Author Topic: Fraser Place, Aberdeen  (Read 3469 times)

Offline jessienicolson

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Fraser Place, Aberdeen
« on: Tuesday 21 March 17 14:10 GMT (UK) »
Does anyone know where I can find photo/photos of Fraser Place, before the 2nd world war.  My parents were living there in 1940 and then lost their home in 1942.  They lived at 44 Fraser Place, Aberdeen.  Any help would be appreciated

Offline Archivos

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Re: Fraser Place, Aberdeen
« Reply #1 on: Monday 27 March 17 11:21 BST (UK) »
Try Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire Archives, or Aberdeen Central Library Local Studies.  There is an online catalogue for the Archives which can be found through their website at www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/archives, and the Library also has an online search at www.silvercityvault.org.uk

Bear in mind that not all their collections are catalogued, so it's always worth emailing them as well.  Their contact details can be found on the sites mentioned.

Offline jessienicolson

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Re: Fraser Place, Aberdeen
« Reply #2 on: Monday 27 March 17 11:37 BST (UK) »
Thank you for that.  I am sure that my parents lived in a tenement building which had an air raid shelter at the back.  I live in Oxfordshire, so unable to go and look at the houses at present day

Offline Archivos

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Re: Fraser Place, Aberdeen
« Reply #3 on: Monday 27 March 17 13:33 BST (UK) »
Unfortunately, very few of the original tenements on Fraser Place are left - I think it's only the ones on the east-side corners of George Street and Fraser Place - one is a Polish supermarket, the other the 524 pub.  There was bomb damage during WWII, and then lots of redevelopment during the 1990s / early 2000s which saw new flats built on the west side of Fraser Place (it crosses George Street). 

Also, the east side saw redevelopment in what I'm assuming was the 1960s, 1970s, with the building of what's now the Health & Safety Executive building.


Offline jessienicolson

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Re: Fraser Place, Aberdeen
« Reply #4 on: Monday 27 March 17 13:41 BST (UK) »
Thank you for that.  My parents were living at 44 Fraser Place during the 2nd world war, and whilst they were in the air raid shelter in 1942 a bomb hit and there was nothing left but a pile of rubble. 

Offline alanatabz

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Re: Fraser Place, Aberdeen
« Reply #5 on: Monday 25 June 18 12:27 BST (UK) »
Hi All,

i have just started my second book in Aberdeen 7 Shire during the war, my first book was published a month ago.

For my second book, I have been looking at Air Raid Shelters in Aberdeen.  So far haps maps of 1940 shelters (public) and information relating to who got shelters based on earnings and proximity to the harbour.

I wen to look at one shelter in town last week, and was horrified to see a digger parked on top of it on the earthbank, not sure it it was to protect the shelter or ready to demolish it!  took some pictures anyway for my book.

There were three types of shelters deployed during the war.  A Morrison Shelter (which was basically a cage that people turned into a table and could then hide underneath it.

Anderson shelter, which house up to 6 people in gardens

And finally conventional communal shelters in areas like Torry etc which were of brick construction with a reinforced concrete roof.  They were designed to protect against a blast but not a direct hit.  the shelters performed a better option that being in a building that could collapse or be hit by flying glass etc!

Aberdeen still has a number of existing shelters in back gardens etc, but none in Fraser place.  People use them for storage etc.  Quite a few are in Torry as just had a few pictures from one for my next book





Offline jessienicolson

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Re: Fraser Place, Aberdeen
« Reply #6 on: Monday 25 June 18 12:33 BST (UK) »
Thank you for that, I do believe in Fraser Place it would have been a concrete one to accommodate all the people in tenement buildings.  When I lived in Logie Avenue, Aberdeen, the concrete one was still there and we as children used to have concert in them, so I am beginning to think Fraser Place may have been the same.  The tenement my parents and myself were living in, was completely brought to the ground by a bomb in 1942, so we were lucky to be alive in the shelter

Offline alanatabz

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Re: Fraser Place, Aberdeen
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 28 June 18 06:40 BST (UK) »
Hi Jessie

I think the damage to Fraser place was 1943?

I have all the bombing records for Aberdeen and can generally pinpoint the exact location, these are from files in the National Archives in Kew.  A lot show site sketches and some photos.

What was the Number at Fraser Place? I'll look at the reports and if there are any photos.


Offline jessienicolson

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Re: Fraser Place, Aberdeen
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 28 June 18 06:53 BST (UK) »
Thank you, it was 44 Fraser Place.  I have spoken to my cousin in Aberdeen who tells me that it was a concrete air raid shelter they had in their back garden in Park Street, Aberdeen and also a concrete one our grandparents had in Cotton Street.  I am still amazed today  to think that Cotton Street wasn't completely wiped out being so near to the shipyards.  And also the Salvation Army citadel survived as well.  I am told there are still bullet or machine gun fire marks on the Town Hall. I Look forward to hearing from you.