The crater left after a controlled explosion following the discovery of a shell near the Cut Gate path in June. Photo: Woodhead MRT

The crater left after a controlled explosion following the discovery of a shell near the Cut Gate path in June. Photo: Woodhead MRT

Mountain rescue team members have turned history sleuths following a number of callouts to mysterious finds on the moors in its area.

Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team decided to find out what went on during the Second World War that led to a large number of unexploded shells discovered around Langsett and Midhope Moors.

So far this year, at least 15 potentially dangerous pieces of explosive ordnance have been found on the moors, near Stocksbridge, South Yorkshire.

The team is regularly called out when walkers and outdoor enthusiasts find the unexploded bombs.

Now, the team has been given a Heritage Lottery Grant to help them research and explain the training that went on during the war.

The training that took place on the moors was not recorded. Press officer Scott Roberts said: “Little has been written and the oral history is rapidly being lost due to the transient nature of the troops, many of whom were American.

“The physical evidence, including bombs in some areas, remains. We have an opportunity perhaps the last, to gather this information for future generations.

“Snippets written are generally non-specific, for example ‘the moors above Sheffield’ and much research is needed to piece together the oral history, records, photographs and physical evidence on the ground.

“By means of appeals via the media both locally and in America we hope to increase that body of evidence. Little is known of the American involvement.

The Woodhead team covers the moors where more than 15 pieces of old ordnance have been found

The Woodhead team covers the moors where more than 15 pieces of old ordnance have been found

“Mountain rescue is regularly called to finds of ordinance on the moors. So far in 2012 over 15 potentially lethal items have being discovered. Safety advice will be part of notice boards and publications.”

A recent open day at the team’s Langsett Barn headquarters attracted almost 300 visitors and provided a wealth of previously unrecorded stories.

A £7,400 grant will enable the research to go ahead. The Lottery grant is part of the All Our Stories project launched earlier this year in support of BBC Two’s The Great British Story.

Woodhead MRT chair Barry Gregory said: “It’s great that we have been awarded this grant and we can’t wait to get started.

“The moors have become so much more accessible since the Countryside and Rights of Way Act. We believe it is our duty to record the stories and evidence of those who used them during the wartime years and to provide a legacy for others to enjoy safely.”

Fiona Spiers, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “Clearly the success of All Our Stories has reinforced the fact that we are indeed a nation of storytellers and that we want to explore and dig deeper into our past and discover more about what really matters to us.

“This is exactly what the grant will do for the Midhope at War project as they embark on a real journey of discovery.”

Television presenter and historian Michael Wood added: “We British love our history, and no wonder: few nations in the world, if any, have such riches on their doorstep, and so much of it accessible to all of us.

“It’s brilliant that so many people are being given the chance to get involved through the All Our Stories grants.”

Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team has 45 active members and covers the north-eastern corner of the Peak District in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

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