Comments by "51WCDodge" (@51WCDodge) on "Sir Charles Ross was a Jerk: The Martello Tower" video.

  1. Using the Martello for atillery practice would have been a bit pointless. They are a very clever design, usually on the coast the outer edge is thicker forming an oval to the landward side. the design is such that the force of a hit is channeled around the structure. During 1944 In Alderney in the Channel Islands one withstood hits from HMS Rodney's 16 inch guns. The only time the Royal Navy has , delibratley, shelled UK territory.
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  2. By all acounts Maxim was a gentleman. Though the neighbours in West Norwod and Eltham, both in South London did get a bit peeved when he brought his work home, and tried it out in the back garden..
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  3.  @r4mcok  Alderney 1944. A tower occcupied by the German's got hit by a 16 inch shell from HMS Rodney- Knocked a bit of stone off. The only time the Royal Navy ever shelled part of the UK.
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  4. One of my fondest memories is watching the local Mayor of a Normandy villiage calling a Gendarme and his officer everything from Breackfast to sunset becuse the guy wouldn't allow a friend of mine to drive his Jeep onto the Goldbeach, during a commeration. Mind you call a Normand , French, you'll carry your teeth home in a bag.
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  5.  @loddude5706  As they wern't and cost at the time about £2000 each and took about 75o,000 bricks each, nearly bankrupting the UK, they became known as Palmerston's Follies after the Prime Minister who orderd them, so you see why we ended up withe L85A1.?
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  6. Jersey Tourism, you have a number of delightful towers you can stay in, Martello and German. We used to camp in one called Kemp tower at St Quen's Bay with the St John's Ambulance. That's now for tourists. If you look on Google Earth there is also a tower in the middle of the bay on a rocky outcrop. The German's crashed a JU88 into that one.
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  7.  @wierdalien1  Bettween him, and Woolwich Arsenal dropping all sorts of nasties , South London must have been an exciting place to live.
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  8. Now now the Scot's are not prejuduced. They hate everyone.
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  9. Don't forget the Channel Islands! The Germans used them in WW2 Google Jersey St Quen's Bay and look at the coast.
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  10. And the forts on the North Downs, including Fort Halstead.
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  11. @FREN Actually the original design is Genoise, Italain, and in the 1860' Palmerston built dozens of them all over the UK to defend against France. The Germans also used a lot of them in the Atlantic Wall during WW2 especially in the Channel Island's. We got rather good at building them. Most if not alll now have legal protection against demolition or development.
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  12. Dear Sir, in case yon Forign Johnny dosen't understand English - Procedure as Follows , Patiently repeat what you said , with clear enonciation- VERY LOUDLY!!!
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  13.  @TheAtmosfear7  As A Crapaud, I entirley see your point. Is now a good time to tell the English, two of thier Lions speack Normand and one French?
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  14.  @logoseven3365  My local cats would get very worried then! :-)
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  15.  @jic1 Alderney is administered by Gurneresy, . Jersey and Guernersey are Bailwicks, able to raise thier own laws and taxes. Alligence is owed to the Monarch through the oldest title, Duchess of normandy. So as the oldest part of the Crown we own the rest of it. As a Crapaud, I do like to remind people of that, Home to Elizabeth Beresford, Authour, that's why there is a Womble called Alderney.
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  16. Yep, they were wonderful places to serve. Some in the Channel Islands are built on outcrops in the sea.
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  17. No he was Scot's. They don't like Britain. They want there indepence back. But we had to put with a Scottish King, James on 24 March 1603. That's why it is the United Kingdom I recently handaled a shilling from his reign marked Never Divide. Ho hum.
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  18.  @jic1  Do you live on or in the Island's? I'd say your adress is Wimbeldon Common.
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  19.  @jic1  Yes they are. They own the rest of the UK as they are the Crown's oldest possecion, all that remains of the original Duchy of Normandy. As I was born in Jersey, it's the history of my home.
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  20. He was Scots. They now seem to like the French, again, still causing grief for the English. Rebuild Hadrian's Wall, with no gates.
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  21.  @wierdalien1  :-)
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  22.  @wierdalien1  Oh nasty! He also shot up the back wall of Eltham Palace according to legend.
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  23. Look at the Jersey Tourism web site Kemp tower, though it's poshed up now. Armament varied, normally a single 12 pounder cannon but some had two. They were also built on rock outcrops offshore around the Island's. A number were refurbished for coastal defence in both world wars by British and Germans. Originally the were built because of concern about Napoleonic France invading. They were commisiond by Palmerston the then Prime Minister, cost about £2000 each at the time. They nearly bankrupted the country and as the threat never materialised were known as Palmerston's Follies.
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  24.  @Brusselpicker  Granted. ::-)
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  25. And used by the German's in WW2.
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  26. That argument started on the Western Front in 1919 and is still going on. Is the area Sacred because of the blood spilt on it, or is it where people want to live and have a good life?
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  27. Actually, they are old Itilian archetechture. From Genoise forts. They are also built in some numbers around the coast of UK and the Channel Island's to defend them from the French. Known as Palmerston's Forts.
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  28. Heights of Abraham are at Matlock Derbyshire.
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  29.  @dzejrid  No, such structures in Europe do have protection under law against demoloition and development
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  30.  @TheArgieH  Some in the Island's are built on off shore reefs. The ones at St Quen's bay, next stop East Coast of America. I've seen waves breacking over the top. Not a fun posting. In WW2 the German's crashed a JU88 next to it.
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  31. Ouch!! That is a shame.
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  32.  @TheArgieH  They were a workable design.. I've never counted the number on Jersey, but any bay where a landing could take place has at least two. Possibly pill boxes migh be a better comparison? I would say unfair to imply they were cheap and quick. After all they have lasted a lot longer and in better condition than many of the Atlantic Wall fortifications built alongside them. Though in the Island, a lot have the local Granite as a facing.
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  33.  @MagiciansApprentice1  That's part of the problem . Approcah the council say 'I'd like to buy one and do this'. They start getting the vapours. Ohh! its historic.
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  34. @Bagheera Tilbury Fort on the Thames, there was a propsal a few years back to turn one of the magazines into a Community Space, for exibitions , small shows like the local model rail club, charity events, all of which would have raised income. Great , local fire brigade said no problem ,just need to add one fire door on back wall. Enginnering, record original wall, make hole, cost was about £5,000. Enter new Curator , she got all precious about 'Disturbing the Hostorical Context, banned all Second World War events, as 'Not in keeping with the buildings time frame .?????????!!!!! Result nothing done, all us WW2 re-enactors went elsewhere, large drop in revenue. Place went downhill. These building survive because they gently adapt to needs at the time. Note: REcently featured as back drop in BBC Tv dramas, including SS/GB adaption of Len Deighton's book.
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  35.  @TheArgieH  Don't know about low cost. £2000 at the time, nearly bankrupted the UK, hence Palmerston's Follies. Though in Kent you had the positions up on the North Downs such as Fort Halstead as the second line.
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  36.  @misterthegeoff9767  There was what would now be called a Stop Line right across the downs. The layout is not Martello though. they range from basic blockhouse design within a ditch up to quite eleborate designs such as Halstead.
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  37. Or France if he didn't like the Germans, still.
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