Besieged Polish resistance, encircled in Warsaw by German armies, have created own radio station & printworks to inspire defenders. This poster promises: "One bullet for every German". https://t.co/0nZ9WZmuFY
To try & crush uprising in Warsaw, German occupiers have cut water supplies to the city, forcing Polish resistance to dig wells & ration water. Poles queue for a street pump in a trench dug to shelter from German snipers: https://t.co/ZS9eh0x1YY
After 3 years of brutal Japanese occupation & deprivation, native Chamorro people of Guam return to American rule. Japanese imprisoned Chamorros in labour camps, tortured & executed many, & subjected
others to forced prostitution as "comfort women". https://t.co/LbdRGQDo3g
others to forced prostitution as "comfort women". https://t.co/LbdRGQDo3g
Japanese commander on Guam, Hideyoshi Obata has committed seppuku (ritual suicide) after his forces failed to stop US Marines taking the island; now posthumously promoted to general by Japanese High Command. https://t.co/0yYRGRDC8A
Troops of the US Third Army have crossed the River Loire, continuing rapid advance across Brittany; since breaking through German lines around Normandy, Allied forces are spreading out across France. Watch newsreel: https://t.co/fofpJpymiw
"How about moving over, Bud?" As heaviest fighting ends on Guam, a Husky scouting dog & a US Marine relax in a foxhole, captured by war photographer W. Eugene Smith. https://t.co/xTxRH6RF39
Organised Japanese resistance has collapsed on Guam; American forces control the island but 7000+ Japanese guerrillas are still fighting in dense, mountainous jungle. https://t.co/SSt85D35Vs
US Marines on Guam have fought inland, forcing Japanese occupiers into dense mountainous jungle on north of island. Exhausted Japanese are short of ammo, food; their artillery & tanks now wrecked by relentless American assault. https://t.co/d3Umc9XQyh
Japanese prisoners have overwhelm Australian guards during escape from Cowra camp, killing four- Australians opened up with machine guns, killing about 200 prisoners while others have committed suicide. 359 have escaped & largest manhunt in Australian history is pursuing them. https://t.co/eU6rSjnem5
Japanese prisoners of war in Australia have staged a mass breakout from Cowra camp, 314km west of Sydney, with 1000+ storming perimeter. Yelling "Banzai" & flinging blankets over barbed wire fence, Japanese attack Australian guards with knives, baseball bats & garottes. https://t.co/OZ9U3bJeyr
Major strike by US transport workers in Philadelphia ends after workers were threatened with being drafted into Army. White Philadelphia transit workers walked off their jobs in protest at Black employees being allowed to drive trains. Philadelphia has been paralyzed for 8 days. https://t.co/8nP4d7TUYJ
Desperate to crush Polish uprising in Warsaw, & following Himmler’s order to “kill anything that moves”, three German battle groups are advancing from the west. Nazi forces are indiscriminately massacring fighters & civilians alike: 10,000 killed in Wola district in last day. https://t.co/Z9qzVbq81S
In Florence, retreating Germans have blown up historic bridges across the river Arno, cutting city in two to try & slow down advancing Allied forces. Florentines, ordered to shelter in cellars & churches by Nazi occupiers, react to explosions with shouts of horror: “The bridges!” https://t.co/GY6hCGbk33
Anne Frank, 15, has been keeping a diary for the two years that her family have been in hiding. 2 weeks ago, hearing of German officers' plot to assassinate Hitler, she wrote: "I'm finally getting optimistic. Now, at last, things are going well!" https://t.co/TlVezlLJon
Police in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam storm a small apartment hidden in a warehouse, capturing a group of eight Dutch Jews, who have been concealed in secret annex for 761 days. Otto, Edith, Margot & Anne Frank, Hermann, Auguste & Peter van Pels, & Fritz Pfeffer all arrested by SS. https://t.co/7HJuJ7I7Nw
Polish "Home Army" in Warsaw has 40,000 soldiers, including 4000 women, but only guns & ammunition for ~2500 fighters. Rest must rely on capturing German stockpiles, improvised or homemade weaponry. https://t.co/3cAzsWDHCM
After 2 days' battle in the Warsaw Uprising, Polish resistance fighters have captured much of the city, although Nazi occupiers still hold vital strongpoints. Red Army forces have stopped 12 miles east of the river Vistula, after advance units were thrown back by Germans. https://t.co/0pEqiavZTb
~20,000 Roma & Sinti people from across Europe have been murdered in Auschwitz & Birkenau camps in just over a year. Auschwitz's Zigeunerfamilienlager- gypsy family camp- holds a small group used for forced labour, medical experiments, & subject to pseudoscientific study. https://t.co/Vq4Evo1vub
SS guards at Auschwitz concentration camp have started to kill prisoners of the "Gypsy Family Camp", gassing & burning 2,897 Roma & Sinti people: "clearing out" inmates as Soviet forces advance closer. https://t.co/LrRaLOKUja
Social Media
We have had a response to our request for clarity about future access to the bunker from the residents management company solicitor (As this is the method they now choose to communicate with Bunker 13). ![]()
It is not good news but pretty much as we suspected. We will publish more details in due course. Thank you for your support.
Hi everyone, it is now more than 7 months since Brannen and Partners, under instruction from the Residents Management Company, instructed Bunker 13 to stop their ongoing maintenance and comprehensive internal and external inspection regime of the Grade II Listed World War Two Bunker in the grounds of the Central Grange Estate.![]()
Our dehumidifiers had to be removed leaving the internals of the structure at risk of deterioration. There is no regular monitoring of water ingress and checking the pumps put in place by the Management Company to prevent this happening. This is of great concern to Newcastle City Council Heritage department also who are undertaking periodic inspections.![]()
The reason cited for preventing Bunker 13 access was stated as health and safety concerns. Despite Bunker 13 having a H&S professional consultant as one of our directors and our repeated requests for any information on the risks identified by them no details have been provided. The one concern we do have is regarding the electrical system which has not been inspected/tested for a number of years and thus until inspected this remains a potential fire risk.![]()
We believe enough time has now elapsed for any H&S issues to have been addressed and so we will be asking for access by Bunker 13 to the Bunker to resume our caretaking role. This in turn would mean the process of seeking funding for the restoration project could start once again.![]()
Unfortunately, our preservation activities have been STOPPED as the Residents Management Company refuse to engage in constructive discussions with us or anyone about the future of the bunker.![]()
We remain concerned that H&S concerns are being given as a smoke screen to keep the bunker disused mothballed and rotting away to save short term costs and feel this is a very short-sighted plan as the costs of repair required to a listed building once allowed to deteriorate will sadly fall on the Central Grange Residents. We are also concerned that as we are not undertaking our regular security inspections the Bunker is at high risk of break in and anti-social behaviour.![]()
We will keep you informed as to the management company’s response to our request to once again be granted access to act as caretakers of the bunker and restart the bunker project.
Application for Grade 2 Star listing has been Applied for as significant Air actions by the RAF were directed from this bunker. One such action was the tracking and interception of Rudolf Hess's plane. We will have more details in our up and coming news letters. We have had to take this action to protect the building due to the current management company's behaviour and total lack of communication which have returned the bunker to being at risk as an unmonitored vacant historic building. Watch this space for further news.
We will be publishing another BUNKER NEWS LETTER in the next couple of weeks which will have further NEWS about the new Central Grange Residents Group (Facebook Page going live soon) for the residents living near the bunker. In our news letter we will correct factual inaccuracies in the annual statement supplied by the management agents to all the residents. Each resident will also get a paper version supplied. Support is growing. 🙂👍Watch this space.
Below is a text copy of the September 2020 Bunker News Letter provided to the Residents of Central Grange.![]()
![]()
BUNKER NEWS No.1![]()
Bunker 13 ![]()
Email: enquiries@bunker13.co.uk![]()
September 2020![]()
![]()
Dear Resident/Homeowner,![]()
It has been a number of years since Bunker 13 have been in direct contact with the residents of Central Grange as we believed you had been kept informed by your resident management company Central Grange Kenton Management Company (We shall refer to them as the KMC) about Bunker 13 and our project to preserve the Bunker. Recent events have revealed that this has not been the case. We have decided to provide periodic Bunker Newsletters directly to you. Please visit our website www.bunker13.co.uk for information about the history of this historic bunker you have close to your homes.![]()
In short you have a significant historic building situated at the heart of Central Grange where specific notable historic RAF actions were orchestrated. Only 2 bunkers out of 4 built survive from the Dowding system of defence today. These bunkers were instrumental in defending Britain and ultimately delivering victory in the Battle of Britain. The sister bunker is the Uxbridge “Battle of Britain Bunker” London. This bunker is restored and used for educational and organised visits by the public. ![]()
Our Aims Are Simple: -![]()
To preserve and restore the bunker for future generations.![]()
1) Organise a financially self-funding framework to allow the bunker to help educate future generations while relieving the financial burden of the ongoing maintenance of the bunker from the residents of Central Grange. ![]()
Bunker 13 have always sought to involve the residents of Central Grange in securing a mutually beneficial future for the Bunker while maintaining a peaceful residential environment. Our basic plan is available on our website. We will cover this in more detail in our next newsletter.![]()
We felt this newsletter must dispel the “fake news” that some people may have heard stating Bunker 13 intend to open a general shop in the front guard room of the Bunker. This is not true and in no way part of our plans.![]()
BUNKER 13 Recent Activity: We have in recent years been acting as unpaid, non-funded care takers of the bunker while seeking funding and professional advice regarding this complex project. Until recently we were carrying out weekly external security inspections and weekly internal inspections (We still inspect externally) checking the operation of our dehumidifiers which were preventing interior deterioration while monitoring humidity & water ingress into the bunker. Our efforts have prevented a repeat of the catastrophic flooding of several years ago. However as of July 2020 The KMC in consultation the management agents Brannen & Partners, took the decision to no longer work with Bunker 13 and prevent our access to the building. This has meant removal of our dehumidifiers which were preventing wood rot and internal damage. The only reason they have stated for this decision was Health and Safety concerns but with no details on what grounds. We repeatedly asked for more information and to have a meeting to discuss these issues to move forward however, to date the KMC and Brannen’s refuse to have a meeting. This may have serious financial implications to you the residents. It has stopped Bunker 13’s ability to ensure the Bunkers condition is maintained and impacts our efforts to obtain funding. ![]()
In order to protect the bunker we have been forced to inform the relevant outside agencies such as Newcastle City Council and Historic England etc. that we are no longer able to maintain the bunkers internal condition which in turn means these agencies will require periodic inspections of the bunker to ensure its Grade 2 status is being maintained properly. As a direct result of the KMC/Brannen’s decision Newcastle City Council are inspecting the bunker on 17th September with the KMC Directors & Brannen’s present. This in all probability will mean money needing to be spent on the bunker by your management company on your behalf. Whereas if our working relationship had continued all major costs would have been met by our project receiving funding for our heritage community project.![]()
Please see our Facebook page and website for updates. Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions. Email: enquiries@bunker13.co.uk ![]()
BREAKING NEWS!! There is a New Resident’s Group!!!![]()
CENTRAL GRANGE RESIDENT GROUP (Kenton)![]()
Watch out on Facebook for “The Central Grange Residents Group (Kenton)” and leaflets to each dwelling. This is a totally independent Facebook page set up BY residents FOR residents and MANAGED by residents. The current Central Grange page is managed by Brannen & Partners.![]()
To find out more and become part of the CGRG (Kenton) and have your voices heard please contact the following email address enquiries.CGRG@gmail.com We have been informed they are going to use all means possible to allow residents to communicate with each other to discuss issues on the development and make sure the KMC and Brannen & Partners consult and listen to residents views and concerns.![]()
Final Note: Bunker 13 would like to work with the residents once more and form a cohesive working relationship with the residents of Central Grange. We are pleased to announce we have agreed to work closely with CGRG moving forward and hope the KMC do likewise after all they are residents who represent the residents.![]()
BUNKER13
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- Dropped in to the bunker today for a routine dehumidifier check. All working well and bunker pretty dry now. Had a… https://t.co/QmRmX6v1Ra
- Not posted for a while - been busy elsewhere - found some interesting booklets though. Will, hopefully end up on di… https://t.co/GkOFdiHyOO
- Found another section of the Ejector room door skin and scraped the wimpey dark green off to reveal more original l… https://t.co/Ft7AoQXEWc
- Popped in this Sunday to check the dehumidifiers and decided to have a quick look at the pile of rubbish in the to… https://t.co/NCT130O8jr
- Another Sunday another clean up session and a bit of door sliding. Once again the Vacmaster donated by… https://t.co/giF5OZfChn
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