Jump to Ammunition Dump; Greenwich Time Signal; Carl Roberts (author).
At Abinger Common, next to the Leith Hill road, between Friday Street road and the Abinger Bottom road, are some archaeological remains dating from the early 1940s. There are foundations, walls, kerb stones and a water tower.
After the retreat from Dunkirk, and whilst the Army was preparing for the invasion of Europe, it was necessary to have large supplies of munitions available for the invading forces, near to the Channel ports. One day the Army arrived at Abinger Common, and set up camp on the common. There were living huts, kitchens, offices, a NAAFI, even their own sewage disposal system. Shortly after the camp was set up the munitions started coming. Along every road, track and path accessible to lorries, from Abinger Common to Leith Hill, every 20-30 yards was a palletted pile of ammunition boxes, small arms, artillery shells, grenades, all covered with tarpaulins or the curved corrugated iron sheets of Nissen Huts. Needless to say, access to the public was denied, but residents of Abinger Bottom and other places in the restricted area had passes allowing them past the sentries guarding every road.
In 1942 "something" happened. There were several stories circulating, but the generally accepted one is that a soldier was lighting a Primus stove. He was probably unfamiliar with the stove, and over-pumped it. When it flared up, instead of releasing the pressure he panicked and threw it out of the window. A dry, hot period had left the common as dry as tinder; a fire rapidly started, and got out of control. Soldiers were sent to evacuate the village, and most of the residents walked through the Pasture Wood to Holmbury, where they were cared for by the local people. When the fire reached the ammunition there were explosions, putting the soldiers, the Fire Service and the local Auxiliary Fire Service at considerable risk. One particular dump, on the east side of the Rifle Range about half way down, went up with a tremendous explosion that blew in doors and windows, and cracked one of the chimneys at Goddards. (Mr. Hall recently had this taken down and rebuilt). The fire was eventually brought under control.
After the fire, my father (Captain DPM (Parry) Michael) was moved in to take charge of the dump and extend it. He eventually rented a cottage nearby and was joined by his wife (Mary) and small child (Christopher).
When my father was posted for training in beach landings, my mother stayed at Abinger Bottom in the rented cottage (while they rented out their house in Newport). As an agricultural area, it had better access to fresh food and the lesser rent was most probably a factor too. The area was controlled (pass needed to enter) so, though isolated, was safe. My mother had a bulldog also.
Abinger "Greenwich" station. The pips
By the 1920s Greenwich had become untenable as a site for a Magnetic Observatory because of nearby electric trains and the Magnetic Observatory was moved to a new home away from railways in Abinger. The land on the corner of Leith Hill Road and Sheephouse Lane was chosen as a suitable site and the Magnetic Observatory was set up here in 1924 [this site was close to the SW of Leylands Farm]
This was a state-of-the-art site: instruments measured, amongst other things, the strength of the Earth's magnetic field, its declination (angular difference between True north and Magnetic North) and its dip (the magnetic angle from horizontal).
Just before World War Two, a duplicate of the famous Greenwich Observatory was set up at this place (near Abinger Bottom) to protect the UK's national timing resource.[The "pips"]
Named "Station A", it included the all-important clocks - electromechanical Shortt clocks which were the best in the world at the time, and a celestial observatory with a "transit instrument" to calibrate the clocks. Everything was in temperature and vibration-controlled buildings.
In the Autumn of 1940, the London Blitz meant time determination was transferred from Greenwich to Abinger, along with the rest of the Greenwich Time Department, its Meridian Department, and the Astronomer Royal. Shortly after this, it also became the source of the "Greenwich" Time Signal.
The Abinger site is now (2015) private land, on which two houses built for Greenwich staff still stand as private residences. The rest of the buildings appear to have been demolished. Now called The Old Observatory, one of the houses can be seen from the original entrance road.
With the exception of the house which was built for the Officer in Charge in Sheephouse Lane which is now named "Forest Lodge", the remainder of the Admiralty property was sold to Surrey County Council in 1961. The caretaker's house with its outbuildings for batteries and dark rooms is now occupied by one of the County Council's Countryside Rangers. When the council first took on the property the house was called "Surrey Cottage" but it has since been re-named "The Old Observatory".
Anecdote: Mary Michael recalls visiting her neighbours at the observatory -- when it was about time to leave she asked "Is that the time?". To be told that indeed it was THE time (as the source of UK timing).
During the time I lived at Abinger (1942-6), we rented a cottage which adjoined Leylands Farm -- which was occupied by Carl Roberts and his partner Peggy.
My parents became friendly with the Roberts and were helped by them in several ways.
Carl Eric Bechhofer Roberts: CV.
Carl was born Carl Eric Bechhöfer in London (St George
Hanover Square area) 21 November 1894 to Leopold Bechhöfer (b
Germany; d 1919 aged 58) and Amy Maria (née Roberts, b Croydon
1871).
He served in Word War I and took his mother's maiden name to avoid
the anti-German sentiment of the time: being known as Carl E B Roberts.
In his books, he sometimes used the pen-name "Ephesian" - said
to be chosen because of his respect for F. E. Smith.
He trained as a barrister, practising in London.
He died at Abinger Common, Dorking, Surrey: 14 December 1949 [car
accident]
Some web pages about Carl Roberts and his books: here and here.
He travelled in Germany and Russia between the wars and wrote of his experiences. He also wrote crime novels, reports of real crimes and described futuristic scenarios. One of his books was published as the "Leith Hill Edition" [a nearby feature] and is dedicated to "Parry and Mary Michael".