Von Richter.
Specialist
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2019
- Messages
- 277
Living in Cleethorpes, I'm ideally placed, to go exploring 'Bomber County'. I recently re-read Don Charlwood's 'No Moon Tonight' and 'Journeys into Night', both books describing his tour of ops from Elsham Wolds.
The master plan is to walk from Barnetby station up the old road to Elsham village, then up to what bit remains of the old airfield today. First up was a look at the surviving hanger and Memorial on the industrial estate...
This little tale is not related in either book, but I've been told it by more than one old timer on the seafront! A Grimsby trawler was spotted in trouble of Spurn Point by a an Elsham Wolds Lanc. The crew alerted the search and rescue lads in Grimsby and they rescued the trawler's crew from their sinking ship. Two of the rescued crew were brothers, their mother living in a large house called 'The Rookery' in Mill Road, Cleethorpes. To show her appreciation the old lady made the house open to any Elsham Wolds aircrew having a night out in Cleethorpes. Don Charlwood mentions staying there on several occasions. His description of a cold, wet and foggy Cleethorpes as he made his way back to the train station rings very true to this day. Proving that our pokey little seaside resort was as 'orrible then, as it is now!
'The Rookery'
The master plan is to walk from Barnetby station up the old road to Elsham village, then up to what bit remains of the old airfield today. First up was a look at the surviving hanger and Memorial on the industrial estate...
This little tale is not related in either book, but I've been told it by more than one old timer on the seafront! A Grimsby trawler was spotted in trouble of Spurn Point by a an Elsham Wolds Lanc. The crew alerted the search and rescue lads in Grimsby and they rescued the trawler's crew from their sinking ship. Two of the rescued crew were brothers, their mother living in a large house called 'The Rookery' in Mill Road, Cleethorpes. To show her appreciation the old lady made the house open to any Elsham Wolds aircrew having a night out in Cleethorpes. Don Charlwood mentions staying there on several occasions. His description of a cold, wet and foggy Cleethorpes as he made his way back to the train station rings very true to this day. Proving that our pokey little seaside resort was as 'orrible then, as it is now!
'The Rookery'