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Local history groups in
Romsey are researching the camp and would love to
hear from anyone who was stationed at the camp,
or from any descendants of them. We would particularly
like to learn more of Dave GOLDMAN who painted a
number of murals on the walls of the huts. Make
contact
HERE
My father was Alden Purvis
stationed in Lockerley during WWII. Thank you for
preserving the information that you have. I guess
working in a supply depot in Lockerley preparing
for "Operation Overlord" does not seem
as "heroic" as actually storming the Beaches
of Normandy, but I'm still proud of him and pleased
to know where he was and see the pictures!
Alden of Traverse
City, USA, died Monday, Nov. 21, 2011, aged
95
My mother was evacuated with
her mother in 1940 from Southampton to Kimbridge.
They stayed with her aunt who was the wife of the
water bailiff, before he went away to the war. American
soldiers were billeted in the next door cottage
and gave my mum peanuts, chewing gum and sweets
and would bring her windmills back from the market
in Salisbury. Playing pooh sticks on the bridge
one day she ran across the road without looking
and collided with an American soldier riding his
bike, bringing them both crashing down. The soldiers
brought a bit of interest into a very quiet country
childhood where the main entertainments were feeding
the chickens and looking for minnows.
I have really enjoyed the
photos of Romsey, where my grandparents lived.
I've been looking at the photo's
from 1944. my mum, Barbara Hodges and her sisters
Joyce and Betty had fabulous memories of their times
spent at the American dances....escorted by their
mother Ada Hodges, of course! They were very happy
times for them as teenagers and it made me wonder
if they crossed paths with any of the young men
in the photo's! How times have changed though. She
told me that the camp was separated into blacks
and whites, as the Americans did in those days.
I came across a number of
photos in your US Army in Dunbridge & Lockerley
Gallery and was particularly interested in the photo
of the gamekeeper as I am in regular contact with
Bob Peach who attends every Mottisfont Cricket Club
game (son of former Mottisfont gamekeeper Jack Peach).
I took the liberty of printing out the photo
and showing it to Bob and he was adamant it is his
father in the photo. Hope this helps.
He went on to regale me of tales of how his father
(and Bob himself) would win money off of the US
soldiers by challenging them to shooting challenges
during the war!
Regards, STEVE GODWIN
If you have any memories
to share why not
CONTACT Woodley Net
Model of the railway sidings
and Nissen huts made in 2012 by the "Lockerley
Mechanics" group
Aerial
view of the Lockerley complex
taken November 10th 1944 by USA Air Force
"Mill Arms" Dunbridge
1944 taken from vehicle of the US army who
were stationed in the area.
A pub in the area called
Spring Cottage, now a private dwelling. Its at West
Grimstead on Chapel Hill at the junction
with Grimstead Rd. No longer
has a thatched roof. The sign is pointing left to
East Grimstead and Farley.
Spring Cottage as it is now
Entrance (round building)
at Home Farm going towards East Tytherley half a
mile past the Star Inn
Tytherley cricket pavilion?
PFC Richard Seager by a
Nissan hut
Sgt. Luther Dalrymple of
the US Army on the B3084 near Kimbridge
Lt. Dave Goldman painted
cartoons like this on the walls of the Mess Hall
in Lockerley
Jack Peach gamekeeper of
Mottisfont Estate on the left was hare hunting with
ferrets. Possibly at Dunbridge gravel pit
Message from Jacks son Bob
to Stephen Godwin "He went on to regale me
of tales of how his father (and Bob himself)
would win money off of the US soldiers by challenging
them to shooting challenges during the war!!!!!"
Sgt. Luther Dalrymple and
T/4 James Daniels (When I nod my head, hit it)
T/4 James Daniels, Sgt.
Luther Dalrymple, T/4 Raymond Burns
Funeeee!. Huts identical
to Ganger POW Camp ones.
Dunbridge with former shop
on left of bend
US army photographers at
work
WD1961 in the
picture above was not purchased by the Southern Railway. Similar locos were examined at Newbury and certainly WD1962 was purchased for use in Southampton Docks.
These locos were classified as S100 by the US Army Trasportation Corp and ended up in odd groups across Europe. The design was copied by Yugoslavian Railways in the 1950's and early 1960's.
Interesting, when working at Lockerley Park, I would have thought it would have been lettered USATC 1961.
Capt. Duane M. Hart. (Photographer)
Lockerley Hall entrance
Building still there minus
railings door and steps
Dakota? flying over
the camp
Stores and equipment arriving
at Southampton awaiting shipment to France
On the way to Cherbourg
from Southampton
Aerial view of the camp
1947
A wider view of the area
showing airfield
Duane Hart 4th from left
back row
Mingling with the crowds
in Cherbourg. Bandstand no longer there.
With thanks to Fred
Lillibridge for supplying photos taken by his
father W J "Bill" Lillibridge
A bit of history of
the company unearthed by Fred
"The 3266 Ordnance
Base Depot Company does not show up on the UK
list for 31 December 1943 but does on the 21
February 1944 list and they are shown at Devizes,
Wiltshire. They show up there on the list of the
following dates: 31 March, 30 April, & 31 May
1944. On the 30 June & 31 August 1944 list they
are at Lockerley, Hampshire. Lists dated 31
October, 25 November, & 16 December 1944 have
the unit at Hilsea, Hampshire. A Continental
list dated 2 May 1945 shows the unit at Roeulx,
Belgium."
Some of the USA 3266th soldiers names at Lockerley
were :-
| Maglia, Pasqugle, C
|
Goffman,
William S (Hosp) |
Smelson,
Joseph |
Schumacher,Charles
|
Woith,
George J |
Mulky,
James J |
| Smith,
Jack |
M
Stolarski, John J |
Zachar,
Steve J |
Bennett,William
G |
Tempest,
Thomas E |
Hall,
Homer L |
| Hall,William
E |
Elmandorf,
Everet T |
Bailey,
John R |
Chick,
Bernard R
|
Oberts,
Bernard R
|
Roda,
Patrick |
| Svadaj,
Lawrence |
Witt,
Walter D |
Ward,
Edgar D |
Sestak,
John |
Relaxation, fence making
a very handy clothes line
Playing Baseball in the
Nissan hut area of Lockerley Camp
Sleeping quarters
L to R — Joe Matiesi,
SGT O K Roberts, SGT Fey, PFC C L Russell, SGT
Joe Callahan and SGT Eddie Marazk
PFC Bill Lillibridge in
the Teletype room
L to R - T/SGT O.K.
Roberts, PFC Joe Matiesi, T/4 Robert Shaw T/S
Elmer Leader and PFC John Rath.
This was taken inside
the orderly room, at night
Complete Company Group
photo before the days tasks
Not sure of location of
this one, can you help?
PFC Bill Lillibridge
Three Joes. S/SGT Fey,
PFC Bill Lillibridge and SGT Callihan
PFC Bill Lillibridge
next to one of many Nissan huts
Dwelling in East
Tytherley Road
PFC Bill Lillibridge
SGT Eddie Marrazk, PFC
Bill Lillibridge and SGT O K Roberts
PFC Bill Lillibridge
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Dunbridge (SU 3126)
a sleepy village in Hampshire, 200 metres South
of the River Dun. In October 1943, was part of WW2's
Operation BOLERO. Construction commenced, near the
village of Lockerley (SU 2926), two miles to the
west of Dunbridge, of a US Army depot which, when
completed, consisted of fifteen miles of sidings
and 134 sheds; Dunbridge was the connection to the
SR main line from Eastleigh to Salisbury. 
