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World War Two.
Liverpool’s role in
the Second World War (1939-1945) was crucial. Her importance as a convoy
destination was second to none in that she maintained a lifeline, with the
USA and
Canada , which was
vital to
Britain’s survival,
and eventual victory. Much of the ‘Battle of the
Atlantic’ against
the U-boats was indeed, fought and won from
Liverpool.
From 1941 the headquarters of
Britain’s Western
Approaches Command was established in the fortified basement of
Derby House,
Exchange Flags,
Liverpool. From there the anti-submarine
war was planned. Pivotal to the campaign against the U-boats was the work
of the Special Support Groups, composed of escort vessels such as corvettes,
frigates and destroyers. One of the most famous and successful of these
groups was that based in
Liverpool’s
Gladstone Dock (where
a plaque still hangs in its honour) and commanded by the legendary Captain
‘Johnny’
Walker.
Liverpool’s
importance to the allied war effort was clear to Hitler, who ordered his
Luftwaffe to ‘destroy’ the port. During the war, Liverpool was subjected
to more bombing raids (68) than any British city outside London, the worst
being the terrible 8-night ‘May Blitz’ of 1941. Between 1940 and 1942, nearly
4,000 Merseysiders were killed and 4,000 seriously injured in these raids,
which did immense damage to the port and city. But despite this
devastation, the work of the port continued.
As well as food
and war supplies, hundreds of thousands of American and Canadian troops were
transported to Britain via Liverpool in readiness for the Allied landings in
Normandy, which led to the German defeat in Western Europe.
Liverpool had two other vital roles to perform
in World War Two.
Facsimile of stone plaque erected at the Pier Head wall of the former
floating roadway to mark the work of the 15th Port Unit of the
US Army and the dock
workers of
Liverpool during World War Two.
‘ WE LANDED IN
GLASGOW,
SCOTLAND ON
DECEMBER 15, 1943, AND WAS
THEN TAKEN TO
LIVERPOOL BY TRAIN. THEY WOULD BUS US EACH DAY FROM KIRKBY TO LIVERPOL
SO WE COULD WORK ON THE DOCKS WITH THE 15TH PORT MOBIL T.C.
(TRANSPORTATION CORPS). OUR JOB WAS TO SUPERVISE THE UNLOADING AND THE SHIPPING
OF SUPPLIES TO OTHER DEPOTS FOR THE TROOPS ON THE LINE. WE WORKED
ABOUT 27 MILES OF DOCK AT
LIVERPOOL AND
BIRKENHEAD SOMETIMES THE NAVY WOULD LET US SLEEP OVERNIGHT ON THE SHIPS
SO WE COULD WORK LONGER AND SAVE TIME BEING SHUTTLED BACK AND FORTH.
THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE PEOPLE WORKING ON
THE DOCKS WAS 45 TO 60 SINCE MOST OF THE YOUNG MEN WERE IN SERVICE. THEY
WERE VERY GOOD PEOPLE TO WORK WITH AND VERY HARD WORKERS.
SOMETIMES WE WORKED AS MANY AS 6 TO 7
SHIPS AT A TIME. THIS KEPT YOU PRETTY BUSY RIDING THE OVERHEAD FROM ONE
DOCK TO THE OTHER. WE SOMETIMES HAD TO DEPEND ON THE CIVILIANS TO KEEP
TRACK OF THE MATERIAL SHIPED BECAUSE WE WERE SO BUSY.
IN SEPTEMBER
1999, WE WENT TO
ENGLAND WITH MY SISTER-IN-LAW AND HER HUSBAND TO VISIT THEIR SON AND HIS
FAMILY. THEY TOOK US TO
LIVERPOOL. HERE WE SAW THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FOR THE HELP FROM THE 15TH
PORT
USA AT PRINCES GATE PEIR. I KNEW THIS HAD BEEN PUT UP, AND WAS
VERY HAPPY TO FIND IT’.
Letter from Ralph Boyd a US Army
Veteran of WW2.
[Sent in May 2006]
Shown above is an image of US Fighter Planes which have been unloaded from a
large US sea going vessel, and will be craned ashore for road transportation to
Speke
Photo courtesy of The Burtonwood Association
On 10 February, USS Wakefield departed
Boston on 13 April, beginning the first of 23 round-trips in the
Atlantic theatre, and three in the Pacific. Between
13 April 1944 and
1 February 1946,
Wakefield
transported
110,563 troops to
Europe and brought some 106,674 men back to
America - a total of 217,237 passengers.
In many cases,
Wakefield
operated
as a "lone wolf," except for air coverage a few miles out of a port.
Her primary port of call in the European theater was
Liverpool -
visited so often in fact that the transport's crew nicknamed her "The
Boston and
Liverpool Ferry." The average round-trip voyage took eighteen
days. After D day,
6 June 1944,
Wakefield
began
the first of her trips as a casualty-evacuation ship, bringing home wounded
GI's.
On occasion, she also brought back German prisoners of war
for internment in the
United States.
US Army and Airforce bases in and around
Liverpool
during WW 2
The Americans had a number of bases in the greater Liverpool area. The
best known being the huge airforce base at Burtonwood.
There were also a number of smaller depots most of which are now almost
forgotten.
At Haydock -
530 Haydock Lancashire RADA, Cmbt Support Wg
a maintenance unit – probably
serving Burtonwood.
At Maghull
-
577
Maghull Lancashire 1511 QM Truck Regt, VIII AF Service Comd
a vehicle maintenance
unit serving the
Liverpool area.
Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt inspecting the 577/ 1511 QM Truck Unit of US Army at
Deyes Lane
A World War two
US Army Air Force Camp, in Maghull,
November 1942.
This was a secret visit by the
US Presidents Wife made to the
UK to boost troop morale.
This Photo and information has been archived in the
US for the last 60 years and only recently obtained by this website.
[ Courtesy of Texas University ]
Kirkby –
514
Kirkby
Lancashire
Port In-transit Depot #2,
The admin building at
the entrance to the present day Industrial Estate, served as an officers mess.
Aintree Racecourse
–
BADA Aintree
Lancashire Det A, 1960 Ord Depot Co
(Avn), BADA
a large vehicle storage and ordnance
facility with over 1600 US military personel.
Childwall Valley. # 8 intransit Depot G3
Huyton –
1511 QM Truck regiment. Air Service Command.
Southport Palace Hotel - US Officers
Convalescence Facility. Ref # 524.
Silcocks Warehouse -
Port Transit
Depot #1. transformed from a grain warehouse to an aircraft spares
facility
The image on the right
is of Stanley Dock Warehouse on the Dock Road- built in 1901 and was at the
time the biggest brick building in the world.
It became the
Liverpool base for the US army -
Port transit Depot
# 1 BADA
In conjunction with
the Silcock warehouse nearby, this facility was responsible for the storage and
shipment of huge quantities of food, garments, medical supplies and a thousand
and one articles needed to maintain a large army at war.
Hyperlinks:
Liverpool
WW 2
The American Invasion of Aintree