FEATURE
batteries engaged with three German warships in a 50-minute battle , which left more than 140 civilians , soldiers and sailors dead . After the Ministry of Defence decommissioned the site in 1956 the place grew increasingly derelict , until a group of volunteers formed the Heugh Gun Battery Trust in 1999 .
The trust worked to create a museum to protect as many of the remaining structures on site as possible and tell the story of the bombardment .
The museum grew and now displays an eclectic range of military vehicles and artillery . And that ’ s where Group Industrial enters the story .
During lockdown , the museum ’ s outdoor collections suffered badly , as no volunteers or staff were allowed onsite to maintain them .
As every week passed , the objects were suffering due to the ravages of coastal salt , wind and rain .
The museum secured funding from the Arts Council ’ s Culture Recovery Fund to carry out urgent preservation and conservation work on some of the larger objects – the Chieftain tank , a Ferret scout car and a Saracen armoured personnel carrier .
Museum manager Diane Stephens told Tees Business : “ We first contacted Group Industrial UK with a view to providing scaffolding for the restoration project , but it soon became clear that they could offer a much broader service . “ They visited the site , discussed our needs and liaised with us and our conservation advisors about materials and approaches .
“ They will remove the old paint and rust , do some essential fabrication work and then prime the vehicles ready for our volunteer team to apply the top coat .
“ The work will allow our volunteers to get on with the conservation of these objects much more quickly for , exciting as it is , nobody wants to paint a tank twice in quick succession !”
And Diane says the preservation work will transform the collection .
She said : “ When we reopen the museum , our visitors will see a huge difference .
“ We are so grateful to Group Industrial UK for taking such an interest and being so willing to work with us on what is a bit of a departure from their normal scope of work .
“ We know they are just as excited as us about the project , and we can ’ t wait to show off the finished results .”
The Heugh Battery assignment is the latest quirky chapter in Group Industrial ’ s ongoing success story .
Based at Dawson ’ s Wharf , it will take on any task in a professional and cost-effective manner – from fabrication and insulation to scaffolding , pipework and project management .
Around 100 people are out on various sites at any one time , although that figure ’ s likely to increase as the year progresses and the country moves hesitantly towards post- Covid freedoms .
Underpinning everything Group Industrial does is a commitment to using practical thinking , innovation and technology to maximise efficiency , deliver on time and helping clients succeed - even if that client is a World War 1 museum !
Large ongoing projects include a major contract at the MGT Tees Renewable Energy Plant at Teesport , preserving a mothballed , 120-acre biomass power station site at Port Clarence and fabrication work for MPI Teesside .
And given its Port of Middlesbrough location , a relationship with global ship repair , conversion and marine specialist A & P Group continues to grow .
Group Industrial MD Mike Marsh said : “ We ’ re still going from strength to strength . However , as restrictions ease , we are now able to diversify and branch out even more than we have done already . We ’ re delighted to be working with the Heugh Battery Museum to restore and improve all the vehicles , guns and museum as a whole .
“ It ’ s quite a different project for us , but it ’ s one of great benefit to the region and we look forward to seeing visitors flocking to the museum again and seeing what we ’ ve managed to do .”
Visit groupindustrial . co . uk and heughbattery . co . uk
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