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US Base Pheasey Estate

Most of the kids where I lived had never met foreigners and the Pheasey americans were among the first foreigners we had ever seen. They spoke just like in the films, wore smart uniforms and of course they gave us sweets and chewing gum. Some of them however often caused trouble in the local pubs.

But the first foreigners we actually met (just about) were captured german airforce prisoners who were temporarily dumped on a nearby field with soldiers guarding them. We had been told to keep away but crept down back gardens to see them.
We stared at them and they stared back. A few smiled and amazed us by asking in broken english for cigarettes. Germany at the time appeared to be winning the war so most were probably thinking they would soon be free.

The next foreigners we met were hundreds of prisoners in Sutton Park and I remember thinking at the time that the two foot high wooden palin fence around them would not keep them in. We were by that time winning the war and felt superior so could outwardly be friendly ... :)
 
Laurie Built as a community Centre, taken over during the War, then as the Senior School, and now a Community Centre, my last old class room was a prefab on the play ground, demolished a few years ago, have a poor slide picture to post later Dave

A picture also of the Barn later
Hi Dave, did you ever post the slide of your old classroom you mentioned on the playground at Pheasey County Sec school on Collingwood Drive? I'm not that great at this but haven't been able to find it. Many thanks.
 
Just seen that I said I would post the pics of the Prefab classroom that was on the play ground, these cut from a video I took shortly before they demolished the classrooms :( in the second one the school hall on the left :)
pics no longer on, will have a look in my comp,
 
I did a 'Then and Now' on the photo in post#18
When I was a young lad, the United States Army took over half the houses on the nearby Pheasey Estate. Us kids were not bothered, the soldiers use to give us sweets, chocolate, and chewing gum. We may have sometimes exceeded their 15mph speed limit on our bikes riding down the hill. The military policeman is standing in Romney Way outside houses they had taken over.
The 1930's style Trees Pub was just over the road.
GIs_on_Pheasey_WW2.jpg


Looking at a street view today one of the semi-detatched houses is missing, it has been demolished to give access to a patch of land.
Romneynew.JPG


One small new detached house has been built, see it behind the estate agent sign.
Romneynew.JPG


In this aerial view from the year 2000, the old house which the soldiers were standing outside was still there.
Romney2000.JPG


In today's aerial view several new houses have been built and Riven Rise has appeared.
[
RomneyNow.jpg


The building which was the Trees Pub is now named 'Buffet Island'.
 
...also Dave, I wonder what the brick built hut is opposite The Trees (Buffet Island!)? I was born and brought up round there and always thought it looked "military" in style and possibly built by the U.S Army as a store or billet of some sort. Almost next to the soldier in the photo at his post there on Romney Way, there's a brick built column painted white - which seem to be in other photos of soldiers on guard at Pheasey - one on Doe Bank Lane as well. I believe there is one still existing, now obscured by trees and undergrowth on the right as you enter Doe Bank Lane, from Queslett Rd. A Co-op dairy distribution site stood next to it at one time - then a petrol station. It was once the site of Messuage Farm on the old maps.
 
Thanks so much Dave v interesting! I wonder why a house would have been demolished to access the land, seems an expensive thing to do to lose 2 houses.
I presume the building company bought the houses for access and made more money building and selling the houses in Riven Rise.

My memories of those days are a bit faded now, but I seem to remember that the land where Riven Rise now is was a fenced-off U.S. army area with huts and we used to look at them through a wire fence. For some reason one of the soldiers gave my now brother-in-law a clothes valet case with brushes and he still has it.

On the wartime aerial view below I have marked the army area pink, the Trees Pub green, and Romney Way blue.
1aerial.jpg
 
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Around that area there were part built houses left unfinished throughout the war, I wonder if it was some of those that were demolished.
 
I presume the building company bought the houses for access and made more money building and selling the houses in Riven Rise.

My memories of those days are a bit faded now, but I seem to remember that the land where Riven Rise now is was a fenced-off U.S. army area with huts and we used to look at them through a wire fence. For some reason one of the soldiers gave my now brother-in-law a clothes valet case with brushes and he still has it.

On the wartime aerial view below I have marked the army area pink, the Trees Pub green, and Romney Way blue.
View attachment 142584
Thank you Dave this is great. I always wondered (my fascination with the farm!) when Pheasey farmhouse itself was demolished. Do you or anyone else remember it? It's mentioned that the farmhouse and outbuildings were used by the army as offices etc. I do know that the old barn was used as a community centre for some time after the war and that the barn was demolished in the 60's.
 
This drawn map is on a facebook page 'U.S.Army Camps in the Midlands - WW2'. Unfortunately it is not very clear but whoever drew the map certainly knew the base. It shows that they regarded it as a military camp and not an housing estate. They would sometimes tolerate local kids wandering through the area but sometimes they would not ... :)
basemap.jpg
 
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