Most Amazing Photos from the World Cultures: Forgotten Military Facilities

I remember I read somewhere a very interesting quote by Bertrand Russell. I think it goes like this: “War does not determine who is right, only who is left“. And also what is left. Abandoned war installations, military bases above or under the ground, old hospitals can be considered the perfect eyeglass for the not necessarily sad past, but for an interesting and captivating world - fighting techniques, war medical practices, use of buildings, weapons.
Some facilities are no more than simple structures, but still able to say a lot about people of that time and their beliefs, condition and possibilities. Others are real wonders, architectural masterpieces… Let’s take a tour around the world.

Cambridge Military Hospital, Aldershot, United Kingdom
Built by Messrs Martin Wells and Co. with costs of about £45,758

Source & Copyright © DazJames on Flickr via 28dayslater
The 5th building of its kind in Aldershot, Cambridge Military Hospital opened the doors to pacients in July 1879. It was the first military hospital in the UK to receive battle casualties directly from the front of World War One and also the first to open a plastic surgery unit. The title it received came from His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army at the time.
The illuminated medical minds of the time considered that the wind would sweep away any infection and clean the air. This explains its strategical location on the hill. But the thing that made it famous was not its location, but its supposedly mile long corridor.
cambridge_military_hospital

Source & Copyright © DazJames on Flickr
Today, the stunning architecture of the place is destined to degradation and disrepair. More information about Cambridge Military Hospital.
Underground Docks For Military Ships and Submarines, Honshu Island, Japan
Date back to 1952

Information about these docks is not much. What I could find is that the tunnels were digged in 1952 by specially designed robots. The purpose of the underground water tunnels was to ensure the protection of the military ships in case of nuclear attacks. Unfortunately, they were abandoned due to a severe damage during an underground earthquake.

More pictures on Tektuff
Abandoned Military Zone, Santa Teresa di Gallura, Sardegna, Italy

Santa_Teresa_di_Gallura_abandoned_military_zone

Full view: Wikimedia Commons
Santa Teresa di Gallura is a magical and exotic travel destination with wonderful beaches. The exceptional turquoise colors of the sea, the wind-sculpted granite rocks and the spectacular mountains compete with the most interesting remains of an ingenious military outpost, well hidden in the stone.
Bannerman’s Castle, Abandoned Military Surplus Warehouse, Pollepel Island, Hudson River, New York, USA
Built between 1901 and 1918 by businessman Francis Bannerman VI

The wonderful castle is located on Pollepel Island in the Hudson River. In 1900, a businessman Francis Bannerman VI (1851–1918) bought the island in need of a storage facility for his growing surplus business. When Spanish-American War finished, he bought 90% of the US army surplus. This included also a large quantity of ammunition so he decided to provide a safe location for storage. Next spring, he began to build an arsenal on Pollepel. It was built in the style of a castle more as a giant advertisement for his business.

The island and buildings were bought by New York State in 1967, after the old military merchandise had been remove. Today, the unique castle is a ruin, victim of vandalism and societycarelessness.

Sources: Brian Egan , Opacity, Bannerman Castle Trust via artificial owl
Zavod Nr 7, Forgotten Soviet Military Navy Repair Factory, Arukula, Tallinn, Estonia
Abandoned in 1993

The wars leave behind lots of traces when they end. So did the Cold War race with the United States… The remains of Zavod Nr. 7 are one of the most complex and interesting places to visit. Signs of war base life are present everywhere… just waiting to be discovered.

All Pictures of Zavod Nr. 7 Copyright © Dimas on WarRelics
Canadian Air Force Radar Base near Barrie, Ontario, Canada

Royal Naval Torpedo Testing Station and Range, Arrochar, Scotland, United Kingdom

Loch Long (Gaelic for Ship Lake, Long being the word for ship) is a body of water in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The sea loch extends from the Firth of Clyde at its south western end. It measures approximately 20 miles in length, with a width of between one and two miles. It was used as a testing ground for torpedoes during World War II and contains numerous wrecks like the testing range from Arrochar, one of its most important villages . (Text source: Wikipedia)

The city of Bonifacio was founded as a fortress by and subsequently named after Boniface II of Tuscany in 828. He had led a naval expedition to suppress the Saracens of North Africa and returned to build an unassailable fortress and naval base from which the domains of Tuscany could be defended at the outermost frontier. Most of the citadel postdates the 9th century or is of uncertain date but Il Torrione, a round tower, was certainly part of the original citadel.

Source & Copyright © Sasawala on Flickr
The Es Forti barracks, now ruins, were once used to protect the bay of Palma, more precisely during the Spanish-American War of 1898 and, later, (beginning with the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939 ) – as a military prison and a centre for carrying out death sentences. Maybe the place doesn’t look great after so many years, maybe the officers and troops quarters, storage areas and all other ammenities (chapel, prison cells, dining room, reception areas, gardens, sports facilities) are not anymore what they used to be, but the pictures Sasawala took give the impression of an extremely interesting place to visit.

Most Amazing Photos from the World Cultures

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Forgotten Military Facilities

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