the US Navy took up residence at PD, working alongside the flying boats of RAF Coastal Command.

The unit involved was VP-63 (Patrol Squadron 63), with their PBY-5A  flying boats. In RAF service the PBY-5 was  known as  the Catalina.

For more pictures like that above go to: 

http://www.wings-aviation.ch/21-USNavy/Consolidated-PBY/Catalina.htm

The brief video clip below shows the aircraft of VP-63 at Pembroke Dock, alongside RAF Sunderland aircraft.

 Courtesy National Archives of the USA, ARC Identifier 75665

Paterchurch Tower - Pembroke Dock's Last Link with a Lost Era: Part 3

Paterchurch in Pembroke Dock - Part 3

Mapping

The earliest relatively accurate map of the site known to author at the time of writing is that contained in The National Archives (TNA) file MPI 1/460/3. (See the 1790 map below)

Figure 1. A map of c1790

The site of Paterchurch is shown as a pink block, with two south wings shaded in grey. Other buildings shown as part of the complex, are shaded grey. It is worth noting the “Remains of a Chapel” to the west of the main complex.

Figure2. Map of 1790 overlaid on a later Ordnance Survey Map

When this chart is laid over an accurate background map, as above, it becomes apparent that the location of the still standing remains “38 – Pater Church” and “37 – Store”, (in red), overlap the footprint the two grey south wings shown on the 1790 map. The correspondence is not exact, but this is likely to be due to the differences in accuracy of the two surveys.

The base map is c1860, the red features are buildings that were standing at the time of the survey and still extant now.

Figure 3. View of Paterchurch from the SSE in 1811, just before the dockyard was built.

Figure 4. A portion of  map produced in1815

    The next map, shown in Figure 4 , is part of TNA File WO 98/917, a survey of the lands around Paterchurch in 1815.  The layout of the complex of buildings at Pater church is very similar to the earlier map, but in this case they are all shaded grey and described as “Ruins”. Other, presumably non-ruined and habitable buildings on the map, but not visible, are drawn in pink. This implies that a similar convention may have applied to the earlier map. The 1815 map shows no “Remains of a Chapel” west of the main complex of ruins.

If this map is, in turn, overlaid on the later OS map of 1860, (below).

Figure 5. The 1815 Map overlaid on a later Ordnance Survey map

Again, there is an overlap between the two maps. Again the correspondence is not exact, but this is also likely to be due to the differences in accuracy of the two surveys. 

Discussion

The maps and plans shown above demonstrate that the  present Paterchurch tower  was part of the old mansion called Pater Church. The tower is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, but the scheduling only applies to the footprint of the tower.

The building referred to above as “37 – Store” or “Shed”, just to the east of the tower is on a similar alignment  as  the tower and is shown clearly in the Charles Norris paintings from c1815 held by Cardiff Central Library.

In Figures 2 and 5 the position of the tower and the “shed” next to it overlaps the two southern wings on the old mansion complex. The overlays were prepared by calibrating scans of the older maps against two reference points on modern OS mapping using the mapping software “Map Maker”. The reference points taken for the matching of the overlays were distinctive field boundary features that appeared on both old and modern maps.

If we conjecture that the standing tower corresponds to the square wing  (in grey) on the 1790 map (Figure 1), then the adjacent standing store shed could well be built on the footings of the rectangular southern wing a little further east of the tower, as shown in the same figure.

Furthermore, It is clear that much of the area to the north and west of the tower would have lain in and around the old house and hence it is likely that there will be significant archaeologically important stratigraphy in this area.

Do the above factors make an argument for scheduling the whole area within the boundary of the present tower precinct? The building was clearly one of great significance in the past, with its own associated chapel to the west. Preserving the area for archaeological investigation  will allow the complex and mysterious history of the site to be unravelled in the future. 




Map extracts courtesy of The National Archives under terms of "fair use".

Paterchurch Tower - Pembroke Dock's Last Link with a Lost Era: Part 2

Paterchurch in Pembroke Dockyard - Part 2

Figure 1

The picture, Figure 1, was taken c.1900, and shows what we now know as Paterchurch Tower. It is taken form the North-West. The gentleman on the left is standing where the main part of the large house stood, and beyond him we can see a stone "shed" that is described in c1860 as a store. This building still stands and has been renovated. the other buildings just in shot have gone, but in the 1860s the building by the horse and cart is described as a blacksmiths shop. The wall behind the cart then enclosed entirely this area of workshops, as shown in the extract below.

The building behind the left hand man does not appear on the 1860s map (Figure 2), so must be later.

Figure 2

Figure 3 below, from c1900, shows the tower and the building ,mentioned above, describing it and the other buildings near it as Works Department Shops.

Figure 3.

Their alignment is very different to the "grain" of all the buildings in the dockyard. The "shed" just to the east of the tower respects the alignment of the tower and is thus probably related to it and not a later building put up as part of the new dockyard.

.......and finally, for the moment, a couple of aerial photographs courtesy of the Dyfed Archaeological Trust. See:Type in search term "Paterchurch" and select the community Pembroke Dock. 

The first photograph, Figure 4,  is of the tower and its environs, taken from the south.

Figure 4.

The second photograph, Figure 5,  was taken from the North-East, with the tower and "shed" partly hidden by trees.

Figure 5.

Now that we know where Paterchurch tower is today, in forthcoming posts I will look further back in time and try to explain why I am worried about the future of this important Scheduled Ancient Monument.