Dear listers: I am looking for information about airfields/other military bases WW2 at Mablethorpe/Lincolnshire. My friend's father was British by birth born 1918 at Southend on sea/Essex. He was in 1936 in Regular Army Reserve, Bedfs & Herts. He had been "late Cadet, Bedford School contgt Jun. Div OTC..maybe someone could explain what that means to me? My friend's parents were married at Mablethorpe in 1941 and their address was THE RETREAT, Windsor road. His father was listed as "Army Officer" -he had been in Lincolnshire regiment, but by 1942 he appeared as "retired" but I know he was a radiographer and did this work for many years in the War, including Hiroshima. thus, not sure why the word "retired" would appear. I am looking for information about Mablethorpe and the type of action/military units there in 1941. Was there any bombings/civilian deaths there in 1942? thanks for your help, Liz of BC Canada

Liz, I may be able to answer two parts of you query. About 1906, as part of the army reforms which set up the Territorial Army, who may be classed as part time reservists, the War Office encouraged schools and universities to set up in each school an Officer Training Corps. The War Office provided uniforms and assistance with training and some other facilities. The result was that in 1914-18 young men who had served in an OTC almost automatically got a commission. Service in an OTC might be noted on a service record. About 1940 the OTC had a name change to Junior Training Corps at schools and Senior Training Corps at universities, the latter forming units in the Home Guard. In the 1950s a further reorganisation as the schools formed Combined Cadet Forces which provide training for all three services. Regarding the use of the suffix "retired", it has been the custom that officers, who had gained their commission in the regular forces, army, navy, or air force, not the reserve forces, are entitled to use their service rank in civilian life as a title instead of the civilian title of Mr. It is usual to add (retired) as a suffix to make it clear that they are no longer serving. Hope this helps, Jim -----Original Message----- From: Harvie Barker [mailto:harviebarker@shaw.ca] Sent: 28 March 2006 00:59 To: WORLDWAR2-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [WORLD WAR II] MABLETHORPE/ Lincolnshire and bases WW2 Dear listers: I am looking for information about airfields/other military bases WW2 at Mablethorpe/Lincolnshire. My friend's father was British by birth born 1918 at Southend on sea/Essex. He was in 1936 in Regular Army Reserve, Bedfs & Herts. He had been "late Cadet, Bedford School contgt Jun. Div OTC..maybe someone could explain what that means to me? My friend's parents were married at Mablethorpe in 1941 and their address was THE RETREAT, Windsor road. His father was listed as "Army Officer" -he had been in Lincolnshire regiment, but by 1942 he appeared as "retired" but I know he was a radiographer and did this work for many years in the War, including Hiroshima. thus, not sure why the word "retired" would appear. I am looking for information about Mablethorpe and the type of action/military units there in 1941. Was there any bombings/civilian deaths there in 1942? thanks for your help, Liz of BC Canada ==== WORLDWAR2 Mailing List ==== We welcome tributes of your World War II ancestors. We are an international list. Please remember to tell us what country your ancestor was from and what country you are in now if different. This helps us help you. If you give dates please help us understand the date you are referring to. For example: 4 Nov 1944 or Nov 4, 1944. ============================== Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx

Hello again, Liz. My attention was first grabbed by mention of Southend-on-Sea, where I have lived for around 50 years. I only moved a few miles north late last year - and even today I was in Southend visiting my bank and some shops. I have some knowledge of the town in World Wars I and II and post-1945, should you have any enquiries. I have today spent some time digging up what I can on Mablethorpe in WWII. You probably know that it is a small coastal town in south Lincolnshire, the nearest large town probably being Louth, some miles west. When war broke out, that part of Britain's east coast, from Essex up through Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire, was closest to Germany, more or less due east across the North Sea, and it was expected that any invasion would take place somewhere along that coastline. In consequence, civilians were encouraged to leave the coastal area, all aliens who might be regarded as 'unfriendly' were compelled to leave, civilian movement was much restricted and the army and other forces moved in, particularly units concerned with repelling any invaders. Although the German invasion of the Low Countries and Frence in May 1940 shifted the likely invasion are down to Kent and Sussex, not a lot otherwise changed in East Anglia and Lincolnshire. However, although there were German air raids on east coast ports and towns, Mablethorpe got off relatively lightly. East Coast convoys passed quite some way out to sea, it was one of the less likely invasion landing points and there was not a strong military presence. In 1941 the main 'presencxe' in town was, I think, 319 Battery, 513 Coast Artillery Regiment. The Battery was a 6-inch gun unit and most had two guns, with a total complement of between 70 and 150 men. Also nearby was a Chain Home Low radar station, Ingoldmells (also known as Shendleby). CHLs were RAF-(wo)manned. The nearest airbase was RAF Strubby, south of a line between Mablethorpe and Louth. I have not had time to research Strubby, but I think it served mostly as a Coastal Command patrol base. That may be wrong, but if you do a Google search you will hopefully find more. There was also a Royal Navy Mines Clearance unit based at Mablethorpe, to deal with the maganetic mines which dropped in shallow water or on land and failed to explode. Dealing with 'land mines', as the public of the time incorrectly referred to them, was an extremely dangerous business. One 1941 incident I turned up occured off Mablethorpe on 3 Nov 1941. The patrol yacht 'Ouzel', from the naval base at Boston, Lincs, had embarked three soldiers in addition to her seven man crew, to inspect the beach defence camouflage at Skegness and Mablethorpe from offshore. Just off Mablethorpe she was destroyed by a mine with the loss of all hands. Hope all this may be of some small help to you. Richard Goring visit my website at http://www.goring1941.freeserve.co.uk for: The Register of Essex-Related Dead of World War II [ROERDOWW2] The South-East Essex War Memorials & Monumental Inscriptions Project ----- Original Message ----- From: "Harvie Barker" <harviebarker@shaw.ca> To: <WORLDWAR2-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 12:58 AM Subject: [WORLD WAR II] MABLETHORPE/ Lincolnshire and bases WW2 > Dear listers: I am looking for information about airfields/other > military bases WW2 at Mablethorpe/Lincolnshire. > > My friend's father was British by birth born 1918 at Southend on > sea/Essex. He was in 1936 in Regular Army Reserve, Bedfs & Herts. > He had been "late Cadet, Bedford School contgt Jun. Div OTC..maybe > someone could explain what that means to me? > > My friend's parents were married at Mablethorpe in 1941 and their > address was THE RETREAT, Windsor road. > > His father was listed as "Army Officer" -he had been in Lincolnshire > regiment, but by 1942 he appeared as "retired" but I know he was a > radiographer and did this work for many years in the War, including > Hiroshima. thus, not sure why the word "retired" would appear. > > I am looking for information about Mablethorpe and the type of > action/military units there in 1941. > > Was there any bombings/civilian deaths there in 1942? > > thanks for your help, Liz of BC Canada > > > ==== WORLDWAR2 Mailing List ==== > We welcome tributes of your World War II ancestors. We are an international list. Please remember to tell us what country your ancestor was from and what country you are in now if different. This helps us help you. If you give dates please help us understand the date you are referring to. For example: 4 Nov 1944 or Nov 4, 1944. > > ============================== > Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the > areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. > Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx > >