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 Mistral. Journal of the Mersea Island Society. 2008 Page 32.

The Old Boy on a Bike. [ Policing on Mersea in days gone by ]



The earliest record I have managed to trace is an entry in the official abstract of property titles owned by W J Beans dated 14 of September 1891, which states that adjoining Elm Cottages in Coast Road, the new house occupied by the Policeman Fletcher. I think ...
Cat1 Books-->Mistral Cat2 War-->World War 2

Mistral. Journal of the Mersea Island Society. 2008 Page 32.
The Old Boy on a Bike. [ Policing on Mersea in days gone by ]

The earliest record I have managed to trace is an entry in the official abstract of property titles owned by W J Beans dated 14 of September 1891, which states that adjoining Elm Cottages in Coast Road, the new house occupied by the Policeman Fletcher. I think this was somewhere near the Square and not connected with Elm Tree House further down the coast.

Pre WW2 and immediately after the Island was part of the Clacton division, Colchester was a Borough force in its own right. Sergeant Woods lived in Mill Road and the Police Station was a Wooden Shed alongside his house. PC Liggins lived in the middle house of a terrace of three cottages opposite Jubilee cottage in High Street North. When he was posted to Tilbury the Village lads had a party to celebrate his departure. During the war Ps Woods used to call into the School and talk to the children about unexploded ordinance and in particular the Butterfly bombs.

The Germans were not the only ones to leave unexploded bombs about; The Home Guard did their bit. When Firs Hamlet was an orchard, they kept a few hand grenades there, just in case. Years later when builders cleared the area ready for development, two young boys found a Mills bomb in the ditch which they duly brought to the cop shop. Stored in the old redundant coal shed until collected by Sergeant Featherstone of the Bomb disposal squad, Colchester. No problem, Safe as houses." A search of the area where it found was Negative. However two weeks later two more boys playing on the edge of the building site discovered another Bomb. This they took to a nearby house. "Mister, Look what we have found." The 'Mister' was a newly retired army major of the Ordinance Corps. He realized the danger at once and relieved the boys of their find. The firing pin had corroded and was held in place with rust. Any warming or sudden jolt would cause the grenade to explode. Sending the boys on their way with thanks, he dug a hole in a large pile of sand that had been delivered to the building site and buried the bomb. A 999 call and police arrived to be told the tale. The facts were relayed to Sergeant Featherstone who arrived in a Green Morris 1000 estate car with Red painted mudguards. He collected the offending article from the pile of sand and started to march back to his car. After 3 strides he stopped and turned very slowly, retraced his steps to the sand heap and returned the bomb to its hole. He had now seen the non existent firing pin a much deeper hole was dug and the resulting explosion caused shrapnel to fall some distance away.

Don Fahie, an Island handyman/gardener and volunteer fireman was turning out a garage for a resident when he came across a small bomb with what looked like a mecanno screw in front and small fins at the rear. This he brought to the Station wrapped up in an old pullover to be placed inevitably in the old coalhouse. B.D.S informed who turned up a few days later. No Problem! Once examined, they sent for a 3 tonner with lots of protective sand bags in the back. It transpired that the devise was home made by the Royal Flying Corps during World War 1. They exploded it in the far corner of the Glebe playing field


Date: March 2008      

Image ID MIS_2008_034
Category 2 War-->World War 2


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This image is part of the Mersea Museum Collection.