PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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1943
On Sunday February 7th 1943 the Prime Minister, Mr Winston Churchill, arrived back in Britain from North Africa in the Liberator "Commando". [1] Two deaths occurred Wednesday March 10th 1943, that of Mr W T Hutchings, Chief Constable of Plymouth, and Mr Laurence Binyon, author of the words 'They Shall Grow Not Old'. [1] After Saturday March 20th 1943 it was no longer possible to treat your girlfriend to chocolates at Gaumont cinemas. Ice creams had already been withdrawn from sale. The sale of chocolates was not restored until August 1947. [2] HRH the Duchess of Kent started a two-day visit to Plymouth on Tuesday March 23rd 1943. [1] On Thursday April 1st 1943 the Royal Air Force celebrated its 25th Anniversary. [1] The Prime Minister announced on Adolf Hitler's 54th birthday, Tuesday April 20th 1943, that the rules were being relaxed and that henceforth church bells could be rung on Sundays and special days. [1] The Admiralty announced on Princess Elizabeth's 17th birthday, Wednesday April 21st 1943, that HM Submarine "Thunderbolt" was overdue and must be presumed lost. [1] On Sunday May 23rd 1943 the first service since its destruction was held in the ruined Saint Andrew's Church. Police had to control the crowds as hundreds of people turned up for the service. [1] Mr John Fawke Skittery was appointed Chief Constable of Plymouth on Monday May 24th 1943. He was previously the Sub-Divisional Inspector of the Metropolitan Police. [1] There was a march past of women's services on Tuesday June 1st 1943 as part of the Plymouth Wings for Victory Week. The salute was taken by Miss Pauline Gower, Commandant of the Women's Air Training Auxiliary. [1] On Saturday June 5th 1943 the Prime Minister returned to England after visiting America and North Africa. [1] In the early hours of Monday June 14th 1943 there was a short but heavy raid on both Plymouth and Plympton. It only lasted a half hour but Twyford describes it as 'one of the liveliest half-hour's Plymouth citizens spent.' Between 70 and 80 high explosive bombs of between 250kg to 1,000kg were dropped but, luckily, about half of them failed to detonate. However, one of the biggest crashed through the roof of the centre of Greenbank Police Headquarters, bringing tons of masonry crashing down, but then lay unexploded on the landing of the first floor outside the magistrate's court and over the prison cells and control room. The reserve headquarters at Widey Court had to be brought in to use until the bomb could be removed and the damage repaired. [3] This raid was the first big test for the newly constituted National Fire Service and the first at which the fire-fighters from Canada saw action. [3] General Sikorski, the Polish Prime Minister and Commander in Chief, was killed on Sunday July 4th 1943 when the Liberator in which he, his daughter and his staff were travelling crashed shortly after leaving Gibraltar. His body was landed at Plymouth on Saturday July 10th 1943. [1] Mr Henry L Stimson, the American Secretary of War, visited Plymouth Hoe with Lord Astor on Wednesday July 21st 1943. [1] On Thursday July 29th 1943 Mr Bevin, the Minister of Labour, announced the extension of the registration of women from age 45 to 50. [1] During an air raid on August 12th 1943 Police Constable Richard Joseph Smale Willis (1911-1985) rescued two firewatchers from a building in Union Street, for which he was awarded the George Medal. Double Summer Time was terminated on Sunday August 15th 1943. [1] A new British Restaurant was opened at Geasons, off Ridgeway, Plympton, at 12.15pm on Thursday August 19th 1943. Mrs G Webber of Plympton was the first person to enjoy the daily fare of roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, roast or mashed potatoes, kidney beans and green peas, followed by either baked apple dumpling and custard or baked rice pudding. The cost was 1s 3d, with an additional 2d for a cup of tea or coffee. Alongside the brick and concrete-built restaurant, in a separate building, was the kitchen. In addition to providing some 1,000 meals daily for the 150-seater Restaurant, this was also used for supplying 1,000 hot meals a day to the district's 17 schools. The foreman of the workmen who built the Restaurant was Mr V J C Payne. It remained open until 2.15pm every day. The formal opening took place on Friday November 5th 1943 (see below). [6] Plymouth suffered a sharp attack on Saturday August 28th 1943. [1] It was announced on Monday September 20th 1943 that the Prime Minister had returned from the Quebec Conference aboard HMS Renown. [1] In preparation for running special trains in support of the forthcoming invasion of Europe (D-Day), the Great Western and Southern Railways installed links between their lines at Launceston Station on September 22nd 1943. This did not affect services to and from Plymouth. [4] On Wednesday October 20th 1943 a barrage balloon went out of control and crashed on to land at West Hooe Farm, Plymstock, where it exploded and caught fire to the farmhouse. [5] Plympton's British Restaurant was formally opened by Paymaster Rear-Admiral Sir Arthur Strickland KCB, the Ministry of Food's Chief Divisional Food Officer, on Friday November 5th 1943. He was accompanied by the chairman of Plympton Rural District Council, Mr J F Hollow JP, and the Clerk and Engineer, Messrs Percy T Loosemore and W H Thompson. 8,800 meals had been served between August 19th and the official opening, with a peak of 1,020 in one week. [6] The Right Honourable Clement R Atlee, the Deputy Prime Minister, addressed an audience in the Methodist Central Hall, Plymouth, on Saturday November 6th 1943. [7] On Monday November 8th 1943 the United States Naval Advanced Amphibious Base was set up in Plymouth to to house and train American service personnel preparing for the D-Day landings. The head quarters was at Queen Anne's Battery, Coxside, where the 29th and 81st US Construction Battalions built a ship repair yard, a dry dock and three marine rail tracks for the repair and maintain US naval craft. The Commanding Officer, Captain C F M S Quimby USN, occupied Hamoaze House at Mount Wise, Devonport. Other locations that formed part of the base were Victoria Wharf, Martin's Wharf, Commercial Wharf, Baltic Wharf, Cattedown Quarry, Pomphlett Quarry, Shapter's Field, Richmond Walk, Turnchapel, Efford, Manadon (SEE Hospitals), Vicarage Road (SEE Army Barracks & Depots), the old Stonehouse police station, Saltash Passage, the grounds of Saltram House, Edinburgh Street at Devonport, Coypool Depot at Marsh Mills, Chaddlewood, Raglan Barracks, the Brickfields, Devonport Park, land at Fore Street, as well as at HMS Raleigh and Barn Pool at Torpoint, Plaisterdown Camp near Tavistock, Saltash, Ivybridge, and even far up the river Tamar at Calstock. [8] Mayor choosing day was Tuesday November 9th 1943, when Lord Astor was appointed Lord Mayor of Plymouth for the fifth year in succession. [7] On Friday November 12th 1943 the Prime Minister left England aboard HMS Renown. [7] The film star, Miss Anna Neagle visited Plymouth on Sunday November 14th 1943. [7] In preparation for running special trains in support of the forthcoming invasion of Europe (D-Day), the Great Western and Southern Railways installed links between their lines at Lydford Station on November 15th 1943. This enabled Southern trains to travel via the GWR Launceston branch up to Lydford in order to regain their own main line in the event that the line between Plymouth and Tavistock should be damaged. [4] Devonport's first day nursery was opened by Mr L Hore-Belisha, the MP for Devonport, at Nelson Gardens, Stoke, on Monday November 15th 1943. [7] Plymouth suffered its 589th air raid at 5am on Tuesday November 16th 1943. [7] The new Education Bill was published on Thursday December 16th 1943, raising the school leaving age to 15-years-old from April 1st 1945. [7] General Dwight D Eisenhower was appointed Supreme Allied Commander, British and American Expeditionary Forces in the United Kingdom, on Tuesday December 28th 1943. [7] Sources:
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