The rocketmen who defended wartime Wolverhampton
And here they are – Wolverhampton's rocketmen.
They are posing in front of one of their top secret weapons, part of a rocket battery which protected the wartime town from aerial attack.
Wolverhampton's rocket gun battery was unveiled to Star readers 80 years ago this month and after we put the weapon in the spotlight in a feature the other day local aviation historian Stephen King got in touch to provide more information about it.
Our photo shows the command post and tracking crew of the battery in the autumn of 1944, by which time the weapon was off the secret list. It was originally provided by Ron Bown of Wolverhampton. Mr Bown is middle row, second from left, and recalled that the battery commander was a Captain Black, who is in the middle of the front row.
The battery was operated by members of the Home Guard.
We did question whether it was ever fired in anger, and the answer seems to be... possibly.
