[Source: Darren Kitson]

Enid Blyton filming

Mentioned together with a photograph in the Marchwood (Fawley Branch) pages is the production of the Southern Television adaption of the Enid Blyton novel 'Five Go Off to Camp', shot in 1977 and screened in 1978. To recap, the plot revolved around mysterious ghost trains supposedly seen operating on a stretch of disused railway through remote moorland and which transpired to be a train used by smugglers which, between smuggling duties, was hidden inside a tunnel. The location of the tunnel has always been the subject of much speculation and number of somewhat wild suggestions; in fact there was no tunnel in the true sense of the word, just a couple of reasonably convincing mock-ups erected on the Marchwood Military Railway. One giveaway, sharp-eyed viewers may have noticed, was the military-style railway track which although not unique to MoD Marchwood would be a clue to the filming taking place on a military railway. There were two 'tunnels' erected at Marchwood, one at the coaling stage for external shots and another near the locomotive shed for 'in tunnel' shots. This view shows the mock-up tunnel entrance for external shots built at the coaling stage, part of which is visible on the right. The 'tunnel' was only around six feet long and when bearing this in mind the darkness within the 'tunnel' was quite realistic. Less realistic was the complete lack of any hill behind the 'tunnel' mouth but skills of the cameraman and editors plus the deliberate planting of foliage would have ensured the illusion was at least passable. Film production also relies to a degree upon the assumption that the majority of viewers, of whom most would have been children in this case, will be focused upon things other than 'rivet counter' details. This and the following views of the film set(s) were taken
during August 1977.
Photo by Andy Crespin

In the right background of this view the other side of the 'tunnel' mouth seen in the previous view can be seen . The locomotive is, of course, Army No.92 WAGGONER and she is standing on the site of the former ash pit, infilled sometime during the 1960s. The production company required the locomotive to be 'dirtied-up', to concur with her supposedly spending much of her time hidden away in the tunnel. Nevertheless, this effect was somewhat nulled by the locomotive retaining her nameplates. Behind the locomotive are a pair of what appear to be Conflat wagons, both with their handbrakes off while on the left another flat wagon of some description sits on the elevated coal road. One may wonder why the production company went to all this apparent trouble when, in 1977, there were plenty of real but disused tunnels in existence and indeed tunnels on certain heritage railways (witness The Railway Children, for example). In the case of Five Go Off to Camp a tunnel with operable track would have been required plus, of course, a locomotive, both of which a heritage railway could have provided, so the use of MoD Marchwood was probably down to budget restraints and the fact Marchwood, both MoD and the Fawley branch station, was local to Southern Television. Then entire filming was undertaken in the Marchwood and New Forest areas of Hampshire.
Photo by Andy Crespin

Army No.92 at the same location as the previous view but this time with the camera looking towards the locomotive shed (partly visible in the background). Glimpses of the shed's exterior could be seen in the film, while its interior was used to represent the interior of the tunnel and the robbers store. On the left the second tunnel mock-up can be seen. This 'tunnel' section was nothing more than a framework lined with black plastic sheeting and the whole covered by tarpaulins or similar. At the far end was a false wall with a hole cut in it and the hole can be seen in this view. The purpose of the hole was to give an impression of length to the tunnel and to this end was very effective. From this angle No.92 looks even dirtier than she did from the front. Modellers refer to this dirtying-up as 'weathering' but of course as far as No.92 was concerned it was full scale weathering. With one exception all these photographs of the set were taken, the photographer informs us, on a day in August 1977 when no filming was being undertaken. When it was, No.92 was in steam but obviously remained in the open air and the two fake tunnel sections used only for people shots. Anybody who has seen both the 1978 and 1996 screenings, the latter being filmed on the Tanfield Railway during 1995, will spot a number of differences and not least of which was the locomotive used in 1995, ex-NCB Ashington No.38, facing the opposite way around to No.92 relative to the tunnel mouth.
Photo by Andy Crespin

This view is at first glance rather confusing. It is taken from a scaffold tower erected for filming purposes and what we are seeing is a framed sheet of glass with a not-too-convincing moorland scene painted onto part of it and used to block out the unwanted background. The camera would be carefully positioned to line-up the scenery with the fake tunnel, which is behind the Land Rover; a Series III vehicle in civilian form and presumably belonging to the film crew. In the right background and seen mainly through the unpainted area of glass is Roberts Camp. Plans and aerial photographs show two sidings serving this location but close examination of a much larger version of this photograph appears to show three. One can clearly be seen right of and parallel to the roadway while another, largely hidden by grass, is to the left of the roadway. In the background, again left of the roadway, are a number of vans stabled side by side suggesting the aforementioned total of three sidings. As an aside and to avoid any possible confusion it is worth mentioning that a remake of Five Go Off to Camp was filmed in 1995 and screened in 1996. This adaption was filmed on the Tanfield Railway and the locomotive used was ex-NCB Ashington Colliery Austerity 0-6-0ST No.38 (RSH 7763/54) complete with electric headlamp. The 'tunnel' was actually the overbridge at Andrews House and the shots supposedly inside the 'tunnel' were taken inside Marley Hill shed.
Photo by Andy Crespin

As already described, No.92 was required to be dirtied-up for the filming of 'Five Go Off to Camp' in August 1977. Marchwood Military Railway staff were assured the effect would simply wash off. When it was removed it was found to have badly stained No.92's green paintwork, the result being the production company paying for a complete repaint and the lined blue/red/black livery seen here in May 1978 was the result. This is a similar but not identical livery to that used on the former Longmoor Military Railway which was generally blue with red below the running plate and with or without lining. As in another view of blue liveried No.92 taken in August 1978, the small 'No.92' on the bufferbeam can be seen here albeit partially obscured by the vacuum pipe.
Photo by Andy Crespin


This view from August 1977, is a publicity shot and shows the lead cast of Five Go Off to Camp posing in front of in-steam Austerity Army No.92. From left to right and with character names in brackets are; Gary Russell (Dick); Jennifer Thanisch (Anne); Michele Galagher (George); Marcus Harris (Julian). In the foreground is Toddy (Timmy [The Dog]). Sadly Michele Galagher is no longer with us, having passed away, reportedly suicide, during 2000 aged just 35 (Date source: IMDb). Her surname is spelled variously as 'Galagher' or 'Gallagher' and it would appear the former was her stage name and the latter her birth name. She is in addition sometimes referred to as 'the girl who wanted to be a boy'. Given the age of these actors at the time (they were classed as 'Child Actors') this could well have been the first time any of them had been in close proximity to a working steam locomotive. The 1978 airing was produced for what was then Southern Television by Portman Productions who went on to produce the 1996 airing for what was then Tyne Tees Television. As of 2016 Gary Russell is with Planet 55 Studios in Australia, Jennifer Thanisch is in the teaching profession, Marcus Harris is still in sporadic acting and has also been Deputy Mayor of Wallingford among other things. Toddy, a Border Collie, died shortly after filming of the series was completed.
Photo received from Andy Crespin

Miscellaneous Photographs

This view, taken in September 1975, shows WAGGONER having her fire thrown-out at the coaling stage following the end of her working day. The procedure with steam locomotives depended on whether they were going on-shed to be 'lit up' again another day or being maintained in 'light steam' overnight but either way a lot of dirty manual work was involved; cleaning or dropping/throwing out the fire; removing ash and cinders from smokeboxes and boiler tubes; recoaling; rewatering and so on. In cases where the fire was 'dropped', a pit was normally required and this was the purpose of ash pits found at virtually all main line steam sheds. Pits could also be found at platform ends of some stations, to permit firemen to clean the fire while a train stood at a platform. Cambridge station, to name just one example, once had at least one such pit. Be it in an industrial or main line environment, once a fire had been dropped or thrown out steam locomotives could maintain a workable boiler pressure for some time afterwards and this allowed them to be recoaled, rewatered etc. before moving on-shed although not necessarily in that order. The science of high pressure steam is beyond our remit here but briefly, once a fire has been dropped or thrown-out and steam is subsequently admitted to the cylinders a boiler can actually reheat itself a number of times while boiler temperature remains above a critical point. It was this characteristic which was used by 'fireless' locomotives charged with steam from an external source such as a factory boilerhouse. Back at Marchwood, a line of discarded ash can be seen alongside the track. In the final few years of steam at Marchwood, WAGGONER, by then the sole steam locomotive at the depot, was steamed only infrequently (approximately once per month) but in the days when most of Marchwood's motive power was steam, removal of discarded ash would have been a frequently necessary job for somebody.
Photo by Andy Crespin

Army No.92 ‘WAGGONER’ busy shunting at Marchwood in February 1976. The location is Tech. Stores Sidings. In the background the smoky funnel belongs to Union-Castle Line's vessel ‘Pendennis Castle’. This vessel was built by Harland & Wolff and launched on 24 December 1957. She operated the Southampton - South Africa route and departed Southampton bound for South Africa for the final time on 23 April 1976. Upon her return she was taken out of service on 14 June 1976. She was subsequently sold and renamed twice but is believed to have never operated commercially again. She was scrapped in Taiwan during 1980.
Photo by Andy Crespin

Army No.92 ‘WAGGONER’ posing for the camera at Marchwood in February 1976. Note the track, at this point using concrete sleepers and with jointed track panels of relatively short length compared to those on the main lines.
Photo by Andy Crespin

Army No.92 ‘WAGGONER’ (again) this time in April 1976 having gone AWOL and escaped onto the curve leading to Marchwood Junction. The tracks of the Fawley branch can be seen in the left background. Regrettably the camera did not capture the two ground signals, especially the Distant of which no photographs have come to light. The gate on the left is disused, the gate in use being a few yards behind the camera. The typically military boxy-looking building on the right is part of the married quarters, these particular buildings being erected from circa 1960.
Photo by Andy Crespin


Army No.92 is seen here in February 1976 scooting along towards Mulberry Halt with Andy Crespin, who has kindly allowed use of this and numerous other photographs, on the footplate and clearly delighted with being photographed. The strange looking contraption in the right background is a water carrier for use with the steam breakdown crane. It is said to have been built upon the underframe of a former carriage and if so the parking brake, operated by the white wheel, is likely to have been added as part of the conversion. The origin of the underframe was not known at the time of writing.
Photo by Andy Crespin


The view ahead from the footplate of Army No.62 as she approaches the Port Gate main road in February 1976. This view shows well the restricted forward vision offered by steam locomotives, especially tank locomotives, and which was perpetuated with certain early mainline diesel locomotives. Directly ahead of the camera is Marchwood's red-painted Green Goddess fire tender. These vehicles are described briefly on the Port Gate page. In the left background can be seen the funnel of Union Castle Line's vessel 'Edinburgh Castle', berthed at Southampton.
Photo by Andy Crespin

One of the Thomas Hill 'Vanguard' locomotives trundles along the military railway with the pair of ex-Class 501 EMU cars. The locomotive is unidentified but might be Army No.263 ‘McMULLEN’ as this one had its nameplates mounted above the number. The date is also unknown but, assuming the locomotive is indeed McMullen, it will be prior to 2003 by which year this locomotive had received black/yellow 'wasp stripes' in place of its plain yellow ends. It should be remembered, however, that nameplates were swapped around as locomotives came and went. The plate bearing the letter 'A' is the locomotive duty ident. Photographic evidence suggests that the practice was in place at, or from very soon after, the opening of the military port and was certainly so during the 1950s. Photographs have been seen showing plates A, B, C and D in use although this does not necessarily mean four locomotives were in operation simultaneously. At the peak of the military railway when it had some 30 miles of track (sources vary between 22 and 30 miles) they could well have been
additional locomotives duties.

Army No.425 again, this time having a smoke outside the locomotive shed in November 1975. The photograph was taken through the window of the mess room.
Photo by Andy Crespin


Another view Ruston & Hornsby Army Class C3 SA No.425 seen outside Marchwood's locomotive shed and presumably also in 1975. The photograph is taken from the footplate of No.92 WAGGONER. The tracks enter the shed from the right and the original Nissen hut locomotive shed was located on the other side of the shed seen here, thus the camera is facing south-east.
Photo by Andy Crespin

Ruston Army No.432 heads a train of short wheelbase vans from the port to the exchange sidings in August 1977. The vans would have arrived at the port from the main line loaded, the photographer suggests, with ammunition. Mulberry Halt is behind the photographer.
Photo by Andy Crespin

Ruston Army No.432 seen here in November 1975 at the exchange sidings. In the right background is a tracked vehicle of some description on a flat wagon while on the wagon coupled to the locomotive is what appears to be a compressor or perhaps a mobile generator.
Photo by Andy Crespin

Ruston Army No.432 at the Tech Stores in November 1975.
Photo by Andy Crespin

North British Army No.413 outside the locomotive shed at Marchwood in November 1975. In the background stands Ruston Army No.425. The 'C2 SA' on the cabside is the army
locomotive class codes.
Photo by Andy Crespin

North British Army No.413 and Ruston Army No.432 standing on the coal stage line (part of the steam locomotive faculties) in November 1975.
Photo by Andy Crespin

April 1973 and Ruston Army No.425 poses on the coal stage line with a train of what appear to be Armoured Fighting Vehicles (FV). In the background can be seen part of the water tower; this was demolished later the same year. The train crew are wearing army kit; at this date military railways were still operated by army personnel. The cessation of this practice was one of many supposed cost-cutting measures imposed upon Britain's military including the Royal Navy and the errors of this were not realised until the Falklands Campaign of 1982. Some may argue that lessons still have not been learned. Note the signalling by means of a flag; there has never been any form of fixed signalling on the Marchwood Military Railway other than that owned by what is now Network Rail
protectin Marchwood Junction.
Photo by Andy Crespinin

Of the two passenger coaches involved in the collision with North British Army No.413, one was written off. This was Army No.5305 which had begun life as BR London Midland Region No. M43269 and is seen here being scrapped at Marchwood in October 1977. It has been burned out; once a normal part of scrapping procedure done to get rid of wood, fabric and anything else with no scrap value so only metal is left. M43269 was a Brake Second suburban coach, the brake end being that
furthest from the camera.
Photo by Andy Crespin

Site of the level crossing on Cracknore Hard Lane in September 1976. This was on the temporary spur laid for the construction of the original Marchwood power station in the 1950s. For a 'Then & Now' comparison, see the photograph of WD No.157 at the same location and showing the same set of gates. In April 2016 the gates still existed but behind additional security fencing and deep in undergrowth which now also engulfs the section of road in the foreground, as a realignment occurred sometime around the millenium to ease a bend at the approach to Cracknore Hard. The present road is a few yards behind the vantage point of this view. As mentioned elsewhere, this former level crossing is not to be confused with that believed to have existed on the Cracknore Hard branch, near
the former Ship Inn.
Photo by Andy Crespin


In December 1978 three MMR vehicles were being prepared for transporting to the Mid Hants Railway. The third vehicle was one of the ex-BR suburban coaches. Here is former LSWR Restaurant Composite Army No.3321. Built at Eastleigh in 1907 it had began life as a Diagram 42 clerestory vehicle, LSWR No.70, later Southern Railway No.4132 and then No.7832. It then became No.WS1641 in 1943, by then a 'Nondescript Saloon' and as part of an ambulance train based at Netley Hospital. The clerestory roof had been removed in 1934. It had come to Marchwood from Longmoor and used at Marchwood in connection with diver training at the jetty. Despite the three vehicles possibly being unfit to travel over the main line, in 1978 the Mid Hants Railway was still isolated from the National Network so transport from Marchwood was by road. Privately owned when at the Mid Hants Railway, the plan had been to rebuilt No.70 to its 1931 condition, ie without the clerestory roof, but with a buffet counter in the three-bay area. This was not to be and following the death of its owner No.70 was moved to the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway where it remained at the time of writing but, sadly, in poor condition. Due in no small part to WWII a number of these vehicles ended up with the military and of those, again at the time of writing, No.76 is also at the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway while No.72, albeit converted to an inspection saloon, had been in use with the Bicester Military Railway until 2014 when acquired by the National Railway Museum. Pictures and details of No.72 can be seen at the Vintage Carriages Trust website here and of No.70 here.
Photo by Andy Crespin

Another view of the ex-LSWR Restaurant Composite No.70, Army No.3321, in December 1978 during preparation for transporting to the Mid Hants Railway. A total of 23 of these vehicles were built and drawings of them in clerestory form have survived, enabling us to know their internal layout. Contrary to impressions given in this and accompanying photographs, No.70 did not finish up with a number of sealed doorways and the openings seen here were the original and only doorways excepting the gangway connections. On the opposite side were two single doorways, separated by panels, towards the far end. Nearest the camera is what was the First Class area which contained two bays; that nearest the corridor connection having 1 x 1 and 2 x 1 seating with the second bay having 2 x 1 and 2 x 1 seating, total 11 individual seats all with tables. At the far end of the vehicle the layout of the Third Class accommodation was similar apart from there being an additional 2 x 1 and 2 x 1 bay at the inner end and with the 4-seater sides of the two inner bays comprising two 2-seater bench type seats. This latter also applied to the innermost seating of the end bay. Total Third Class seating was 17, thus total seating for the entire vehicle was a mere 28 but this was fairly typical of these self contained vehicles for the time. There was an offset central corridor which moved to the side nearest the camera when passing around the kitchen area, behind the three wider window bays. The First Class end was accessed from the corridor via a sliding door but no such privacy was afforded the Third Class end. The central area contained a wash basin, pantry, stove, preparation table and various storage facilities including a bottle rack. The cooking area, which had a lead-covered floor, was separate from the pantry area and one could only be accessed from the other via the corridor and for this purpose two gates, as opposed to doors, were provided. The lead-covered floor would have been to prevent juices, oils, fat etc. damaging the wooden floorboards beneath. The use of lead for this purpose was once common; fish vans, for examples, were once lined internally in the same manner. How the stove was fired is not known. Also provided was a refrigerator but rather than being located in the pantry area it was in the corridor on the opposite side to the kitchen and pantry and behind the inner bulkhead of the Third Class area, space for it being found in the niche formed by the corridor moving from the side to the off-centre position. It is said the vehicles were given a clerestory roof due to the proximity of the seating areas to the kitchen, in other words for ventilation purposes which in any event was the main purpose of a clerestory roof anyway. When the Southern converted the vehicles to arced roof, some form of kitchen ventilation would need to have been provided and this is possibly what is visible on the roof in these views. That said and given that camera angles can be deceiving, the device on the roof appears to be above the former pantry area rather than the kitchen area. When in clerestory form, at least, the vehicles carried roof destination boards just above the cantrail. The inscription 'DINING SALOON' was carried on the waistline towards both ends and on both sides but the precise positioning varied per side for reasons of symmetry with other bodyside features.
Photo by Andy Crespin


This photograph, again from December 1978, offers a full view of the other two vehicles which accompanied LSWR No.70 to the Mid Hants Railway (MHR). The van is an ex-Southern Railway Diagram 1458 12t box van which had come to Marchwood from Longmoor in 1967. Built in 1940 it had been Southern Railway No.49741 but whether it ever carried this number before being taken over by the military is unclear. It ended up under the military as AD 47777. Heavily modified by the military, its double doors on both sides had been removed and the openings planked over while a door was fitted into one end over a buffer. At Marchwood the van ran with No.70 in connection with the diving school. Among the identifying features of these vans were the roof and the frame sections sloping inwards from the bottom. The type was destined to become the most common 12t van in Britain and could be seen anywhere from Penzance to Wick while, during WWII at least, the design became the preference of the military. The photographer had some involvement with securing these vehicles for the MHR who agreed, at his suggestion, for the van to be labelled "Army Stores Longmoor to Marchwood" and it would appear the van ran so-labelled for a time. At first used as an office by the MHR the van was last restored, back to pre-military condition, in 2006 and runs from time to time in the railway's demonstration freight train. It is painted, at the time of writing, in non-fitted grey livery although it is through-piped. However, is it numbered S 47777 which is a peculiar mix of Southern and military but nevertheless a nice nod to its history. The carriage, seen here being lifted from its bogies is Army 3301 which began life as BR London Midland Region No.M46069. It was a 57ft BR MkI suburban Compartment Second seating 108 and when in military service had an observation window fitted centrally in one end and some internal alterations. At the MHR it was used as an office at Ropley but due to deteriorating condition (these coaches were prone to corrosion which spread from the areas below the windows) it was scrapped sometime in the early 1980s.
Photo received from Andy Crespin

Over the pit inside Marchwood's locomotive shed is a Thomas Hill/Vanguard Class 01/5 shunter complete with headboard marking the end of the passenger service on the internal system. The locomotive number is unrecorded, nor is it known if the photograph was taken before or after the final service had run. The white rimmed buffers were not a special 'last train' embellishment but part of the standard and slightly bizarre DLO livery which superceded army green. Note the somewhat anachronistic Vanguard badge at the bottom of radiator grille and the simple three-link RCH (Railway Clearing House) coupling, a device which harked back to the first half of 19th century and became the, then, standard, in theory at least, in 1905 and compulsory from 1914. The funnel shaped device above the locomotive is a channel for exhaust fumes and positioning the exhaust stack reasonably accurately beneath it would require a degree of concentration by the driver. The fairly narrow trunking and that visible beneath the shed roof suggests forced extraction was installed. The general interior of the shed differs little from any modern shed, be it on the National Network or elsewhere and with specific differences centring around type and quantity of stock to be stabled and serviced
Photo received from Andy Crespin

Sources:
Online

Printed

Further Reading
The UK Government has produced a series of commemorative WWII 'booklets' in PDF format, including the D-Day. The series can be read or downloaded from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/second-world-war-commemorative-booklets.

In addition there are a number of websites and online images available showing surviving evidence of Operations Neptune and Overlord, for example remains of the Mulberry Harbours and wreckage of tanks and other items of equipment which remain on the seabed to this day. Especially recommended is the website https://www.reseau-canope.fr and in particular this page. The website is available in both French and English.

For anybody in, or visiting, France there is the D-Day Museum, Arromanches which is well worth a visit along with that at Utah Beach and others. Brittany Ferries provide a list of the various museums and memorials in France and which can be seen here.

Acknowledgement
As will be understood, photographs taken within military premises are not easily obtainable but we have been fortunate in being able to use a number of photographs taken by Andy Crespin, a former driver on the Marchwood Military Railway, and our grateful thanks are extended to him.

Warning
Members of the public are advised that under no circumstances should they attempt to enter military premises, especially with cameras, and that attempts to take photographs from outside military premises may result in them being stopped and questioned by the authorities. A large number of former military railway items can be freely viewed and photographed at museums and heritage railways, while locations such as Long Marston, which are now of a semi-military status, still hold the occasional open day

See also The Military at Marchwood (feature)
Mulberry Halt, Port Gate Platform,
Model Room Halt & Jetty Halt