Photo Reconnaissance Spitfires
Most Spitfires were blue/green in colour. However, when they were using these planes as photo reconnaissance planes later in the war (having added extra capacity for fuel so they could fly further) they painted them a sky blue colour or pink depending on the time of day the planes were going to be used. Students from Dymchurch Primary school spoke to volunteers at The Romney Marsh Wartime Collection.
More InfoLand Army Girl Hostel
The Romney Marsh Wartime Collection building was originally built as a Land Army Hostel and housed 50 girls with their matron. The 80 year old metal and concrete structure now is a museum with artifacts from before and after the Army that were used during WW2. Chairman of the Trust of the collection Mark Britnell spoke to Dymchurch Primary students about what women did during the war.
More InfoGas Masks
At the outset of the war in 1939 everyone was issued with a gas mask and would carry it around with them in a cardboard box. As gas attacks had been used in WW1, the technology was still there to use these weapons in WW2 and no one was quite sure of the threat. There are special baby gas suits, and one on display at The Romney Marsh Wartime Collection in Brenzett. Chairman Mark Britnell spoke to children from Dymchurch Primary.
More InfoMulberry Harbours
Students from Dymchurch Primary School spoke to volunteers at The Romney Marsh Wartime Collection about aspects of WW2. They had lots of questions. One was 'which would be the hardest place to invade?' During WW2, when the Germans occupied France, it was very difficult to land Allied forces on French soil because the Germans had destroyed the harbours in the towns they occupied - for the very reason of not letting anyone else attack via that route. So the British designed Mulberry Harbours which were lumps of concrete they could put in the sea, put a landing on top and drive their tanks and troops off ships and onto land.
More InfoAverage Age of a Bomber Pilot
Students from Lydd Primary School wanted to know the average age of a bomber pilot during WW2. On a visit to The Romney Marsh Wartime Collection they asked the volunteers there who are incredibly knowledgeable.
More InfoGerman allies
Students at Lydd Primary School had many questions for the volunteers at The Romney Marsh Wartime Collection including who were allies to the Germans during WW2?
More InfoBouncing Bomb
The Bouncing Bombs created and designed by Barnes Wallis were tested in Reculver in Kent. The Romney Marsh Wartime Collection has a prototype, now filled with concrete, for people to see. There is also an area of the museum where they talk about its design and testing period. They were built to skim across the water and sink to the bottom, along the wall of a dam, so they would explode at the bottom of the wall. This would, in theory, structurally damage the wall and the weight of the water would force its way through. The bombs were successful on 2 of the dams. 19 crews from 617 Squadron were briefed and left in their Lancaster Bombers to attack the German dams, only 11 crew returned. The Romney Marsh Wartime Collection volunteers spoke about the bomb.
More InfoTail End Charlie Recording
You can hear part of the recording made in a Lancaster Bomber during a raid in WW2. It's quite difficult to hear the words, but quite distinct rapid fire can be heard. These planes carried vinyl recorders so they could make recordings of what happened inside the planes during raids.
More InfoTail End Charlie
Tail End Charlie was the name given to the bomber sitting in the back bottom carriage of a Lancaster Bomber. It was the most dangerous place to be as most attacks to a plane came from below or behind the plane. The Romney Marsh Wartime Collection has a bomb carriage as an exhibit that used to be in someone's garden and used to growing strawberries. They explained the scene to the students from Lydd Primary School. There's also a recording made from within the plane that you can hear.
More InfoAdvanced Landing Strips
Advanced Landing Strips - ALS's - were laid in different areas on the Marsh during WW2. They enabled planes to land and take off from the area. The strips were quick to put down and kept at right angles this meant that a plane could take off and land in any direction. Students from Lydd Primary School asked volunteers at the Romney Marsh Wartime Collection who laid the strips.
More InfoInvasion of The Romney Marsh
If the Germans had won The Battle Of Britain then their plan was to invade the UK via the Romney Marsh. They would have landed their tanks on the shallow, sea level marsh land and invaded the country. This meant they would have easy access to Folkestone and Dover harbours and be able to commandeer those to bring in ship-loads of their army and supplies. The British had thought of this and had a plan to protect the country which would have involved flooding the Romney Marsh - evacuating everyone on it shortly beforehand. The valuable sheep had already been moved to higher pastures so that the land could be used for farming. Students from Lydd Primary School interviewed volunteers at the Romney Marsh Wartime Collection to find out what would have happened if the Marsh had been invaded.
More InfoThe Romney Marsh Wartime Collection
The Romney Marsh Wartime Collection is a museum of wartime artifacts based in Brenzett on the Romney Marsh. It's well worth a visit. The huts that house the museum were built in 1942 for the Women's Land Army and 50 Land Army girls lived here with their matron. Now it has a wealth of engines, plane parts, and other objects that have been found in the local area and help tell the story of life on the Marsh during WW2
More InfoPLUTO – Pipe Line Under The Ocean
PLUTO was in preparation since 1942 when the Allied Forces realised they would need to invade and cross German-occupied France to attack Berlin. 60% of the supplies needed by the land army was fuel. A series of pipes were laid from the UK, across the Channel, to France to supply the army with the fuel they needed. The first pipeline was called Bambi and left from the Isle of Wight to Cherbourgh. The second line was called Dumbo and came through Lydd and left the country at Dungeness. There are bungalows on the seafront today that were pumping stations disguised as homes for the use of the pipe in 1944. The pipes were used, and continued to be laid on the French side as the troops progressed across France after D Day. Because they were so small (only 3 inches in diameter) they could only supply 8-10% of the fuel needs.
More InfoWartime Romney Marsh
How to use the map
Each pin on the map contains a different audio recording describing the history of the location. Click on a pin, then press the Play Audio button to listen.The Romney Marsh was a critical area during WW2. If the Germans had won the Battle Of Britain then they most probably would have landed here first before heading back on land to secure Folkestone and Dover Harbours. The British Government had plans to flood the area to prevent this. As the Battle Of Britain progressed many planes came down in this area.
Landing Strips were built for planes to take off and land during later periods of the war.
The Romney Marsh Wartime Collection based in Brenzett was a Women’s Land Army base and housed 50 Land Army girls and their matron. This now holds an extensive collection of wartime artifacts telling the story of WW2 from the viewpoint of the Romney Marsh.
The PLUTO fuel line ran through the Marsh to Dungeness where it went across the sea to Calais and helped fuel the army on its route from the Normandy Beaches to Berlin in 1944/1945.