The Bombing of Mablethorpe in World War II

Hi,

I’m new to the forum and interested in the military history of the Mablethorpe/Saltlfeet/Louth area.  I’m a warden and engagement officer for the Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe National Nature Reserve, and I’m trying to put together the WW2 history of the Reserve and conduct walks and talks about it.

If Scottish Anne or Pete Truman are still on the forum, I would really appreaciate a chance to communicate.  Thanks very much.

Best wishes,

Chris

Lincolnshire Police archives should give you all the info you require

I am a beach metal detectorist living in Humberston near Cleethorpes. I recently detected the south beach of Mablethorpe, near to the old sand dunes, which is the subject of Pete Truman’s forum story/account of his father. I found/ dug up a fired 1941 .303 inch Mk. VII Cartridge Case which may ‘tie-in’ with Pete Truman fathers story/account. Pete may be interested in contacting me.

Welcome to the forum  bt,  thanks for the lead.

With luck some of the earlier contributors on this thread will see it.

There is lots of information about the bombing of Mablethorpe in the Facebook Group Mablethorpe Memories 

Hi everyone.

This is my first contact with you all. Technology not my strong point but I do my best if you don’t mind helping me out.

I am researching my family tree and have discovered a step uncle who died 3 October 1940 at Sandhills Theddlethorpe St Helens Road Lincolnshire.
He was Joseph Dillon age 20 a lance corporal with 238 Field Coy. Royal Engineers. He had multiple injuries caused by explosion of a land mine and by misadventure.

I have been reading Pete Trumans entries with great interest.

There was a coroners inquest into his death but needless to say the documents have not survived.
He died 4 weeks before he was due to collect Military Medal for actions at Dunkirk.

Any thoughts or ideas gratefully received. Anyone know a bit more about the ranges? I don’t have a military background and would like to know things like what
regiments were there, what their job was such like.

Look forward to speaking to you all again

Scottish Anne

The Bombing of Mablethorpe in World War II

Hello
A big thank you again for your time and trouble.It must have been so easy to just unload you bombs on the first bit of england.
I pity the people under any plane ats just unloading its bomb load.

Yours
11group

I’ve been struggling through my late fathers diaries, some things make sad reading, but there you go, other things are absolutely fascinating, I wonder how many troops could be bothered to write in such detail, I’ve read the really amazing stuff from D-Day onward but never really studied this period, trouble is, I haven’t found the diary from 1943
He arrived at the coast from training in Lincoln on the 17th August 1940, being based at Theddlethorpe with a 4” naval gun for shore defence, he was in the Royal Artillery by the way, and they had a barrage balloon regiment attached to them.
Some of this stuff is hard to read, but the first report of a raid on Mablethorpe is Tuesday 20th of August 1940, he records raids during the night with delayed fuse bombs being dropped, he reports ‘explosions and thumps’ during the night.
23rd August, further reports of bombings, ‘Bomb activity during night, trying to find our gun positions’.
24th August : ‘Quiet night, heavy explosions heard out at sea today- sea very heavy during day, on guard tonight, lets hope Jerry planes leave us alone tonight’.
25th August:-‘Plenty of explosions during day, Mablethorpe evening’.
26th August:- ‘Firing practice at Chapel St Leonards, never heard such a repercusion, seafiring, lot of enemy activity around here, bombs dropped at 9:00 tonight’.
27th August:-‘ Lewis gun instruction etc, bombs dropping all night’.
28th August, Wednesday:-‘Bombs dropped too damn close’.
29th August:- ‘Bomb went off early, 4am, dropped 1/4 mile away, close shave’.
8th September:-‘All leave cancelled until further notice owing to imminent invasion, feeling down’.
27th October:-‘ Encounter tonight with 3 enemy planes-machine gunned-I believe brought down, exciting day’.
29th October:-‘Enemy plane over over sandhills, machine gunning, very low, bombs everywhere’.
1st November:-‘Enemy plane flew low over the town this morning, dropped bombs and machine gunned, little damage done’.

Lovely note here, ‘If I had not been so windy yesterday morning, I should have brought him down, you couldn’t have missed, better luck next time, but when you see a plane coming at you, well you can guess!

9th November:-‘Air raid warning, Jerries over bombing, dance at Naafi’.
16th November:-‘Enemy planes overhead, a few bursts of fire from him, they get cheekier than ever’.

12th January 1941:- 2 German destroyers sighted off coast.
10th February:-‘Intense activity tonight, 7 hour alert.’

The rest of 1941 seems to be sheer boredom on his part!!

16th November 1941, he was back in Nottingham on leave, no mention of being involved with a crashed Junkers 88 on his return to camp afterwards.

It would appear that on those dates that you mentioned he was away at Catterick on courses, I have nothing to report from Mablethorpe unfortunately.
I hope that gives you an insight as to what happened during that period, obviously more attacks than you thought.
Please find a picture of Gunner Truman prior to throwing himself behind the sandbags, I still have the cap and badge, by the way.

Hello

A big thank you to all of you taking the time to answer this question.
It all started because a work friend stayed in Mablethorpe last weekend and was taking to 3 old gents.
I myself have not been but after reading the last post I going armed with a digger looking for a queen mary or a Austin k6 or k5 or any thing by scammell.:D 😀 😀 😀
Mr Pete Truman I would like to see the pictures some time when you can get round to it.

Yours
11group

I’ve been trying to find out more about the sea wall breach in Mablethorpe, I’m sure it was towards Sutton on Sea. My father kept newspaper articles at the time about it, and I know we’ve heard it all before but I can recall pictures of a variety of vehicles, maybe even Scammells, being stuffed into the gap in desperation then covered in sand, they must still be there in whatever state of preservation. Lets not forget though about ‘Babs’ the car that crashed attempting the land speed record on Pendine Sands, buried in a sand dune pre-war, it was exhumed comparitively recently and don’t quote me, but was it not restored to running order.
I have a variety of pictures to scan and send, why I can’t put them straight on here is a mystery, I’ve scanned and published so many before on here.
I shall also now look up events in the old man’s diaries, it may have some dates in there.
You’re lucky, I’ve woken up with a stinking cold this morning, my missus ordered me back to bed, but I prefer to excuse myself from my chores by fiddling about on here, lets see what I can find out.

The Bombing of Mablethorpe in World War II

Hello

A big thank you to all of you taking the time to answer this question.
It all started because a work friend stayed in Mablethorpe last weekend and was taking to 3 old gents.
I myself have not been but after reading the last post I going armed with a digger looking for a queen mary or a Austin k6 or k5 or any thing by scammell.:D 😀 😀 😀
Mr Pete Truman I would like to see the pictures some time when you can get round to it.

Yours
11group

Baedekker raids on Mablethorpe, I think not, hardly the most historic town in Britain is it.
Our family from Nottingham has many links with Mablethorpe, it was always the pre-war and post war place to go for your hols, all my early holidays were spent there in the 50’s.
Thing is, my father was on coastal defence there during 41, 42, I’ve tried to scan and download a pic of him with his sandbagged Lewis gun on the beach, the last bastion of defence against the deadly Hun, but the computer says no….. He was nearly responsible for downing a Heinkel except that the Lewis jammed at the vital moment.
I’ll look at his diaries that I have for the period and get some actual dates of events and try and download some of the pics I have of the motley crew defending the town, if this site won’t accept them, which it hasn’t so far, I shall probably be able to e-mail them straight to you if you are interested.
Incidentally, my old man reckoned that the sand dunes south of the resort were reinforced with every war surpus army vehicle going after the floods of 1953, everytime we paid a visit, I was encouraged to go for a dig with my newly aquired bucket and spade, proper steel stuff in those days, never found owt though, but I bet its full of rare vehicles and aircraft, tee hee.

“Air Raid” by Michael Bowyer supports the above but does not extend above the Wash – being concerned with East Anglia. Much activity on 27th July ’42. Little on 6-7 Jan. ’43

According to ‘The Blitz – Then and Now’:

“Sheringham in Norfolk was attacked by a single Dornier 217 at 07:55 on 27th July 1942 (with the loss of nine lives). Birmingham was the main target for the Luftwaffe on the night of 27th/28th July 1942.”

“Mablethorpe, Ramsey and Harwich reported incidents on the 6th January 1943 (with nine killed).”

“On 16th November 1941 at 17:35 Junkers 88A-4 (1403) was hit by AA fire and made a wheels down landing at Golf Road, Mablethorpe.”

“Bombs fell in Mablethorpe on the night of 15th/16th November 1940 and also on the night of 15th/16th December 1940.”

The 3 volume set “Blitz On Britain” ? by After the Battle publishers would give you the details but I cannot afford them,could try your library.

Hello
I am looking for a friend information on the bombing of this English seaside town in World War Two.
On looking on the net I found two dates,

July 27 1942.

January 6 1943.

Any help please sadly the 1943 raid looks like it resulted in the lose of 9 English live including four person under the age of 17.

Yours
11 group

Baedekker (?) raids were fairly common in Yorks, Lincs throughout 42 and 43. Perhaps Mablethorpe could have been a target of opportunity as well as having the two ‘proper’ raids as mentioned. Just a thought.