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Old Army camp in Pollok

PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 1:59 pm
by Benny1954
Does anybody remember/ know about the old army camp that used be on the site of the National Savings Bank on the Barrhead Rd. I remember a lot of concrete bunkers and old gun emplacements or am I just havering

:? :?

Re: Old Army camp in Pollok

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 10:02 am
by job78989
Hi Benny, and welcome to HG. I also have memories of the old camp at pollok, I remember an old water tower and fence that ran round the site, i was told as a kid that it was a pow camp, not sure on the details have ment to research it for years, but its all gone now under the site of the savings bank the m77 and now the monstrostity that replaced the pollok shopping centre.


Cheers John

Re: Old Army camp in Pollok

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:48 am
by Benny1954
Cheers John. I was told it was an American base!!! I grew up in Lunderston Drive - left when I was 16 . Fantastic area to grow up in although a lot of the open spaces have been developed.

Re: Old Army camp in Pollok

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 12:51 pm
by neilmc
Hi Benny, I too grew up in Lunderston Drive (1956-68), and lived in "The Square". I think you lived across from there.

Check out the 'Pollok, Hurlet and Househill' thread, which may be of interest to you.

Re: Old Army camp in Pollok

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 12:59 pm
by Dave
Archie Millar22nd Mar 2004, 02:00 PM
A think we can go back a wee bit further than you Flash Sites!!
A wis brought up in Cowglen Rd an' Jenniemac in H/hillmuir Rd -- way back in 1939---There wis nae Brockburn Rd--that wis an American army camp an the gaurd-hoose wis at the bridge, the wooden building that became Pollok community centre wis their canteen
Mackie's wis owned by Mackie's, an' they lived up the Braidcraft Rd, --He wis tall man an' she wis a wee Biddy--A never met anywan that wis as bad tempered as her


from http://discuss.glasgowguide.co.uk/lofiv ... 9-200.html

Re: Old Army camp in Pollok

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 1:14 pm
by crusty_bint
Fascinating, I head never heard anything about this before!

Re: Old Army camp in Pollok

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 1:31 pm
by Benny1954
Hi neil .Yep thats me.I hope everthing is well for you. I think you lived in the house in the square almost facing our house.
I also recall you had an uncle who was an avid Celtic fan and a wee brother/cousin called Willie - is that right or am I confused.

Re: Old Army camp in Pollok

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 2:24 pm
by Dugald
Benny1954 wrote:Does anybody remember/ know about the old army camp that used be on the site of the National Savings Bank on the Barrhead Rd. I remember a lot of concrete bunkers and old gun emplacements or am I just havering

:? :?


Benny, I use to spend a bit of time around that neck of the woods where you think there may have been an old army camp. The only army camp I recall near National Savings Bank on the Barrhead Rd., was an American Military Hospital, but I'm sure this was on the Cowglen Rd (Darnley??). This is not to say there wasn't a British Army AA site where you think there may have been... I just don't recall seeing one, and by this time the shooting war over Glasgow was pretty well over, so it could have been moved.

The camp that Archie Miller [thanks to Dave] spoke of at Houshillwood was the American Transit Camp and there were no gun emplacements there. It didn't go far east along the Barrhead Rd., its east border was along what was to becaome Brockburn Rd. Archie spoke of the main gate at the Househillwood round-about; there was also another entrance to the camp at the end of Corkerhill Rd, but as Archie tells us, the main gate was "at the gaurd-hoose wis at the bridge"

Re: Old Army camp in Pollok

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:01 pm
by neilmc
Benny1954 wrote:Hi neil .Yep thats me.I hope everthing is well for you. I think you lived in the house in the square almost facing our house.
I also recall you had an uncle who was an avid Celtic fan and a wee brother/cousin called Willie - is that right or am I confused.


You're spot-on, Benny! My uncle was called Miffy, and Willie is my cousin.

I'll send you an email later with some names from that time; good to hear from you!

Re: Old Army camp in Pollok

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:32 pm
by Dexter St. Clair
neilmc wrote:
Benny1954 wrote:Hi neil .Yep thats me.I hope everthing is well for you. I think you lived in the house in the square almost facing our house.
I also recall you had an uncle who was an avid Celtic fan and a wee brother/cousin called Willie - is that right or am I confused.


You're spot-on, Benny! My uncle was called Miffy, and Willie is my cousin.

I'll send you an email later with some names from that time; good to hear from you!


What are we running here, schemies reunited?

Re: Old Army camp in Pollok

PostPosted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:15 am
by ronnieauld3
the camp on the savings bank site was an American army hospital my brother was based there when he came back from Hong Kong after serve a tour of duty there,as far as the anti aircraft guns emplacements go, they were up the corsett rd were the ashoka restuant is now but further up on the right and left hand side i remmeber them like it was yesterday, they were about 60ft in diamater with the gun mounted in the middle i remeber the bolt 4 of them to hold the gun down with small shelters sort of thing roun the inside , the amunition was kept in a wood futher up the road,there are still there to this day.they were about 200 yrds long and about 12 ft wide and 12 ft deep,next time i'am up that way i'll get some photos of them and post them.PS please excuse spelling

Re: Old Army camp in Pollok

PostPosted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 10:34 pm
by Fossil
crusty_bint wrote:Fascinating, I head never heard anything about this before!


what you talking about? I've post a picture of the POW working on the drains a couple of years back

Re: Old Army camp in Pollok

PostPosted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 10:39 pm
by crusty_bint
Fossil wrote:what you talking about?


Got to laugh at you! ::):

I've no recollection of it I'm afraid Fossil, got a link?

Re: Old Army camp in Pollok

PostPosted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 10:55 pm
by Fossil
crusty_bint wrote:I've no recollection of it I'm afraid Fossil, got a link?


::): no idea I need yo look out the picture

Re: Old Army camp in Pollok

PostPosted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 4:34 pm
by fourbytwo
8O Spent a bit of time thinking about these areas, I may be mixed up about American Army Hospitals etc, but I do recollect that a local group called 'The Pollok Kist' obtained a lot of old photos, many of which showed the POW camps at Boydstone Road, and the one at the approaches to the Dams, (Barrhead Waterworks).
Remember that what I can remember of these areas was as a wee boy, out with his pals for adventures and bird nesting etc.
Crossing over the burn at Burnbrae School from Priesthill, and crossing over the fields, we would arrive at the old cottages that are still located at the bend just above the old POW camp foundations.
Standing at that junction (remember it was an actual road), looking down towards Barrhead Road...to my left was the old POW camp which although partially demolished, was still fenced-off and you could see where the buildings were.
Further left was the end buildings of Cowglen Hospital, which I assume would be the US Hospital described. and travelling down that tarmac road towards what is now Silverburn, there was another fenced-off area and withing that you could easily see a tall water tower.
Continuing always left you came to the ambulance repair and garage yards, heading up from there, towards the Barrhead Road, you entered the housing scheme to the left of the fenced area, or continued down to the Barrhead Road and to the Bundy clock, and a small housing development of about 20 houses which were built by the British Army.
Before the NSB at Cowglen, the memory is a bit vague, but travelling along the Barrhead Road towards the Boydstone Road, I do remember some building that sat almost on the corner, and as we would head up the Boydstone Road towards the cottage, there was a farmhouse to the right, which I think became a masonic lodge in the 60's.
Heading up Boydstone Road, to the left.....fields, and to the right the entrances to Cowglen Hospital, with derelict areas previously POW, and army properties appearing as you approach the cottage.
There was a popular 'lover's lane which allowed cars to park hidden to the right of the cottage, and along the tarmac road previously described here.
Some years later when working in Carnwadric, I could still head into the old Pollok Centre from the rear, by using that same route, and I vividly remember the flyover which straddled the old tarmac road, and the tunnel which started and ended under the motorway.
This became the 'lover's lane' as you could drive past the Ambulance yard and actually into the tunnel below the motorway, as it was lit 24 hours a day and remained open for several years.
This was prior to the South Pollok Football pitches being removed, and began the period when the 'Shows' parked next to the old ambulance yard, annually for many years.
Sorry it is a bit sketchy, but it may indicate where the actual POW camp physically was....!