Bridgnorth intended as German HQ in the UK?

[Marcus Wendel]

Anyone got anymore info on this?

Second World War papers point to possibility of small Shropshire town as Hitler's intended British HQ
A bundle of wartime documents relating to the planned Nazi invasion of Britain may have identified Bridgnorth, a small market town in Shropshire, as Hitler’s possible intended headquarters. The maps and papers, marked ‘top secret’, profile 146 British towns and cities and highlight strategic sites for attack by the Luftwaffe, including stations, power plants, bridges and even the Ford motor plant at Dagenham, Essex. Particular attention however is paid to Bridgnorth; one detailed drawing shows an enlarged plan of the town and its lines of communication to surrounding villages and cities. Experts believe that the town may have been chosen as a possible HQ because it lies inland, was geographically located in the centre of the country and was close to an air base. The documents were originally discovered by a British soldier at a deserted Nazi military post in Belgium in 1945. He took them home as a souvenir at the end of the war, and the collection has resided in the family until they decided to sell them as part of a wartime documents auction in Ludlow yesterday. A private bidder was said to be negotiating a price last night. (April 21st)

Long link to the source

/Marcus

[Andy H]

Hi Marcus

It made the newspapers a couple of weeks ago. The story being based on some map or other. I'll dig around for it

Regards

Andy H

[Neil H]

Sorry more information about Nazi HQ in Bridgnorth.

This came to light after papers found by a British soldier in Belgium in 1945 were put up for auction in Ludlow in 2005. The main piece of information was a map that had Bridgnorth at its centre and detailed communication links to surrounding towns and villages e.g. Ludlow, Kidderminster, Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury.

It was thought that Bridgnorth was chosen because of its central location within mainland Britain, rail line, river (Severn) and proximity to an airfield but also that it was in a relatively rural location so would not be easy to attack.

The airfield in question would either have been RAF Stanmore, which was a RAF training facility about 1 mile outside of Bridgnorth (although it had no actual runway), or more likely RAF Cosford which is located near the town of Albrighton and it still a RAF training centre today and home of the RAF museum.

Further information recently revealed suggests the HQ would probably have been at Apley Hall which is a stately home about 7 miles from Bridgnorth near the village of Norton on the A442 Bridgnorth to Telford road. Telford is now a major Shropshire town but was developed as a "new town" in the 1960s so during WWII was a collection of smaller villages centred around Wellington.

Bridgnorth itself is a rural market town with a current population of around 12,000. It was founded around 912 AD by Ethelfleda who built a timber fort near the current railway on Panpudding Hill. Bridgnorth was a key trading post along the River Severn and later as a defensive post due to its proximity to Wales. A massive castle was constructed on a sandstone outcrop by Robert de Belesme in 1101 and was captured by Henry II during a civil war as the Normans cemented their English rule after the 1066 conquest.

The castle itself was destroyed by Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War in 1646/47.

A recent article and photos of Bridgnorth and Apley Hall are in the link below:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ssful.html

[Neil H]

Here is a link to a BBC video with more information:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20592917