I spoke yesterday with Billy Stevenson of Newlyn, who remembers the Rosemarie target-towing for the Navy during WWII, at Mounts Bay. There is some dispute as to weather the Rosemarie was Army or Navy run. Billy would have been about 12yrs old at that time and remembers seeing the Motor Yacht towing a target for the 4 x ex-Destroyer guns, which were mounted in concrete at sites around the Lido pool at Penzance. Local Historian John McWilliams believes these guns were manned by the home-guard, but I could find no reference to this at the Cornwall records office.
Billy also informed me that the Army was stationed during the first part of the war at the old 'Sailors Home' (behind the pool). Later the Americans took over the nearby Taylors Garage.
He is looking out a photograph of the Sailors home, for me from this time but unfortunately He didn't want to give me an interview for the film.
I also asked him if there were any pictures in existence of the guns at Jubilee Pool. He didn't think that there was, and He should know, as He has been searching for the same image himself over many years. I suggested that we might mark down the location at least of these guns on a picture just for reference and I hope to do this with him at some time in the near future.
I'm still looking for someone who will testify to Rosemaries role as Target-tower, on film. If I find someone I'll arrange for a location shoot also, but I have so much material now that this would just be an added bonus.
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