The Hidden Glasgow Forums

Wouldn't a firestep only be a requirement on a front-line trench, where the occupants were fighting 'face-to-face'?

I suspect these would have been intended for the protection of the personnel from shrapnel or air attack.

Where is this, exactly? Not near the Barrhead Dams, is it?

If not... That's worth a photo or 20, as well!

Apollo wrote:Wouldn't a firestep only be a requirement on a front-line trench, where the occupants were fighting 'face-to-face'?

I suspect these would have been intended for the protection of the personnel from shrapnel or air attack.

Firestep wasn't just for fighting. It was also for getting out of the trench quickly.

Even if this was a training trench, you still need to learn how to get out of a trench quickly if a grenade is dropped into it. Quikest way out for a large body of men is "over the top"...

I was having another look at Crusty' photo's of the trenches from earlier in this thread.

I am now wondering that instead of a military or munitions connection that they might be part of an old industrial process of some sort.

Looking at the old OS maps it appears to be the remains of Darnley and Patterton Rifle Ranges.

1899 and 1938


Is this the same area?

That looks the very fellow... are the dams just to the west/south west on the map?

Aye.. Waukmill Glen reservoir.

Yeah, that'll be it then! Well done you

Seems obvious now, i was getting too caught up with Air Raids, or keeping bombs for using in Air Raids. My "industrial" theory was that they could be the biggest sheep dip in Scotland.

Anyway i wonder how they used these trenches as rifle ranges. Did they use the trenches the same as WW1 or were the trenches used like the more modern ones with the trenches offering cover for target setters and the mechanisms for targets etc.

Anyone with an interest in metal detecting should be able to pick up loads of stuff in that field.

Well spotted AMcD.

Its quite clear from the maps provided by AMcD that the Trenches are the target areas suggested by Socceroo I have been meaning to go up there all of my life and have a look never quite managed, I am just a lazy Bar steward. I have always been interested in the history of Nitshill and its environs and should have made the trip, I did go up to the dams late last year and took some picks of the old house in the woods at the enterance to the gorbals water works at the top of Corslet Road. will try and post these later in a seperate thread I was considering on they whole Darnley Area.

Hi Folks this is my first post on the forum after a few days of being lost in the ghost of Glasgow's past ( excellent site folks by ra way )
Well i thought i would post this pic from 1954 of Arden/Nisthill Area that i found after reading this Thread , Not sure if it will be of any use but it blew me away when i saw it . It takes me back to the auld neighbours i grew up with who used to tell me how "it awe used to be Fields "

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On another note is it possible to paste these images with a newer one from Google Earth .

Great photo.

I've turned it into a google earth overlay, not perfectly aligned but not far off.
You can edit it and play about.

http://www.googleearthhacks.com/dlfile1 ... w-1954.htm

Hi all
Liked the Black and White photo as it clearly shows the remains of the miltary camp to the east of the firing ranges, on the west side of thornlie bank road. Google maps show the building foundations showing as earthworks!
According to the National Monuments Record of Scotland the buildings comprised Nissen and other types of huts spread over three fields.
It is listed as a World War II Prisoner-of-war camp 660, though this refers to a German Working Company rather than the camp. The camp housed both Italian and German prisoners. Following the war the camp was occupied by the Polish Resettlement Corps until 1949, the buildings remaining intact until at least 1960.
Surviving remains include up to 71 hut bases, many badly damaged by tree growth and one or two other unidentified structures.
Camp was occupied by squatters from time to time till the buildings were removed in 1960.

Sorry I missed out on this posing the first time.

The area will become Darnley Country Park incorporating the old dams.

There has been some house building on either side of the fields and a new flood prevention system has been put in place at the top of Corslet Road. I have walked this area a couple of times and haven't seen the trenches before. Just a thought though, as they are so close to the dams is it not possible that they were part of the water system.

Over where Parkhouse Estate was build there was an anti aircraft battery. There is nothing left of this now.

The photos are great. Anyone interested in the history of Nitshill I would be happy to pass on some documents about the Victoria Mine Disaster and John Meikle VC Nitshills WWI hero.

By the way Sharon loved the story.