LIFE photo archive - Moreton in Marsh

[Deuceman]

Following the heads up given recently to the LIFE archive images available via Google Images, a bit of searching revealed these fantastic shots of Moreton in Marsh in 1944.

 

I shared them with fellow historian Martin Collins from the West Midlands and Martin dropped by Moreton last week to do a few impromptu then and now shots which are also attached.

 

Amazingly, whilst the two GI's in the street had gone, the Ben Hur trailer was still there when he arrived, but a GMC came and collected it before he had chance to get his camera out!

 

Martin and wife Fran are accomplished authors of four different books relating the history of the US Forces in the Midlands during WW2. There most recent and extremely well written and illustrated effort is "Blackmore Park In World war Two - An account of the US Army Hospitals at Blackmore Park, Malvern 1943-45".

 

Blackmore Park housed two different American General Hospitals and was home at different times to the 19th, 65th, 90th and 155th General Hospitals.

 

Published by Brewin Books at £10.95

 

Enjoy,

 

Neil Stevens

[Jack]

Neil do you have a month of 44 these were taken in?

[Tony B]

Well Moreton Morrel, Moreton Hall was the headquarters of teh Free Chezc Forces during WW2, immediatley following it was taken over by the local council as an agricultural college, which it still is. there were five big houses in the area at the time, all were commondeared. It is about two miles from Wellesbourne Airfeild and about the same from Kineton BAD. I worked at a stables there that still had Great War satbles.

[Deuceman]

Jack,

 

Ammunition stockpiled in the town square for the impending D-Day invasion of France.

Location: Moreton-In-Marsh, United Kingdom

Date taken: May 1944

Photographer: Frank Scherschel

Size: 1280 x 867 pixels (17.8 x 12.0 inches)

 

Neil

[Joris]

Wow, thanks a lot for posting them! Time stood still there...

[Metroman]

Drove past on Sunday, small world.

[Tony B]

Hey Metroman, did you notice, is there still the sign for Spook Erections on the way in? :-D The rest of the sign was a traditional sheet ghost with a halo. Always made me laugh.

[Papav66]

Unfortunately Tony, Moreton Morrell Hall was burnt down earlier this year, think it was a photocopier that started it, it was completely gutted & they have just spent half a million on scaffolding & is going to take a couple of years to re-build. A real shame as it was a lovely building.

[Rick W]

great pics, things look hardly different.

[Tony B]

Unfortunately Tony, Moreton Morrell Hall was burnt down earlier this year, think it was a photocopier that started it, it was completely gutted & they have just spent half a million on scaffolding & is going to take a couple of years to re-build. A real shame as it was a lovely building.

 

So I saw. Not of topic as the place does have a military past. I still have the 1970's 'guide book' somehwhere. The thing was the toilets. Matching marble wall panels. I doubt the place could ever be restored. A definite of topic. In 1970 the fire Service demanded 70,000 gallons of water in an immediate use tank. the council decided the cheapest best way to do so was put a swimming pool alongside the Hall. So thirty years later it finally proved its worth.