Sunday 8 April 2007

Big Bruce





Being the nearest part of the country to mainland Europe the area of St Margaret's featured prominently in WWII. Anyone visiting the area can find many of the sites connected with the war by following the frontline Britain signs. Between Hogs Bush on Kingsdown Road and the Droveway is the Gun site where The top secret Super Gun, Bruce was installed. Because of technical difficulties he was never fired in anger, but the installation is now a break in the fields, and the small area of scrub and trees is an interesting haven for various species of wildlife. The area is popular with walkers and the details can be found on the notice by the footpath that runs through the small valley.

2 comments:

tut-tut said...

I've heard of Big Bertha, but not Big Bruce!

Tony Morris said...

Hi tut-tut,
Big Bertha (German: Dicke Bertha; literal translation "Fat Bertha") is the name of the L/14 model of heavy mortar-like howitzers built and used by Imperial Germany during World War I. Sometimes the name was wrongly applied to other guns.