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COASTAL
MINE CLEARANCE
THE UNSUNG HEROES |
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During
World War II steps were taken to protect the United Kingdom from invasion.
The immediate point of entry were the coastal areas surrounding. Winston
Churchill ordered that these be mined to protect from this threat. As
the mines were laid so they were mapped for removal at a later date;
as the war progressed, through one reason or another, these maps were
lost. When the threat of invasion became less likely, around 1944, the
order was given to clear the mines that had been laid allowing the population
to return to the coastal areas. Without the maps the taks became an
immense and dangerous undertaking and with the movements of the tidal
flows the mines themselves had moved also. The only method available
was to searh for these mines and destroy them but in several cases it
destroyed the searcher before he could destroy it.
The
clearance of mines, started in 1944, went for many years after the end
of the war. For many years bomb disposal crews could be found clearing
mines from the region's beaches; 26 of them lost their lives as they
painstakingly prodded the sands for hidden explosives. Ironically the
mines that blew them up were British – making them victims of friendly
fire.
In
the spring (2004) a memorial will be unveiled on a Norfolk clifftop
to the men who died clearing the land mines between Yarmouth and Holkham
during 1944-53. The former bomb disposal officer behind the idea, Noel
Cashford, says: “They were heroes.” “So you had to lie on your tummy,
poking a 2ft-long rod into the ground. If you hit something, you had
to clear all around the mine, put a pin back in its safety device and
remove it.”
But
sometimes the 45lb, 14inch diameter explosives went off. The case which
first caught Mr Cashford's interest was a mine at Corton near Lowestoft
being dealt with by two fellow Navy bomb disposal men. A young American,
John Howard, was helping experienced Lt Cmdr Roy Edwards with the task
when they came across a tight plate on a mine. Attempts to prise it
off using a bit of driftwood explode it, killing the 48-year-old Navy
man and 24-year-old ensign, who was soon to be married.
“In
another part of the country two men were clearing mines in a fenced
off area when a dog wriggled under the wire, came running towards them
and stood on a mine. It blew him up, and the debris which fell down
set off six more mines killing the men,” Noel Cashford recalled.
The New Memorial
Mr
(Lieutenant) Cashford, from Derbyshire and now in his eighties,
was disgusted to find that there were no memorials within Norfolk
to honour these men, and the work that they had done. He set about
the task of honouring them in the form of a memorial to be placed
on the clifftop at Mundesley on 2nd May 2004. He has also reseached
the names of those who died performing this thankless task. A
1000lb bomb case with plaques bearing all their names will be
unveiled at a ceremony to be attended by civic leaders and relatives.
Although 17 relatives are already pledging to come, Mr Cashford
is still trying to track down yet more. He is also raising funds
for the project, and has attracted some donations from giving
talks about mine clearance which demonstrate how precarious the
process can be. |

Lt
Cashford walks away after making safe a mine in 1945
|

Photograph
Copyight © Lynda Smith 2004
Anyone
wanting to make a donation, or who can help with family contacts,
can phone
Mr Cashford on 01629 823179, or e-mail BCashford@aol.com
There
is also the 33
EOD MSN web site, set up by the RE webmaster
|
Those
Who Gave Their Lives
Place |
Date |
Forenames |
Surname |
Details |
Age |
Great
Yarmouth |
5
January 1944 |
Ernest |
LAUD |
Sapper
14261723, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son of Walter
and Frances E. Laud, of Hull. Buried in HULL NORTHERN CEMETERY,
Hull. Compt. 303. Grave 28. |
20 |
|
|
John |
RICHARDS |
Lance
Sergeant 1879024, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son
of John and Ann Richards, of Halberton; husband of Dorothy Richards,
of Fleetwood, Lancashire. Buried in North-West part of ST. ANDREW
CHURCHYARD, HALBERTON, Devon. Grave E.274. |
33 |
|
|
Kenneth |
PERRY |
Lieutenant
248668, Royal Engineers. Buried in ST. NICHOLAS CHURCHYARD, WITHERNSEA,
Yorkshire. Grave 70. |
35 |
Caister |
17
September 1945 |
Charles
Leonard |
SHRIMPTON |
Lieutenant
312216, Royal Engineers. Son of Charles and Ester Winnifred Shrimpton,
of Port Talbot. Awarded the Member of the British Empire (MBE).
Buried in ST. MARY CHURCH CEMETERY, ABERAVON, Glamorganshire,
Wales. Row 7. Grave 10. |
25 |
|
|
Edward
James |
GRIFFITHS |
Corporal
2068508, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son of Thomas
and Mary Griffiths, of Birkenhead. Buried in LANDICAN CEMETERY,
BIRKENHEAD. Roman Catholic Section 5. Grave 178. |
30 |
Winterton |
3
June 1946 |
A
W |
HOWSHAM |
Sapper
14904618, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son of Percy
and Florence Howsham; husband of Eileen Florence Howsham, of Bowes
Park, Middlesex. Buried in CAISTER CEMETERY, GREAT YARMOUTH, Norfolk.
Sec. M. Grave 865. |
22 |
Horsey |
26
February 1945 |
Frank
Albert |
VIOLET |
Corporal
14625456, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son of Frank
and Dorothy Violet, of Highgate, Middlesex; husband of Gwenfron
W. Violet, of Highgate. Awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM).
Buried in HIGHGATE CEMETERY, London. Square 70. Grave 48753. |
39 |
|
23
April 1945 |
Thomas |
CAMPBELL |
Corporal
2128803, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son of Thomas
and Elizabeth Campbell; husband of Christina Walker Campbell,
of Shieldhill. Buried in POLMONT CHURCHYARD, GRANGEMOUTH, Stirlingshire,
Scotland. Section E. Grave 242. |
34 |
|
31
July 1946 |
Arthur
Frederick |
RACKETT |
Corporal
14786454, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son of Frederick
Charles and Winifred May Rackett, of Cowes; husband of Stella
Daphne Rackett, of East Cowes. Buried in KINGSTON CEMETERY, COWES,
Isle of Wight. Section E. Grave 509. |
22 |
|
23
April 1945 |
Albert
H |
HARRISON |
Lance
Corporal 2118257, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son
of Albert Victor and Alice Harrison, of Norwich; husband of Charlotte
Jane Harrison, of Aylestone, Leicester. Buried in NORWICH CEMETERY,
Norfolk. Section 54. Grave 162. |
35 |
|
22
May 1945 |
Sam[uel] |
DOUGHERTY |
Corporal
7018180, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son of Samuel
and Elizabeth Dougherty; husband of Annie Dougherty, of Enniskillen,
Co. Fermanagh. Buried in LISBURN CEMETERY, County Antrim, Northern
Ireland. Section A. Friends Ground. Grave 28. |
45 |
|
|
George
H |
JONES |
Corporal
97000916, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son of Evan
David and Ellen Jones; husband of Eileen Gladys Jones, of Bevendean.
Buried in BEAR ROAD BOROUGH CEMETERY, BRIGHTON, Sussex. Section
Z.F.U. Grave 30. |
28 |
|
31
July 1945 |
Stanley
James |
SULLIVAN |
Sapper
14037169, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son of Stanley
James Sullivan and Mary Sullivan, of Pontypool. Buried in ST.
CADOC CHURCHYARD, TREVETHIN, Monmouthshire, Wales. Plot A. Row
3 Grave 10. |
19 |
|
|
Walter
Kenneth |
GILBERT |
Sapper
- no further information currently - not listed on CWGC |
23 |
Waxham |
5
February 1945 |
William
Y |
VAUGHAN |
Corporal
1903909, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son of Joseph
and Agatha Vaughan, of Holloway. Bath; husband of Margaret E.
Vaughan, of Fairfield Park, Bath. Awarded the British Empire Medal
(BEM). Buried in HAYCOMBE CEMETERY, BATH, Somerset. Plot 28. Section
F. Row A. Grave 295, |
29 |
|
|
Leslie
George |
HOLBROOK |
Lance
Sergeant 2057819, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son
of George Samuel and Agnes Holbrook, of Crumlin. Buried in ABERCARN
CEMETERY, Monmouthshire, Wales. Section 14. Row 28. Grave 6. |
32 |
|
|
George
William |
SWEETMAN |
Lance
Corporal 1895867, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son
of Albert Charles and Emily Sweetman, of Hammersmith. Buried in
HAMMERSMITH NEW CEMETERY, Surrey. Plot 14. Section C. Grave 287. |
31 |
Happisburgh |
11
December 1944 |
Vincent
Reginald |
GODDARD |
Lance
Corporal 2196874, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son
of John Thomas Goddard and Alice Goddard; husband of Berenice
Goddard, of Cefn-Hengoed, Hengoed. Buried in HENGOED WELSH BAPTIST
CHAPELYARD, Glamorganshire, Wales. Grave 200. |
24 |
|
|
William |
PALIN |
Sapper
1941239, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son of James
and Elizabeth Palin; husband of Lena May Palin, of Cadishead.
Buried in ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCHYARD EXTENSION, IRLAM, Lancashire.
Section R. Grave 62. |
32 |
Trimingham |
6
May 1953 |
Robert |
O'DOHERTY |
Sergeant
- no further information currently |
29 |
|
|
Kenneth |
BRADDOCK |
Corporal
- no further information currently |
21 |
Weybourne |
18
January 1945 |
Thomas |
O'DONOGHUE |
Lance
Sergeant 2090444, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Husband
of Mary Josephine O'Donoghue, of Kirkdale, Liverpool. Buried in
FORD ROMAN CATHOLIC CEMETERY, LIVERPOOL, Merseyside. Section A.
H. Grave 45. |
32 |
|
24
April 1944 |
Richard
John |
BENNETT |
Sapper
1944481, 250 Field Company, Royal Engineers. Son of Robert and
Evelyn Mary Bennett, of Weymouth. Buried in Central part, South
of main path in MORETON CHURCH CEMETERY, Dorset. |
23 |
|
29
August 1944 |
Francis
McAlpine |
McMEECHAN |
Sapper
14634726, 22 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son of Mr.
and Mrs. George McMeechan; husband of Phyllis May McMeechan, of
Walworth, London Buried in KING'S LYNN CEMETERY, King's Lynn,
Norfolk. Section Q. Grave 549. |
31 |
Holkham |
5
December 1944 |
Amos |
HENSHALL |
Corporal
1877723, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son of Amos
Edwin and Elizabeth Henshall, of Chester. Buried in New Portion
of CHESTER GENERAL CEMETERY, Cheshire. Grave 1694. |
28 |
|
17
December 1944 |
Josiah
WILLIAM |
POTTER |
Sapper
1879217, 4 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Son of A. W.
Potter and Lavinia E. Potter, of Islington, London. Buried in
ISLINGTON CEMETERY, (Middlesex) London. Section O. Block 10. Grave
21803P. |
26 |
5
September 2004
|