World War 2 Radar Station at Norton?

[_midge_]

My late Father-in-law once told me that he remembered a radio or radar station at Norton during World War 2. He described it as an area of ground covered in wire mesh, surrounding a hut on which aerials were mounted. The hut was mounted in such a way that it could be rotated to point the aerials in any direction.

 

This story came back to me recently when someone else mentioned that there was a field at Norton that used to have gun emplacements and 'radio towers'. The field is located near to what is now the national grid substation off Bochum Parkway, near to Jordanthorpe Hall.

 

I contacted the RAF Radar Museum in Norfolk, and they told me there were no records of a permanent radar station near Sheffield, and from the description, it was most likely to have been a 'gun laying' radar, used for helping to aim the guns that protected Sheffield from the night bombers in the Blitz.

 

This makes sense, as the book 'Norton in Wartime' describes the 520th Anti-Aircraft Battery as being located in the fields at the side of Cinderhill Lane, which could easily have been the same place.

 

I am fairly sure this has nothing to do with Norton Aerodrome which was on the site of the current Norton College and the new car dealership. I am also sure it has nothing to do with the 'Radar Servicing Squadron', which was set up at RAF Norton at Lightwood after the war.

 

I imagine that if this was a gun laying radar, it would only have been in existence from perhaps 1940 to 1944. I wondered if anyone else had a recollection of the gun battery at Norton,or these strange rotating huts?

[I3lade4life]

Lightwood areodrome, which is opposite herdings park could fit the bill???

[cgksheff]

........... Norton Aerodrome which was on the site of the current Norton College and the new car dealership. ..........

 

I don't think so.

[priddypix]

Actually the title "aerodrome" is something of a misnomer. Although widely refered to as "Norton Aerodrome", there were never any planes stationed in Sheffield (too hilly). Norton was one of many Barrage Balloon sites surrounding the city as protection against bombers.

[Vulcan B2]

There was an aircraft repair depot for the Royal Flying Corps in the days before the RAF was formed, and this was on the site of Norton College. I believe it was called Coal Aston Aerodrome, and covered a huge area right up to Graves Park, Norton Park estate, and part of Bochum Parkway. I think it closed in the late '20's. The site at Lightwood was a barrage balloon centre, and then a radar and signalling base, and it closed in 1965.

[cgksheff]

..........I believe it was called Coal Aston Aerodrome, .....

 

Bit of a clue in the name, don't you think?

 

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=53.307842~-1.437299&style=h&lvl=15&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

[_midge_]

I may have made a mistake with the name 'Norton Aerodrome' in my original post. According to the book 'Norton in Wartime', the facility on what is currently the Norton College / car dealership site near Meadowhead was called 'Coal Aston Aerodrome', and was set up in the first world war for the Royal Flying Corp, but had largely gone out of use by 1920.

 

To quote the book:-

“The confusingly named Coal Aston Aerodrome was neither at Coal Aston, nor was an aerodrome in the accepted sense of the term, except for a few months in 1916 when it was used by operational aircraft of the RFC”

 

The book guesses that the name came from the nearest prominent landmark, which would have been Coal Aston village.

 

This is not to be confused with the modern Coal Aston landing strip between Coal Aston and Apperknowle,

 

The site opposite Herdings Park at Lightwood was set up in the second world war as No 16 Balloon centre for the barrage balloons that defended the city. At the end of the war the base was renamed RAF Norton and carried on with various roles until 1965 when it closed.

 

However, I dont think my second world war anti-aircraft battery / radar station off Cinderhill Lane was directly connected with either base.

[iansheff]

There was an article in the star the other night about the aerodrome.

[Jane Laurie]

Hi, sorry to interfere into your conversations, but I'm a bit lost. My family owned Norton Hall for quite a few generations. Would you know the name of the chapel there and how and whom I contact? My Fiance and I would like to be married there. Thanks for your help.

 

Jane

[911wasalie]

I did hear a story from a Hurricane pilot (Canadian ) who claimed he had a brother stationed at RAF Norton and landed a hurricane there. he wasn't the sort of person who you would expect to tell lies but I did question him at the time but he insisted.