In the heart of World War II, a group of daring young lads from Withernsea wrote their own chapter of history.
In 1941, when the Luftwaffe was a constant threat, 16 boys decided to take matters into their own hands. After a German plane crashed near their town, they embarked on an extraordinary adventure that would become the stuff of local legend.
With courage and a touch of recklessness, they explored the wreckage, salvaging an impressive array of military equipment. From pistols and helmets to a machine gun and even a cannon, their haul was nothing short of astonishing.
Their daring exploits didn’t stop there. In a bid to defend their town, they took their newfound arsenal to the beach for target practice. Luckily, disaster was averted, and their secret remained intact.
When the Air Force eventually discovered the missing equipment, the boys found themselves in hot water. However, thanks to their bravery and patriotic spirit, they escaped punishment.
Their story is a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of the British people during the war. These young heroes, the Withernsea Gunners, will forever be remembered for their daring exploits and their unwavering love for their country.
You can listen to the story told by Richard Harris as a poem, with details from local historian Wendy Graves (who gave us permission to tell this amazing story). A Transcript is also below.
The Withernsea Gunners 1941
”“The Withernsea Gunners” 1941, written and read by Richard Harris, with thanks to local historian Wendy Graves, who told me the story. I give permission for the Churches Conservation Trust to use this poem in any way they wish. It may be folklore. It may be in legend. It is heroic. It’s fun and it is true. 16 young lads in 1941, in Withernsea, acted as one the Luftwaffe for raiding Holderness because of the new radar.
Their planes flew low. One of them crashed, landed at Dinnington. All on board survived, but the word got out and as they usually did, the lads set out to see what they could see. They rode on their bikes to Dinnington and arrived as a huge explosion occurred. The air was thick with shrapnel and salts of earth, but none of them was hurt.
Next day they returned as lads would. They expected a guard protecting the wreck, but there was none. So, having crawled along, they had fun exploring unnoticed. They gathered so much pistols, helmets, clocks and radio transmitters were amongst the trophies. Then their attention went to the machine gun, which they collected along with ammo and a cannon, no less. They carried everything back on their bikes and stored nearly all high up in the church.
One of them had been in the choir and had very handy church keys. After a few days they checked their fines, clean their machine gun and cannon, and took them to the beach, avoiding landmines as they went daft as brushes. One of their number later was to call them. They wanted to see if the weapons worked, as there were still air rage in the area.
Big mistake. There was a huge explosion as a tracer loader exploded over the sea. A plane came down to investigate, but the pilot did not see the boy. Fortunately. They took their plunder back to the church, intending to shoot down any enemy planes Luckily, they did not get the chance. There’s no doubt such fire would have invited their destruction and vast damage to St Nicholas Church.
To Nicholas Church. Meanwhile, the Air Force was searching for the missing parts. Now one of the boys had taken apart home when it fell from a wardrobe. Hell was to pay. After questioning, the story came out. The parts were recovered ammo, guns, cabinet and all. The boys entered folklore and also ended up in court. The vicar spoke up for them their courage and patriotism and they were not punished.
But the story followed them all their lives. Now they are gone, but will be remembered with love, joy and fun forevermore.”
