Coquet and Coast Forum
Don't forget to check out our sister site: Amble and District

Go Back   Coquet and Coast Forum > Local History, Genealogy, People and Places > Warkworth and Birling

 We no longer use activation emails. Please allow 24h after sign up and your account should work
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 13-11-2013, 07:46 PM
Alan J. Alan J. is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Amble
Posts: 344
Default Bombing Helsay 1940

On the above subject, how many are aware of a bomb being dropped near Helsay Point? A booklet I have read recently,gives the info' on the incident. It is by someone called "Glen Aln" and is entitled "People and places of Northumberland." He describes a bus journey from Warkworth to Morpeth in 1945, starting from Dial Place, where the number 28 Newcastle bus started from and describes, in some detail, out of the village and along the road to Amble. When passing Helsay Point he says that on the night of Saturday August 6th 1940 a bomb dropped and tore away the bankside, "still visible then", a hundred yards or so from the end, a second fell on the "sward" a few yards away, the nearest a bomb fell to the seaport.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 13-11-2013, 10:07 PM
Derilda Derilda is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Metheringham, Lincs
Posts: 101
Wink Re; Glen Aln

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan J. View Post
On the above subject, how many are aware of a bomb being dropped near Helsay Point? A booklet I have read recently,gives the info' on the incident. It is by someone called "Glen Aln" and is entitled "People and places of Northumberland." He describes a bus journey from Warkworth to Morpeth in 1945, starting from Dial Place, where the number 28 Newcastle bus started from and describes, in some detail, out of the village and along the road to Amble. When passing Helsay Point he says that on the night of Saturday August 6th 1940 a bomb dropped and tore away the bankside, "still visible then", a hundred yards or so from the end, a second fell on the "sward" a few yards away, the nearest a bomb fell to the seaport.
I know nothing about the bombing of Helsay Point, but I have a copy of the same book. I often look through the glossary of local dialect and advertisements at the rear. One, for Greens, always brings a smile. "On Air Ministry and War Office lists" it declares. At the bottom, "Only experienced and Fully Qualified Workmen Employed..... Telephone - 27 Amble." There have been one or two subscribers added to that telephone list since then, circa 1945.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 16-11-2013, 04:00 PM
Coquet's Avatar
Coquet Coquet is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Amble
Posts: 3,253
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan J. View Post
On the above subject, how many are aware of a bomb being dropped near Helsay Point? A booklet I have read recently,gives the info' on the incident. It is by someone called "Glen Aln" and is entitled "People and places of Northumberland." He describes a bus journey from Warkworth to Morpeth in 1945, starting from Dial Place, where the number 28 Newcastle bus started from and describes, in some detail, out of the village and along the road to Amble. When passing Helsay Point he says that on the night of Saturday August 6th 1940 a bomb dropped and tore away the bankside, "still visible then", a hundred yards or so from the end, a second fell on the "sward" a few yards away, the nearest a bomb fell to the seaport.

I've had a look in the Amble fort record book for this and there is nothing of note for the 6th, but on the 10th we have this:

10 [August 1940] 0050 [hours]

One enemy plane coming from N.E. went inland & dropped 4 whistling bombs in the direction of Warkworth - about 3 miles from the Battery.



this must be the event in question?

original:
Attached Images
File Type: jpg fort_record_book.jpg (28.6 KB, 34 views)
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 16-11-2013, 04:40 PM
Alan J. Alan J. is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Amble
Posts: 344
Default

Glen Aln must have got his date wrong or the battery missed it, having said that you would think the North side RAF would have noted it on the 6th as it practically dropped on them.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 16-11-2013, 04:48 PM
Coquet's Avatar
Coquet Coquet is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Amble
Posts: 3,253
Default

I think he has, the 6th Aug was a Tuesday in 1940, the 10th was a Saturday, so day right, date wrong:

http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/...ry=9&year=1940
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 17-11-2013, 11:53 AM
Coquet's Avatar
Coquet Coquet is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Amble
Posts: 3,253
Default

[I've moved these posts to a new thread. Hopefully there will be some more info in the future]


I wonder if all the bombs detonated? Perhaps there's one 2 yards down in the mud!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 05-08-2018, 12:55 PM
DHoward DHoward is offline
New Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 9
Default

Hey, new here, i was just wondering whereabouts is Helsay point? Is it the patch of land opposite the Amble to Warkworth road?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 06-08-2018, 09:07 AM
Coquet's Avatar
Coquet Coquet is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Amble
Posts: 3,253
Default

Yes that's the place, triangular wedge of land between the existing River Coquet and the old abandoned bed of the Coquet.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 06-08-2018, 12:03 PM
DHoward DHoward is offline
New Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 9
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Coquet View Post
Yes that's the place, triangular wedge of land between the existing River Coquet and the old abandoned bed of the Coquet.
Thanks Coquet, I wonder if there is still a crater visible? I often wonder how many unexploded bombs are in our area, scary to think about.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 06-08-2018, 07:12 PM
Ambler's Avatar
Ambler Ambler is offline
New Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Amble
Posts: 21
Default

Hello,
There aren't any craters visible. I used to spend a lot of time on the three fields leading to the point and never found any. The previous owner told me he was aware of the bomb that was dropped but there was nothing found.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 07-08-2018, 02:42 PM
hollydog's Avatar
hollydog hollydog is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Amble
Posts: 528
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by DHoward View Post
Thanks Coquet, I wonder if there is still a crater visible? I often wonder how many unexploded bombs are in our area, scary to think about.
Probably next to no uxb's around here, the bomb's followed a pattern and a crater missing was a give away that an uxb was nearby. I know of one uxb following the line of craters across the river at Black Bridge, Warkworth, but it was dug out of the Grange garden at the time!
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 17-03-2019, 07:02 PM
hollydog's Avatar
hollydog hollydog is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Amble
Posts: 528
Default

The field immediately south of Maudlin Farm, Warkworth was known as the bomb field as one exploded there damaging the nearby farmhouse, I wonder if it was the same incident?
As an aside the farmer also ploughed up a home guard training spigot mortar bomb in that field and put it in the hedge row, only to find it again a good few years later in the 70s. Catterick bomb disposal got rid of it!

Last edited by hollydog; 17-03-2019 at 07:04 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 17-03-2019, 07:03 PM
hollydog's Avatar
hollydog hollydog is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Amble
Posts: 528
Default

Talking of Maudlin Farm, Warkworth, the long barn now a house was used to house Napoleonic prisoners of war who worked on the farm. Perhaps a new thread if more info comes to light.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 04:58 PM.


Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.