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-   -   Purvis & Hedley (https://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/amble-northumberland/showthread.php?t=509)

leslie 11-06-2015 02:13 PM

Purvis & Hedley
 
Their shop on Queen st til not that long ago was an off licence Newspapers etc?? originally they were Chemists & Druggists in * Queen St. reference found of this in existence in 1925 !

hollydog 11-06-2015 03:26 PM

Leslie, I take it you know of Bob Purvis DFC ?
and his "trip" to Bordeaux resulting in him managing to get the Lancaster and crew back with an unscheduled landing at Bolt Head?

http://www.550squadronassociation.or...ews/FORPurvis/

leslie 11-06-2015 06:36 PM

Yes he was a very good friend of my dad! A very brave man . stood with him at Memorial a few times! my dad served in RAF through and after war then started work as Civvi cook at Acklington til it closed 30 years total RAF service !

hollydog 11-06-2015 08:05 PM

Around 1980 Bob and my father went off for a special visit to the Battle of Britain Flight at Scampton. They obviously made an impression as about 1 week later the Lancaster on its way back from an airshow did a very low level circuit of Amble centred on Oswald St!! I will never forget the sound of those 4 merlins as I had a grandstand view from my parents loft room.

Coquet 12-06-2015 08:19 AM

He's wearing his medal ribbon in that photo.
All the aircrew are also wearing their ditching whistles. Now widely copied. (they copy everything now :()

leslie 13-06-2015 09:33 AM

2 Attachment(s)
Attachment 607When dad died in 1995 in his wallet we found an old folded piece of paper, on opening it we discovered this . he had carried it since his time in WW2 with RAF. there is no known author ! we Checked with war museum they did not have a copy (Original with them now) plus RAF Battle of britain flight and museum given copies!

george gray 14-06-2015 12:36 PM

Purvis and Hedley
 
Although i didnt know Bob Purvis, apart from visiting the shop all through my childhood, and remember him behind the counter, as a pleasant , polite man.
Later in life, when i had moved to Newcastle and worked at J.G Windows the music store, he used to visit now and then to collect printed music, which may have been for customers in Amble?, or prehaps for his own use.
I was thrilled to read his story and see the photo, its thanks to forums like this that the bravery of men like Bob Purvis DFC are brought to light,
Well done.

hollydog 14-06-2015 01:52 PM

Great to get feedback like that George, now dig out some old Amble photos for us please!

george gray 14-06-2015 02:53 PM

Purvis and Hedley
 
Thanks for that Hollydog!,
I will do some photos, at the risk of duplicating those that have already been seen:)

leslie 14-06-2015 03:28 PM

Geordie! One other gentleman we knew as kids who was decorated. I never knew til his death! Was Mr Morton who had the Cafe beside east cemetery He held The Military Medal earned in WW2!

Linkslad 14-06-2015 08:32 PM

Between the mid 1950’s and mid 1960’s we lived in one of the grey pebbledash semi’s that looked onto the Links Road church yard so were regular customers at Mr Morton’s shop. Friday’s were especially good during school holidays as we bought our “Pie and Pea” dinner at the shop. Customers took their own jug for the peas. I have a vague memory of commenting on one hot day that Mr Morton looked as if he was having a bad day and being told by the lady who served (? Mr Morton’s sister). His prosthetic leg and it’s strapping being a great source of pain in hot weather and that he’d lost his leg as a result of wounds sustained whilst fighting in the desert. Like so many men of his generation I can never remember a single word of complaint. A special generation!

Coquet 16-06-2015 11:46 AM

What was Mr Morton's christian name? Was he a Tommy? did he live in Signal Cottage at one time? I'm sure it was Mr Morton that gave my uncle permission to use the underground ammo bunkers at the Battery (surface building later the cafe) next to the cottage.

Anyway - if we know his first name his citation for the Military Medal should be easy to find.

Coquet 16-06-2015 12:08 PM

I found out the other day my great-aunt, Lal Reid/nee Young, Amble postwoman for many years, met her husband George during the war, when he came to Amble with the Army to operate the Saltpans Searchlight for the Battery!

[I'm sure there will be a few more marriages related to the wartime Army arrivals!]

Coquet 16-06-2015 12:49 PM

Re Amble Morton Award WW2
 
1 Attachment(s)
Here's the 'Morton' list, all awards (except MID) for WW2, whole Commonwealth.
He has to be in there somewhere.

Coquet 16-06-2015 12:50 PM

WW2 award recommendations are on the National Archives website.

Linkslad 16-06-2015 01:13 PM

Ah yes. Mr Morton’s first name was Duncan and I’m sure we all referred to the shop as Duncan’s. He lived in Signal Cottage with his ? sister for all of the time my family live in Links Road. There were some shuggie boats and a couple of fair ground stalls and a caravan next to the Links Farm Cottages. I’m sure my dad once said that that was Mr Morton’s family and that pre war he’d been a professional boxer in the boxing booths. The café in the old gun emplacement- The Sea View Café and local body builders used some of the underground room at the old battery.

Alan J. 16-06-2015 01:40 PM

Correct Linkslad, it was Duncan and apparently he had been a boxer in the fairground booths pre war. The old couple with the "shuggy boats" were his mother and father.

janwhin 16-06-2015 03:28 PM

This is a sad one about his brother then from the Berwick Advertiser of 8 August 1940:
"A 23 year old boxer, who was well known in Northumberland and Durham as a member of his father's boxing booth, has died in a Cornwall hospital, as a result of gunshot wounds accidentally received. He is Pte. David Morton, the youngest son of Mr and Mrs Duncan Morton, and has resided for some time at Seahouses with his wife. For a considerable period he was with his father and brother at Amble, when they staged many thrilling bouts with local enthusiasts. He was an accomplished boxer, and very popular in the ring. He took part in the historic evacuation of the B.E.F. from Dunkirk. Before joining up he was employed at Stobswood Brick Works."

janwhin 16-06-2015 03:40 PM

London Gazette, 18 November 1943:

"No. 3322841, Sergeant Duncan Edward Morton, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) (Seahouses, Northumberland)."

Military Medal, Sicily.

Coquet 16-06-2015 04:08 PM

1 Attachment(s)
Quote:

Originally Posted by janwhin (Post 5306)
London Gazette, 18 November 1943:

"No. 3322841, Sergeant Duncan Edward Morton, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) (Seahouses, Northumberland)."

Military Medal, Sicily.

Indeed. And here's the citation. It's a stonker.

Signed by Alexander, I'm sure Monty's signature in on the document as well.(not shown)


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