World War I, the effects in Furness

On the 28th July 1914 the 'Great War' began and was set to have a massive impact across the world, including on the home front here in the towns and villages of Furness.

From 1914 many young men enlisted in the British Army, they left their homes and went off to Europe to fight in the war. Many never returned from the trenches and fields of Europe and that, in turn, left lasting effects on the mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers left grieving at their losses. Death and loss had never been seen on this scale and so many families were left broken because of it. But, that being said, life back at home had to, and did, carry on as normal! Or at least as normal as it could.

To begin with life didn't change too dramatically as men could choose whether or not to enlist meaning many stayed home and carried on working, doing equally patriotic work in local industry. There was no immediate threat of invasion or attack and at the start it was widely believed that it would all be over by Christmas. But by December 1914 it was starting to become clear that this war was going to go on long after the 25th and life wasn't going to stay the same.

Another Christmas would come and go with no end to the blood shed insight. Work had amped up at local industry sites like Vickers shipyard in Barrow who were creating weapons and ammunition for the army when, in 1916, conscription was introduced. The government passed the Military Service Act which specified that single men aged 18-45 were liable to be called for military service unless they were widowed, with children or ministers of religion. Suddenly hundreds of men were being called up for service and local industries were to be left with a much diminished work force. But new measures were taken. Women were called up to work.

Throughout 1916 many young women moved into the area and especially to Barrow to work in the shipyard as munition girls, creating ammunition for the army. These women came to take up the work of the vast amounts of men who were being sent off to Europe. It was at this time that the population of Barrow shot up to its highest point ever with hundreds of women and girls  moving in from across the country. Yet, the town had under half the housing it does today! Due to this there was often a quest for lodging when arriving in the town. A form of billeting was in operation in Barrow where the women were paired off and given a room in locals houses. One would work a shift while the other slept, on returning the next would sleep in the same, warm, bed recently vacated by the other now on shift. A reasonable living in an over crowded town, but each would have to pay 14 shillings a week, even though they only received a pound a week in pay, which didn't leave much to spend on ones self.

Working long and tiring hours (a night shift lasting from 5pm until 7.30 the next morning) munitions girls had little time to relax and have fun but when they did they would go on dates with boyfriends, visit Walney to see the sea (many of the girls coming from cities like Manchester had never seen the sea before) and also play football! Munitions football teams started springing up across the country and Barrow was no different. A Vickers team of 11 was created and played often throughout the war years going up against various teams from across the modern county.

Although being the 'home front' there was some military activity in Furness, particularly on Walney island where there was two military encampment, one known as Hilpsford Fort and one as Fort Walney. The Fort Walney site was operational from 1881 right through the First and Second World Wars. It was improved three years previously to the First World War in 1911 as a better coastal defence. The fort was manned by the Lancashire and Cheshire Royal Garrison Artillery which no doubt would have consisted of some men from the local towns and villages, like Barrow. The fort would have sat in a patch of land that is now half way up Walney golf course, around the current coastguard tower (which once was part of the fort complex). Interestingly if you look at aerial views from today of where the fort was you can still see the faint markings of where the walls used to be. Also note you can see the markings from Medieval ridge and furrow farming around the site too!

Left: Fort Walney from the Air 1940  |  Right: Aerial view of where Fort Walney was today courtesy of Google Maps. 

Hilpsford Fort was based at the very southern tip of Walney island where the Nature Reserve and Gullary is today. This fort was built during 1914 at the start of World War 1 and provided a good amount of jobs for an area in need of labour. It was constructed as an emergency battery and would have held at least one large defensive gun. The fort was dismantled in the 1920's after the war had ended but was re-instated in 1940 during WWII. Evidence of the later fort can still be seen today amongst the gulls and grass of South Walney.

Dotted across Walney there are also three Costal Artillery Searchlight Emplacements which date back to 1914, although they were all modified during World War 2. These emplacements are easily visible today, two situated amongst the golf course (next to the site of Fort Walney) and another situated where Hipsford Fort once was. They are wonderful reminders of the areas military past and of the effects of World War 1 on the area. You can find out a little more about these emplacements on a previous blog post about Remnants of World War II here. Just imagine the men who would have stood in these structures keeping an eye out on the sea incase of invasion. It must have been a long and somewhat dull job and can't have been the easiest thing to do day on day. But if invasion were to happen they would provide early warning and create a first line of defence.

Aerial view from Google Maps
showing the trench layout.

Walney, along with it's forts and emplacements, has had practice trenches built sometime in the early months of World War 1. These trenches were situated in the northern part of Walney near to the coastline. They were used for soldiers to practice in ahead of going out to the Western Front to fight. Exact details of what might have happened in these trenches is uncertain as there is a distinct lack of documented evidence along with many embargoes on Ordnance Survey maps from the time. But suffice to say many of our ancestors from the area could well have trained in these trenches. You can see the layout of the trench system in the picture to the left, they appear in a crenellated design.

On November 11th 1918 peace was finally announced and the war was over.

There is no doubt that the war had a great impact on Furness and its people. Military bases being built formed jobs but also brought concern. Men going to war brought hope but also fear and, of course, heartbreaking sorrow. Women came to the fore with many flocking to towns like Barrow to work but this, in turn, brought a population boom causing new issues for the area.

War is a terrible thing which brings much destruction both physically and emotionally and can leave lasting effects across the planet. Furness, as everywhere in Britain, Europe and the world, felt the effects of World War 1 and things never were quite the same again but life, as ever, went on. 

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"Your Country Needs You"

Below is a short film that was created by myself for a heritage project called One Day in Cumbria, it is a sensitive look at what many young men across Furness were struggling with; whether to enlist or not. Follow Ben as he tries to come to a decision on the 5th December 1914. You can choose whether he enlists or not by watching on YouTube to see what the options were.

Remnants of World War II, the Military Defences of Barrow and Walney

September 1st 1939, the World is at war for the second time. Great struggle and upset lies ahead for everyone including those on the home front in Barrow. With one of the biggest shipyards in the country, producing military vessels to aid in the war, Barrow soon became a target for enemy fire. Due to this, military defences popped up across the town and coastline!

From Sowerby to Walney and the docks of Barrow there can be found several dozen defence structures know as Pillboxes. So named because of their shape being reminiscent of the boxes pills used to come in, Pillboxes were a common feature across the country during the War. Erected as part of the British anti invasion preparations of 1940 they became essential for local defence. Designed in a hexagonal shape with small holes, known as loop holes, in 5 of the 6 sides with a door and two loop holes in the rear most side. These loop holes provided views in every direction perfect for keeping watch for enemy action. The structures were built with re-enforced concrete to protect the men inside from small arms fire and even grenade explosions! Pillboxes were constructed along the entire of the western coast of Barrow from Sowerby all the way down to the tip of Walney. These were to keep watch and protect the town from possible invasion from the Irish channel. Quite how well they would have worked as defensive structures is debatable but they certainly will have been vital look out posts that could quickly raise the alarm if enemy forces were spotted. As well as the many dotted along the coast of Barrow and Walney there were also several standing watch over the docks and shipyard to the south of Barrow and on Barrow Island. These were there to keep watch and possibly defend the shipyard, a prime target for enemy bombings. The town and shipyard were hit several times by incendiary bombs in a period between 1939 and 1941 known as the 'Barrow Blitz'.

During the war a different type of watch post was created to look out for incendiary fire and these were called Fire-Watchers' Posts. These posts were made by and for Vickers-Armstrong, the owners of the shipyard at the time, and were about six feet high and made of metal. There are two examples of such Fire-Watchers posts on Walney golf course. These structures are conical in shape with thin slits cut into the metal at intervals around its circumference. These were for the watcher inside to look out of and be able to see all around without leaving the structure. You may wonder why the slits were made so thin? Wouldn't it be easier to have bigger viewing holes like the Pillboxes? Well, no. As these were for looking out for fire the slits needed to be small so if a fire broke out around the post the fire couldn't get in through the viewing holes. When in use there would have been a door attached for entry and closing once inside but these have long since gone. The man stationed inside one of these posts would keep an eye out for fire and if one was to occur he would then go about extinguishing it using implements stored inside the structure with him. If you look inside one of these quirky little structures you will find some nice little features, after you get past the bottles and cans at your feet of course. Inside the one pictured here is a rusted hook attached to the wall, to the right of the entranceway, once used for hanging up the jackets of the watchman on duty. There is also a thin rusted rod that is hanging down from the wall, what this was for exactly is unclear but it's certainly interesting to see and ponder.

Not far from the Fire-Watchers post pictured is several more defensive structures that were once associated with a much larger complex known as Fort Walney.

Sitting on the edge of the golf course, looking out to the sea ahead stands one of three Costal Artillery Searchlight Emplacements that Walney still has standing. Although used and modified during the Second World War the Searchlight Emplacements on Walney actually date back to World War 1. They were constructed sometime around 1914 but were modified for use during World War 2. The large curved opening at the front of the emplacement is where a searchlight would have been situated to shine out to the sea and sky ahead; looking out for
enemy action. Not far away from the Searchlight pictured is another, somewhat identical one, sat on a rise above one of the golf course greens. Again it looks out to the sea ahead of it. Both these concrete creations were once associated with a larger Battery Encampment known as Fort Walney. This once impressive encampment stood behind the two searchlights; alongside the current Coast Guards watch tower. The tower was originally part of the encampment but without its brick facing. The encampment spanned about 300 metres by around 130 metres and held with in many concrete structures and weaponry for use in defending the island and, of course, Barrow. There is evidence left today of parts of this battlement including the metal and concrete base of a Spigot Mortar, a type of weapon that could fire explosives over short distances. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your outlook, the rest of Walney Fort has been demolished and lost to the golf course.

To the South of Walney, where the nature reserve is today, was another Battery Encampment known as Hilpsford Fort. This fort includes another searchlight like the ones already mentioned as well as several anti invasion weapons. On visiting the site you can find evidence of such weaponry with the concrete and rusted metal remains of their bases. The fort was constructed in 1914 for the First World War and had been mostly demolished not long after that war ended. By 1940 the site was needed again and construction work took place to bring it back to life, adding the gun placements and new concrete buildings. It was often used for training purposes with local Home Guard volunteers undertaking various courses here. As Fort Walney almost all of Hipsfort Fort has been demolished only leaving the odd concrete remain, which can be found amongst the nesting seagulls on the nature reserve.

There is so much history relating to World War 2 throughout Barrow and across Walney that it would take several posts to take a look at every feature and every story there is! I hope that this has been an interesting insight into some of the military defences that still stand proud, and some not so proud, across the town today. These various concrete and metal structures might not seem like much but they were the front line of defence for the town, the shipyard and even the country!

Some of the many pillboxes dotted around Barrow and Walney

Top 4: Sowerby     Bottom Left: Walney      Bottom Right: Barrow Island

Left: The View from a searchlight on Walney         Right: A second searchlight on Walney

Left: A fallen pillbox with Walney in the background         Right: A gun mount on Barrow Island