A place for some links, and associations with Whitby (Yorkshire, UK), especially, but not only, during WW2. Rm. (More to add in edit - will be similar in format, for example to the thread on Chippenham Park - see Chippenham Park Camp )
Links Whitby - Wikipedia The wiki - doesn't seem to mention much about WW2 - currently - mostly after WW1 it skips forwards to the 1950's... "In a raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby in December 1914, the town was shelled by the German battlecruisers Von der Tann and Derfflinger. In the final assault on the Yorkshire coast, the ships aimed their guns at the signal post on the end of the headland. Whitby Abbey sustained considerable damage in the attack, which lasted ten minutes. The German squadron responsible for the strike escaped despite attempts made by the Royal Navy. During the early 20th century the fishing fleet kept the harbour busy, and few cargo boats used the port. It was revitalised as a result of a strike at Hull docks in 1955, when six ships were diverted and unloaded their cargoes on the fish quay. Endeavour Wharf, near the railway station, was opened in 1964 by the local council. The number of vessels using the port in 1972 was 291, increased from 64 in 1964. Timber, paper and chemicals are imported, while exports include steel, furnace-bricks and doors. The port is owned and managed by Scarborough Borough Council since the Harbour Commissioners relinquished responsibility in 1905." Whitby threads - ATS ack ack Whitby http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/churchills-secret-army-on-the-coastline-whitby-gazette.56343/ 11th Armoured Division in 1941 Help Needed - 8th Armoured Brigade in Yorkshire Valentines on a North Country Moor - 25-26d8m1941 5th Bn Durham Light Infantry (Territorial) Amy Irene Pring, W/266452, ATS Special Duties Other links - Google books - A History of Whitby The Doran brother - Photographers in Whitby - Photographs - They retired in 1987, and their collection of negatives was purchased by the Whitby Literary and Philosophical Society for the Museum in 1994 BBC - WW2 People's War - A.T.S postings BBC - WW2 People's War - Recollections of World War II BBC - WW2 People's War - Sandsend at War Ron Goldstein - BBC - WW2 People's War - Training To Be A Driver/Wireless Operator True Loyals - see Whitby, Yorkshire, UK
Events 3rd February 1940 - Bannial Flatts, just outside Whitby, was the site of the first enemy aircraft to be shot down on English soil during WW2 - see pdf at... https://www.nyma.org.uk/_webedit/uploaded-files/All Files/History Tree/26 1940 Crash of Heinkel Bomber near Whitby.pdf And - THE PHONEY WAR 1940 IWM - HU 69033 - Object description : A Heinkel He 111 which crashed near Whitby, 3 February 1940. 26th September 1940 - The Blitz Around UK 7th September 1940 onwards 15th August 1941 - The 24th Lancers move from Keldy Castle to Whitby. 25th August 1941 - Valentines on a North Country Moor - 25-26d8m1941 26th August 1941 - THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 1939-45 - IWM H13041 - Object description : Valentine tank of 11th Armoured Division being loaded onto a tank transporter after an exercise near Whitby, 26 August 1941. 12th January 1942 - British steam merchant Lerwick - sunk - Whitby in WW2 History | World War II Database 22nd January 1942 - 3rd Armoured Group, Major Gen Sir M.O. M’Creagh, visited the 24th Lancers in Whitby. 7-14th February 1942 - Whitby Warship week - Whitby raised £315,169, the cost of building the hull of a V & W destroyer which enabled the district to adopt HMS Whitshed. There were Commemorative plaques exchanged at the adoption ceremony at Whitby Art Gallery passed between representatives of the Admiralty and chairmen of the Urban and Rural Council. HMS Whitshed
Whitby - pictures etc. Mostly - tags relating to WW1 - Search our collection | Imperial War Museums 3rd February 1940 - THE PHONEY WAR 1940 IWM - HU 69033 - Object description : A Heinkel He 111 which crashed near Whitby, 3 February 1940. Also - HU3327 - THE PHONEY WAR 1940
My father's unit, 7th Loyals, spent the early part of 1941 on anti-invasion duties along the coast from Whitby to Scarborough. See True Loyals
I was born and brought up in Whitby, a town with a long and interesting history. I have a great many books etc. about the town and surrounding area but there is little about Whitby in WW2. That is probably because nothing much happened. There were three air warfare incidents: - A Heinkel was shot down just to the north of Whitby, about a mile from the centre. This was the first German aircraft brought down over England in WW2 and was shot down by Peter Townsend, later to become a Royal Equerry and suitor to Princess Margaret. - A bomb or bombs was dropped near Whitby Station, causing little damage. - A bomb was dropped on the vehicle park of the Metropole Hotel, destroying a number of trucks. I was taken to see this sight which was near my grandparents home. Whitby's contribution to the war was twofold: - There were still a number of owners of shipping companies with homes and offices in the town. They operated general cargo tramp steamers and a considerable number of local inhabitants were Merchant Navy captains or seamen. None of these ships ever entered Whitby harbour since they were far to big. - The Whitby hotels and boarding houses were requisitioned as accomodation for training units. Mike
The (British) 24th Lancers were in Whitby with their Valentine tanks, during an early part of the Second World War, largely training across the nearby moors, and returning in the evenings to park their tanks on the promenade in front of the Royal Hotel. From mid August 1941 until May 1942 their troops were billeted in the Royal Hotel, whilst their officers were in other smaller hotels along the front. Some references from the Regimental history of the 24th Lances - "None Had Lances" p19-20.
In the second half of the 1950s I worked at the Royal Hotel. I was in the 6th form and then at college. The attics and cellars were still full of signs (literally) of troop occupation. The front attic rooms, overlooking the beach and harbour, had loopholes and firing positions. Although the Royal was used as other ranks accomodation the cocktail bar was reserved for 'Officers Only'. Mike
24th Lancers' - Captain Maurice Lobb.... "Whitby was our next home in the winter of 1941/2. It was severe. Frequently we were snowed up in the town. We would dig our way out towards Filingdales in the morning and literally dig our way back in the afternoon. The Division were loath to curtail or cancel any exercise but generally, in the worst of the winter exercises, slowed up. Brigade gave me the job of finding a way over the snow covered moors on the Whitby Guisborough road to the Scarborough Helmsley road. The trouble was that drifts blocked the gully. If I could get through this one, I thought, I could see if the going was better further on, but it wasn’t. My operators were still inexperienced and once they got lost on the air they had difficulty in re-establishing contact. Search party after search party went out looking for missing scout parties. One night they entirely failed to trace my car and driver. Fortunately we did get put up at a nice lady’s cottage but considerable risk was involved and perhaps it was by good luck as much as judgement that we didn’t lose anybody. Finally I was the first through to the Scarborough Helmsley road although not with the scout car. I had borrowed a Bren carrier. We had been on the moors day after day unbroken for 9 weeks. I reported to Brigade. “Why tell us?” they said. They had forgotten us, forgotten they ever sent us out."