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SKEGNESS OFFICER SHOT
REGRETTABLE ACCIDENT TO CAPT. R. S. ROBERTSON
A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE

Capt. R. S. Robertson, R.A., a former Skegness builder and contractor, whose wife and children live in Sunningdale Drive, was the victim of a serious accident last week when he was shot by a sentry through a misunderstanding, the bullet entering his head.
Blood transfusions and operations have been resorted to in what has been a great fight for his life. The latest news received at his Skegness home reports that Capt. Robertson’s progress was in the right direction and his escape is regarded as miraculous.

LOCAL ACTIVITIES
Capt. Robertson is a former army officer, and set up in business in Skegness as a builder and contractor after being demobilised after 1914-18. He has been closely identified as an officer of the No. 1 Skegness Coy of the Boys’ Brigade, and holds office in the St. Clement Lodge of Freemasons.
He joined the local Anti-Aircraft unit soon after its formation.

TRAGIC EXPERIENCE FOR LIFEOATMEN ON THE EAST COAST
RED TAPE REGULATIONS WHICH HINDER A SPEEDY LAUNCH
AIRCRAFT CREW PERISH AFTER SHOUTS FOR HELP HAD BEEN HEARD

East Coast lifeboatmen had a tragic experience in the early hours of one morning during the weekend, when human lives were lost because red-tape regulations prevented the sounding of the maroons which enables the boat to be launched at peace-time speed.
In this case the delay possibly made all the difference between life and death.

Shouts for help were heard coming from the sea by a coastal lookout, who immediately sent word to the responsible lifeboat officials. Regulations have stopped the maroons, and the crew had to be summoned individually by messengers.

It may be suggested to the Government that electric alarm bells be connected to each man’s house, so that valuable minutes are saved.
The lifeboatmen, once they knew, carried out the launching with all possible speed, and indeed in some cases actually went aboard without overcoats.

VOICES HEARD FROM PIER
An aircraft had crashed within 200 yards of the Pier Head. The lifeboat-men had searchlights to assist in their search, and soon found one of the airmen afloat. As there was still warmth in the body he was carried ashore by lifeboatmen, who waded through cold sea water which at times swelled up to their armpits.

The airman was conveyed by ambulance to the Hospital, but unfortunately he did not respond to artificial respiration.
It was understood that the pier look-out man tried to direct the wrecked crew ashore by means of lights, but they were carried away by the strong current.
The airmen would be hampered with heavy equipment. Even in a bathing costume and summer-time conditions the flood tide currents are exceedingly difficult to swim against. On this occasion the sea water was at a very low temperature, and would soon produce a numbness of limbs.

Auxiliary Firemen who were stationed at the Piazza heard the aircraft overhead. When they heard the crash they did their best to get as near the sea as possible, and shouted seawards in the hope of giving the wrecked airmen the landward direction. It was regrettable that this alertness did not attain its meritorious object.

November 1940

MOBILE CANTEEN W.V.S. WILL SERVE HOT CUPS OF TEA AT NEXT AIR RAID

Mrs. T. W. Giles, Commander of the Skegness Branch of the Women’s Voluntary Service, is very proud of the new Mobile Canteen with which National Headquarters has equipped the local branch.
It would be going too far to say that the Skegness ladies are looking forward to the next air raid, but at any rate when the next enemy visit does take place the sufferers and helpers can all be assured of a speedy hot cup of tea.
Coun. H. Wheatley has sportingly accepted responsibility so far as transport is concerned, and the canteen has been attached to the back of his private car, the owner having undertaken to be on the spot “toot sweet” as soon as any incident is reported.

GIANT THERMOS FLASK
The mobile canteen comprises 64 cups and 64 saucers, a “Thermos” urn of several gallons capacity which is a giant Thermos flask; and a boiler in which the water will be boiled by means of a Primus stove which is also part of the equipment.
This Canteen will also serve areas in the vicinity of Skegness.
Skegness will next receive a Mobile Kitchen, which will enable hot meals to be served to people who may be bombed out of their homes.
Mrs. R. H. Jenkins (Chief Information Officer) is expected to organise a test in the course of the next week or so, in order to ascertain how quickly the Skegness W.V.S. can serve a hot meal without any notice.

As the result of a request made by the Skegness Council to the War Office, a Territorial Army and visited Skegness and removed the remains of the battered Mark I Cromwell Tank from the Gibraltar Point bird observatory. The tank had to be dragged from where it, rested, partly sunken in the soft, sandy turf, by a bulldozer.
The removal of the Cromwell, which has been the plaything of many local children, disclosed a live P.I.A.T. bomb and an unexploded mine detonator, and during the operations one of the caterpillars of the bulldozer Passed within three inches of the bomb before its presence was discovered The tank was hauled on to a 4o-ton, 12-wheel transporter.

c1949

Continuing in the cryptic vein of war-time style of reporting, the following story gives an account of an enemy air raid attack on Wainfleet near Skegness.
Local townsfolk on reading the news article would have known that it was in fact the Magdalen College School which was founded in 1484 by William of Waynflete, bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellor of England. He first founded Magdalen College, Oxford and later established this school in his place of birth.
The title of the article described the attack has having “no military value”. This maybe so, but was there another stratigic plan? Perhaps to lower moral? Perhaps to hit out at the very core of British heritage by destroying a fourteenth century building?

November 1940

LINCOLNSHIRE HAVEN TOWN BOMBED
SEVERAL MIRACULOUS ESCAPES
BAKER AND WIFE KILLED
NO MILITARY OBJECTIVES, BUT ATTACKED IN DAYLIGHT HOURS

A small Lincolnshire haven town was bombed in broad daylight last week-end. It possesses no military objective of any kind, and from all accounts it would appear that the enemy raider had the old 14th century school as its objective, but the three bombs which were dropped all missed by a few yards.
The town was the birthplace of a man who attained fame. He founded an Oxford College, and later became Lord Chancellor of England.

A middle-aged baker and his wife, Mr and Mrs William Cram, were killed. Another lady, Miss Reed, an evacuee from London, had to be taken to the Cottage Hospital of a neighbouring seaside resort. She was injured by falling debris, from which she was rescued by hard-working air raid wardens after strenuous efforts to clear away the wreckage of fallen property. She is making
good progress to recovery.

DAMAGE TO PROPERTY
Damage of one kind or another was done to sixty houses, the breaking of windows being the chief trouble.
One bomb created a huge crater in one street near the ancient school. The blast blew one cottage to smithereens, and almost demolished another. Mercifully the occupants of the former, Mr. and Mrs. Britliff, were away from home, but Mrs. Stothard and two children who were in the damaged cottage adjoining, had a miraculous escape.

STRADLED BY BOMBS
The home of the parents of a Skegness head shop assistant, Miss L. Twigg, was another which had a marvellous escape, it being straddled by bombs on either side. Mr. and Mrs. Twigg both escaped with only minor injuries.
The ground of “The Vinery,” the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Allen, received one of the bombs, but both Mr. and Mrs. Allen were absent at the time. Mrs. Allen (nee Betty Burn) was formerly a Skegness resident, and is now engaged in the teaching profession. Her husband is a member of the Skegness and District Cricket and Hockey Club.
The third bomb fell in a field on the other side of the railway, some yards to the rear of the Church.

A DIRECT HIT
The bomb which killed Mr. and Mrs. Cram was almost a direct hit on the bakehouse. Mr. Cram’s body was found afterwards among adjoining damaged property, and Mrs. Cram was blown out into the main street.