Skegness

Marjorie Wilkinson Skegness at War author

Local author, Marjorie Colleen Wilkinson was born and educated in Skegness, on leaving school she spent two years in the grocery trade, before training to be a Postal and Telegraph Officer with the G.P.O. She was later employed by the National Westminster Bank.
Marjorie is married to Ken, whom she met after joining the Skegness Wheelers; they have two daughters, three grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Marjorie and her husband are both members of Skegness U.3.A and it was after researching an article for the U.3.A history group that Marjorie decided to compile a booklet on Wartime Skegness.

A factual look at Skegness during the war years has been compiled by Winthorpe author Marjorie Wilkinson, the book follows the change from a busy seaside resort to a town ready for war.

It carries a mixture of statistical information, newspaper articles and
memories of some of the people living in the town at the time.

It tells of how 144 bombs totalling 15 tons, were dropped in the town with 36 fatal casualties and 181 injured.  There are also articles about a minefield incident, a dogfight over Chapel St Leonards, prisoners of war and the local Banana Brigade-a local anti-aircraft unit formed by volunteers and named because of their base at Hercocks former banana warehouse in Briar Way which is now Wilkinsons.

The town,s wartime lifeboat lifeboat Anne Allen and coxswain George Perrin are featured as are casualties from the war whohad attended the towns grammar school.

You will also find plenty of photos of Skegness landmarks during the war and of some of the people mentioned in the book.

The book finishes with a touching poem entitled “The Return”, which ends with the line, “twentyone went out this morning, only seventeen are here.”

The book is available from W. H. Smiths, Skegness, and costs £3.50.