Opened almost 20 years ago, the mile of vaulted underground tunnels that served as Stockport’s air raid shelters during the Second World war are a remarkable and unique visitor attraction, especially for anyone interested in military history. The largest tunnel on Chestergate is a museum where exhibitions give visitors a glimpse of 1940s Manchester but the shelters are just one of several buildings and structures scattered throughout the region that serve as a reminder of its military history. While towns throughout Greater Manchester mark the anniversary of significant wartime events, there are also more enduring memorials in the form of permanent museums, repurposed barracks and surviving pill boxes, all of which help to tell the story of Manchester’s military past and preserve its wartime history.
Symbols of Military Service at the Imperial War Museum
While construction of Manchester's Imperial War Museum (IWM North) was finished in 2002, the foundations of the striking building were laid on an area of Trafford Park that was extensively bombed during the second world war. The museum, designed to represent a globe torn apart by conflict, houses exhibitions that tell powerful stories of how war affects lives around the world. Closer to home, the artefacts on display include the insignia of the Manchester Regiment, a line infantry unit of the British army. The regiment formed in 1881 until it amalgamated with the Kings Regiment Liverpool in 1958 and during that time, it served in many British army campaigns including the Boer War and both World Wars. Badges, shoulder titles and metal military tags are essential elements of the uniform and identity of military personnel, and those curated by the IWM not only helped to trace individual soldiers but also still serve as a reminder of their sacrifice and service.
Iconic Barracks of The Manchester Regiment
Medals and other artefacts from the company are also held by the Manchester Regiment Museum. The museum was originally formed in 1936 at Ladysmith Barracks in Ashton-under-Lyne. These are now marked by a blue plaque after they were demolished in 1985 to make way for housing and the museum was moved to Ashton’s Victorian Town Hall. While the museum is currently closed, artefacts can still be viewed in exhibitions held at Portland Basin Museum in Ashton. Another set of barracks used by the Manchester Regiment is still standing and has recently been repurposed as a Church. The iconic buildings in Ardwick designed by Manchester architect Lawrence Booth, were originally completed in 1886. The barracks housed the 8th battalion of the Manchester Regiment during WWI, became a detention centre during WWII and then housed other companies and regiments until as recently as 2018. Having been sold last November, the building is now home to the Fabric Church, which hopes to attract students and young professionals to its services.
The Regimental Headquarters and Monument of the Lancashire Fusiliers
Like the Manchester Regiment Museum, the early museum exhibiting the artefacts and souvenirs of the Lancashire Fusiliers was first located in a working military garrison. The Bury Fusiliers Museum in the Training Depot at Wellington Barracks first opened its doors to the public in 1934 where, as well as preserving the regiment's history, its aim was to inspire and encourage troops. When the barracks were demolished in 1969, the museum moved into the Regimental Headquarters until it was moved to its current location on Moss Street, Bury in 2009. The grade II-listed Regimental Monument was also relocated and having been restored, was rebuilt in Gallipoli Garden, a small park next to the new museum. The Wellington Barracks were given a makeover in 2013 when local businesses became the custodians of this historic building, while permanent and temporary exhibitions continue to document the 300-year old history of the XX Lancashire Fusiliers and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in the current museum.
Military Structures and Sites of Historical Interest
Built for use during both world wars, pill boxes were small fortified buildings camouflaged with their surroundings and used for defensive purposes. Of the 28,000 pill boxes constructed during the Second World War, most were placed on the coast. However, some were strategically built to protect airfields and waterways and the remains of these abandoned pill boxes can still be spotted in several locations around Greater Manchester, from Bleak Hey Nook on the Saddleworth Moors to the site of the former Woodford Aerodrome in Stockport. Exact locations of these and other other military structures can be found on websites dedicated to abandoned pill boxes around the country and derelict structures in the Manchester area. Other local sites of interest, the war graves in Stockport and Manchester’s Southern Cemetery, are the subject of an upcoming talk given to the Manchester Military Society, an informal group which meets regularly to share their interest in military history.
From the modern and iconic Imperial War Museum in the city to derelict pill boxes scattered across the region, there are a number of significant buildings and structures that bring the military history of Manchester to life. The underground wartime tunnels, regimental barracks and memorials to fallen soldiers continue to be of interest to visitors and help to preserve the region’s military heritage.
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