Scotia North United States Air Force Family Living Site For RAF Burtonwood Scotia North is located at Hesketh Meadow Lane Lowton near Leigh Lancashire and is 5 half Miles from RAF Burtonwood, Scotia North was originally built in 1939 on land requisitioned under compulsory purchase by the War Department. The site was constructed to house 600 workers that were employed at the Risley Moss Munitions factory at Warrington. But before the workers arrived at Lowton the plans were changed and the Royal Navy took control of the site.

The Royal Navy took over the site in 1942 and called the camp HMS Cabbala which became a Navy Signals training school that trained in three separate branches of signals in wireless, telegraphy, visual signaling, and coding, the navy left in 1946. After the Navy left in 1946 the site became the home of European volunteer workers this use ceased about 1948. In September 1950 the united states Air Force at RAF Burtonwood took an interest in the camp and decided to use it for additional accommodation for their servicemen and families they started refitting the accommodation units by removing internal walls to make a total of 110 separate large family accommodation units, each block had its own ablutions and latrines provided with steam heating.

The United States Airforce took over the site in September 1950 and called the site Scotia North Village, the Americans left there in the 1960s. The facilities at Scotia North included a regular bus service to and from RAF Burtonwood, a bank, a PX American shop, sports fields, and a main activity hall with a 500-person theatre showing 35 mm daily films. After the Americans had left Golborne Urban District Council took the site over and used the land for sports fields and put the accommodation into their council house stock.

In 1974 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council took over the site and decided to demolish the housing units, replace them with new council houses nearby, and retain the sports fields. The large halls were kept for leisure use and called civic halls and were later run by a commercial organization that renamed it the rose center. In 1983 a memorial plaque for HMS Cabbala was erected in the entrance hall of the original theatre building now the local community center and called the rose center to remember its former use.

The rose center later started falling into disuse and was demolished in November 2017. Scotia North Location Plan

Royal Navy Signals Training School, Women’s Royal Naval Service [WRNS] on parade The WRNS trained at HMS Cabbala Lowton in the use of signals, wireless, telegraphy, visual signaling, and coding The Navy arrived at HMS Cabbala in 1942 and left in 1946

United States Airforce Scotia North site plan that was published in the Burtonwood Beacon in the 1950s The site plan shows a school, however, the dependent’s children were transported from Scotia North to the main school at RAF Burtonwood Site 1 A regular bus service and timetables were provided by the 3113th Air Base Wing between Scotia North and Burtonwood Airbase

This photo was published by the Burtonwood Beacon in the 1950s and was used to entice people to move to Scotia North

Letter Received from SMSgt Kenneth Johnson’s Son “My dad, SMSgt Kenneth Johnson, was stationed at Burtonwood AFB in the early 1950s and we lived in the Scotia North housing. Dad was a Medic. Until I found your website I did not know that the housing area where we lived was called Scotia North.

I always referred to it as Burtonwood. I did realize that we did not live on the Burtonwood base as I recall visiting there with my dad. He played softball and he took me to see his games.

I also recall riding a bus and attending kindergarten in the Quonset Huts which I think were on Burtonwood. After that, I attended elementary school there in the school at Scotia North. Mom came to school one day and took 8mm movies.

I have very distinct memories from my time at Scotia North. I recall walking over to a building where Rail Road workers stayed and I ate fish and chips with them. I also remember wandering off into the town and a lady invited me in for tea.

We had a milk truck that was delivered to our door at Scotia North. One time I got the idea to jump on the back bumper and ride. I recall the milk truck going around a corner and there on the side of the road stood my mom.

That was the only time I jumped on the back of a milk truck. I am attaching three photos that my parents took there in Scotia North. If memory serves me, we lived in the H that was located farthest north, or per your map, the H on the top of the map is farthest to the left.

Our front door shows up in two of the photos. It would be the door on the right facing the camera in both photos. One photo shows where some parent has put up a chain link fence to keep the little kids in.

I believe the pipes that show up in the photo are the steam pipes that supplied heat to the homes. The photo shows a boy and girl on bikes and another little boy to the right is me, my sister, and my little brother. I have a baby sister who was born there.

Not born on Burtonwood base, but in a two or three-story hospital in a nearby town. Feel free to use my photos on your Burtonwood website. Mom and Dad are both gone now, but I know they would like to share their photos.”

The last building left remaining at Scotia North is the Theatre which became a local Community Centre The building later started falling into disuse and was demolished in 2017

This Memorial plaque was erected and displayed in the entrance hall of the Community Centre as a living memory to this building’s former use as part of the HMS Cabbala Royal Navy Signal School from 1942 to 1946The Plaque was unveiled by Joan Cole C.B.E. W.R.N.S. Photo credit to Alan Nixon

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