Lochgoilhead Military Depot?

Any information about a Military Depot at Lochgoilhead / Lochgailhead, please?

I'm working on some service records and this is mentioned. A cursory search has revealed nothing yet - I hope to carry out more thorough research in a few days but would welcome any reference or information in the meantime.

Cheers,
Nick

Could it be Lochgilphead ? There was I believe an Internment Camp there at some stage. I'm sure because of its location Combined Ops would have also been in th area.

Hi Pete,

There are two references to the Military Depot in the records and it is definitely Lochgoilhead - not one I've come across but possibly something to do with Signals...

Nick

How interesting!

References to Lochgoilhead and surrounding areas still being used for Royal Marine training. Evacuation centre during WW2.

That's my Sunday morning filled then.

If you type in Govan - An Early History - got to Part 5 as the author moves to this area. I've heard of this place and wonder, as ack-ack is mentioned, if my mam ventured there during her time in the ATS ... she was in signals as well as previously being a gun-layer.

Thanks Eileen, that may be a great help - the gentleman I'm researching spent a little of his time with Maritime Anti-Aircraft!

Nick

Following on from Eileen's lead, I've done a wee bit of digging about Lochgoilhead, a village on the Cowal Peninsular, and discovered that, during World War II, in the adjoining parish of Strachan, Glenbranter House and grounds were taken over by Combined Operations. It became a landing craft signals school & was designated as a Royal Navy shore establishment & named 'HMS Pasco'.

This may mean that the Military Depot at Lochgoilhead was somewhere between Lochgoilhead & Strachan - which would made sense...
Hopefully I'll be able to discover more and will update.

Nick

Well Nick I have found reference which I am sure you and others will have done to torpedo testing on Loch Long (Loch Goil is a branch off of it), and to sound testing/depth charge testing on Loch Goil itself. Unfortunately the website that is very good on forgotten bases, Secret Scotland, seems to be suffering some IT problems at the moment but I am sure there will be more on there. On Loch Goil there is a small landing pier at Carrick Castle which has been owned by the MOD since WW1 from what I can see. Only 7 miles away from Carrick Castle is Ardentinny with its obvious connections to the RN Commandos which leads me to this account by a RN Commando. It is a lengthy but very interesting read. He mentions

"Our very last exercise was a landing from an LCM at Lochgoilhead where we bivouacked over night using a gas cape, a ground sheet and blanket."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/94/a2677494.shtml

Is there a prize on offer by the way for the first to find it ?

I'm glad it isn't just me who couldn't get the Secret Scotland link to work.

Yes, torpedoes and all sorts mentioned - a very busy place back then.

I'll let you two fight it out for the prize but look forward to hearing more. I'm going to revisit that Goven link as Dundee is mentioned, as is Coupar Angus (family grave there) - grand little website ... that one AND this one of course. )

Pete wrote:Well Nick

Is there a prize on offer by the way for the first to find it ?

Yes Pete, whichever of you or Eileen finds most information can buy me a Guinness at FW...

Yes I have tried Secret Scotland and they do seem to have problems...
The Evacuation Camp became the Combined Ops Signal School I believe but am still researching...

Nick

Interesting work Nick and all.

I always like to have a look on Streetview or equivalent, to get perhaps the slightest of feel for what the place might have looked like. Makes it more real for me personally.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@56.1707507,-4.9018709,3a,75y,219.96h,85.66t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_WChZZPfb1RZxwRLAOhgxw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656