White Cross Bay Airfield, Windermere lake, Cumbria
N 54° 23.798 W 002° 55.884
30U E 504453 N 6027654
White Cross Bay was the site of a factory building Shorts Sunderland flying boats. Later after making complete aircraft, the facility became a repair centre for these aircraft. The memorial is in the form of a polished granite square block.
Waymark Code: WME88V
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/17/2012
Views: 8
The memorial is in front of the shop and restaurant, on a stone paved area. Currently there is a red telephone kiosk very close.
Under the static caravans and wooden lodges is an 8 foot thick concrete platform floating on a boggy piece of ground. This concrete raft and the gatehouse are all that remain of the factory.
After Shorts main factory in Rochester was bombed in an air raid, it was urgent to disperse manufacturing of this vital aircraft. The Sunderland Flying Boat could patrol for sightings and attack submarines. Finding downed airmen was also possible. Landing on the sea led to the aircraft unable to take off as the engines were working at their limit on choppy seas. Rocket assistance had not been invented yet for take off.
Local do gooders objected to the factory being sited here. The War Department assured them that as soon as it was no longer needed the biggest hanger in the world would be taken down.
The factory needed a work force of 1500. Many of whom were housed in a temporary village of Calgarth. Calgarth was demolished as an assurance to do gooders when no longer needed, but but there was a shortage of houses post WW2. The last occupant left in 1960s.
The Lakes School is on the site of Calgarth. All that remains of Calgarth are some geodetic survey soundings showing where the footings were. The residents were moved to Droomer council estate, Windermere.
During construction of the buildings some men lost their lives. None of the delivery crew lost their lives whilst ferrying aircraft. During construction of aircraft at the site lives were lost. The work force was a mixture of locals and experienced factory workers. It is not known if demolition had incidents.
The site was a blank on old maps. Hiding its purpose. With many buses and two shifts a day the locals knew all about the hidden factory. The site was landscaped with trees and blast walls and earth banks. Air raid shelters were never used for their intended purpose, instead couples met there.
The main hanger is now a bus garage in Sunderland. The factory structure went to Knowseley, eventually demolished again. Only one Sunderland remains that could fly. Many Windermere airframes exist in preservation.
" IN MEMORY OF
WINDERMERE II
(WHITE CROSS BAY)
AIRFIELD
OPENED 14.09.1942
CLOSED 06.03.1945
DEDICATED TO ALL UNITS
AND PERSONNEL BASED HERE
AIRFIELDS
OF BRITAIN
Conversation Trust
www.abct.org.uk
UNVEILED BY
KENNETH BANNERMAN
DIRECTOR GENERAL ABCT
29.11.2011"
There was a community project to remember Calgarth and White Cross Bay. (
visit link)
A book was written by Allan King : Wings on Windermere: The history of the Lake District's forgotten Flying Boat Factory
After the work force left Calgarth, for a few months Jewish teenage war refugees used the bunk houses. Windermere Boys was the book. (
visit link) and TV programme (
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And a local project (
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Streetmap (
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