Skegness Magazine

SHOCKING DOUBLE TRAGEDY BOYS KILLED IN EXPLOSION NEAR GIBRALTAR POINT

A TERRIBLE double tragedy which underlines the vital necessity of parents and school teachers continuing to warn children not to touch “souvenirs of the war”, occurred at Gibraltar Point on Monday afternoon.

The two victims, who were cousins, were Philip Arthur Judd (12), of 3, Grosvenor Road, Skegness, and Neville Stuart Hill (11), of 18, Firbeck Avenue, Skegness.

The sad facts were disclosed at the inquest conducted by Mr. W. C. Howard, the district coroner, who concluded his comments by suggesting that steps be taken to secure a bomb disposal squad to clear up the area in question.
Malcolm Claude Rupert Judd (38), boarding house keeper, 3, Grosvenor Road, Skegness, identified the remains as those of his son, and also the body of Neville Hill, who was his nephew and the son of a boarding house keeper. Witness said he last saw his son alive about 1.30 p.m. on Monday. Neville went to the house to call for him and they both went out. Witness knew they were going to Gibraltar Point, as they had arranged to do so the previous night. Witness assumed that it was partly a schoolboy ramble, but there had been talk among other schoolboys that parachutes had come down there and the boys wanted to find some if possible.
Dr. Desmond O’Neill said he saw the two bodies in Skegness mortuary on Monday evening. He described the severe injuries of both and said clothing was extensively stained by some explosive substance.

LOOKING FOR FLARES.
Brian Watts (13), a Grammar School pupil, whose home is at 22, George Avenue, Skegness, said he and Sam Kinning, a companion, boarded a ‘bus going to Seacroft. The two deceased got on at the Lion Hotel corner, and Kinning spoke to Judd, who told them that Hill and he were going to the tower down at Gibraltar Point. The four of them went across the golf links on to the sands. They played about on the sandhills and then Judd told them where there were some empty cartridge cases. They went on a little further and kept picking up empty cartridge cases. Both got two pockets full of the cases.
The two deceased said they were also looking for flares, and after they had found some flares witness saw a round object in the sand with only the screw part showing. The two deceased dug the object out of the ground with a penknife and their hands. The bottom of the object had a cross on it and it looked like a flare. It was about 8in. long and 2in. in diameter, and on the top was a screw as though the fins had been taken off. The two deceased both handled the object and then Judd started to try to make a hole in the bottom
with his knife.

COMPANIONS’ WARNING.
” Both Kinning and myself warned them that it was not a flare and told them to throw it away,” said witness, adding that Judd was kneeling and Hill was standing up. ” I had got about 20 yards away when I heard an explosion which deafened me for a few seconds and there was dirt flying about me. We were scared and ran and when I turned round I saw Hill with blood on one of his legs,” said witness.
He added that they threw away the cartridge cases and ran to the ‘bus stop and went to the police station at Skegness to tell them what had happened.
Sam Kinning (12), of 2, Vernon Road, Skegness, corroborated the first part of Watts’ evidence. He saw Judd kneeling down and “playing playing about” with some object.
Judd was jabbing at the bottom part of the object wita jack-knife, and Hill was standing near him. Witness then heard a loud bang and ran, and on looking back he saw Hill lying on the ground out did not see Judd. When he heard the report he thought they were both dead. He heard Watts tell Judd to let the object alone.
The Coroner: Do they tell you anything about these things at school?—Yes.
They tell you to beware of them? —Yes.
P.s Albert Starr said he was of the opinion that the object was a trench mortar bomb.

MORTAR BOMB ?
Close by the bodies witness found fins similar to those of trench mortar bombs. It was to witness’ knowledge that about two weeks ago the N.F.S. had been down to the spot to deal with a fire.  This had destroyed the undergrowth over a considerable area and had uncovered everything. There was quite a number of empty cartridge cases about, and also a number of fins of flare cases.
Witness said that objects of the kind displayed by the Coroner would not explode unless there was interference with them.
The Coroner, reviewing the evidence, said the area was used in wartime as a battle-ground by the Army. The boys dug up the buried object and undoubtedly it was the probing with the penknife which caused the explosion. He returned a verdict in both cases of  “Death by misadventure “.
The Coroner said that he would like to express his sympathy with the relations of the deceased, adding:  “I may also say I visited the spot this morning and in my opinion the military authorities should be approached to sending down a bomb disposal squad. There appears to me to be much to be done, and no doubt the authorities will be contacted accordingly.”
Insp. Cassell said the suggestion would be complied with.

Source: Skegness Standard 1948