Newlyn at War

Newlyn Archive Open Day

NEWLYN AT WAR Monday June 28, 2010 10am – 6pm

Newlyn Trinity Centre

The Archive Open Day and Exhibition Newlyn at War has been planned to coincide with the seventieth anniversary of the Free French movement, when French people fled to England, many by boat to Newlyn.

To mark this seventieth anniversary, a number of boats will set sail from the French side of the channel arriving at Newlyn on Monday June 28, 2010 to commemorate the anniversary.

The war is still very much alive in the folk memories of Newlyn people so that the Open Day Newlyn at War provides an opportunity for everyone to share their stories and memorabilia and for the archive to preserve these for the future.

• • •

• • • • • • •

The exhibition includes photographic displays about Newlyn and Newlyners in WW1 and WW2; the fishing fleet at War; the homeguard; Breton and Belgian refugees; evacuees; local war memorials and graves; and much more.

Friends of the Archive who have special knowledge are available to talk about their research and collections.

You can share your stories about the war in our conversation zone with Betty Harvey, Doreen Hichens, George Hoare, Cecil Jenkins, Harry Matthews, Ruth Richards, Charles Symons, David Tredinnick, Mary Warren and others. The sessions will be recorded so as to include them in a booklet to be published by the Archive later in the year.

Julia Kerrison from the Newlyn Gallery has an art activity for children involving collage and story telling and (in conjunction with the Newlyn Knitters) a drop‐in workshop for adults on flag making Penlee Museum has provided an activity box which includes real artefacts from WW2 At 2pm you can sing war songs with Patsy Plumbridge and her group 'Cornish Cream' We have the dates when bombs were dropped in WW2, but where did they fall? Come and pin a flag to the map of Newlyn.

Try to Name the Newlyn War Personality in our slide show competition.

What is in the Box? During the war, servicemen were given small metal boxes to carry with them.

George Hoare found one of these in the roof of a house; he has never opened it. Can you guess what is in the tin?

And much more including free admission and refreshments

There will be a friend’s desk and we hope you will sign up as a friend and get involved in our new projects:

• •

Newlyn families. We aim to create a section of the archive for family histories to contain information, photographs, birth, marriage and death certificates etc of families associated with Newlyn.

Oral History. We have two digital voice recorders and we will be interviewing people so as to make an oral history of Newlyn that includes the stories that never get into the history books.

Here are some of the War Stories we have heard: Lieutenant Johnny Greengrass was skipper of one of the rescue boats at Dunkirk − but his ship was destroyed by German shells. Fortunately, the injured man was pulled from the sea by the crew of a paddle steamer. He remembered regaining consciousness on a stretcher next to the paddles − only to see a dive-bombing German Stuka bearing down on him. The paddle steamer took a direct hit and the blast knocked Lt Greengrass unconscious and − yet again − he was plunged back into the sea.

Miraculously he was washed up onto the beach at Dunkirk, where allied soldiers dressed him in the dry uniform of a dead army private and left him to be rescued. However, he was captured by the advancing Germans, who refused to believe he was a naval officer until his true identity was confirmed by the Red Cross. (Story from Billy Stevenson).

George Hoare was just a toddler when a bomb was dropped on Lane Reddin Terrace. It dislodged a large block of granite, which fell through the roof of Cressars (his home) demolishing the bed from which he had been snatched when the siren sounded just a short time before.

Harry Matthews’ dad J Henry Matthews was responsible for forming a choir called Shanty Boys at the naval base at Newlyn Harbour. J Henry Matthews was shipping manager for JH Bennett Ltd and helped by his wife Mary née Strick took on the task of looking after the French Refugees who were at Newlyn during the war. Both J Henry and Mary were awarded the Medaille de la Reconnaissance Francoise after the war.

Adrian Nicholas’ first memory was hearing a bomb fall when he was being pushed up Kneebone’s Lane in his pram. Another family story was of his elder sister walking back into Newlyn along New Road when four bombs were dropped near the Western Green. Adrian also remembers swimming with his sister into the side of the bombed hulk, Cretehill − they were not supposed to, mind.

Charles Symons’ father lay on the step of Newlyn Post Office when a German plane came down the Coombe, machine-gunning as it passed through Newlyn heading for the harbour.

Ruth Richards lived in New Road and attended Tolcarne School. If the siren sounded when she was on her way home, she would bring her friends into the house to shelter during the air raid − where they all huddled under the stairs.

Ann Pilcher née Rosewall’s dad was away fighting in the 6th airborne division when the Ledez family from Belgium came to live opposite. She was pals with their young son Louis who taught her the French song Frères Jacques to pass the time in the Morrison shelters during the air raids.

Roberta St Claire was evacuated to Newcastle when she was aged two. She remembers her ‘Auntie’ Aggie taking her in the pushchair to the beach where a soldier from the TA raised a curl of barbed wire to let them through so they could fill the pushchair with driftwood for the fire. Thursdays was cafe morning and aunty and six friends would meet and swap ration book coupons. ‘Aunty’ made Roberta a coat on her hand sewing machine from and old RAF uniform; it was rough and the child did not like it but it was made with much love.

Barbara Sunderland née Harvey was at Tolcarne School during the war. She remembers her class going to the Bluebell Dell at Carne Woods to pick flowers to send the blitzed London children.

Sheila Thomas was ten years old when the Belgian refugees arrived on their fishing boats just as the quarry blasted off, the women dressed all in black. The French fishermen picked the winkles on the rocks but Sheila and the other the children were not allowed to eat them. Sheila’s mum had two airsea rescue men billeted in her spare room; they worked different shifts so could share the bed. Her mother made camouflage nets; she got the materials from where the Legion is now. Sheila and her two sisters had to thread the needles before they were allowed out to play.

Mary Warren at Trembath Farm had two Belgian teachers staying with the family at the start of WW2.

They had to trudge across the fields to get to Trinity Centre where they held classes for the Belgian children.

For further information contact Pam Lomax <newlynarchive@aol.com> Linda Holmes 01736 364537

La Coronasia of Penryn

Dernier exemplaire des bateaux de sauvetage norvégiens dessinés par Colin Archer en 1896, « La Coronasia », construit en Norvège en 1966, est un ketch aurique en bois armé à la plaisance.

Propriété de son capitaine, un amateur anglais, originaire de Penryn installé à Riec sur Belon, il navigue sur les côtes de Bretagne, servi depuis 2007 par un équipage de passionnés français.

Familière depuis cette date des rassemblements de vieux gréements, c’est avec enthousiasme qu’elle s’associe au projet de Daniel Le Lamer, capitaine du « Corbeau des Mers », de rééditer la traversée historique de l’Île de Sein à Newlyn, en hommage aux hommes qui, fuyant l’invasion nazie, sont partis rejoindre le Forces Française Libres du Général de Gaulle.

Le Corbeau des Mers Le 26 Juin 1940, entre 21 et 22 heures, trois sloops de pêche, « Le Rouanez ar Peoc’h, le Stella Maris et le Corbeau des Mers » appareillent de l’Île de Sein en direction de l’Angleterre, emmenant soixante quatre îliens rejoindre les Forces Françaises libres à l’Appel de Général de Gaulle.

Cette traversée complète la flotte des bateaux senans, « L’Ar Zénith, La Velléda, Le Rouanez ar Mor qui, depuis le 19 Juin, embarquent des hommes de l’île vers les ports de la Cornouaille anglaise.

Au total, 141 îliens auront fait la traversée. « Le Corbeau des Mers », propriété du Musée de la Résistance Bretonne, dernier « survivant » de la flottille, est un langoustier construit en 1931 par le chantier Belbéoc’h à Morgat. D’une longueur de coque de 11,45, jaugeant 9,21 tonneaux, il est grée en sloop aurique.

Depuis 1991, il est classé « Monument historique.

Le

Marche Avec Construit en 1991, sur le modèle du « Gaby », un cotre sardinier appartenant au patron de pêche Léon Le Cras , le « Marche Avec » est la propriété de la ville de Concarneau.

Les cotres ont connu leur heure de gloire entre 1910 et 1930. Quarante bateaux de ce type, jaugeant entre 10 et 30 tonneaux, ont été construits à Concarneau dans ces années.

La fonction du cotre n'était pas de pêcher, mais de remorquer une ou deux annexes sur les zones de passage des bancs de sardines.

Les annexes pêchaient ensuite à l'ancienne, comme les chaloupes, en appâtant le poisson avec de la rogue (œufs de morue saumurés) puis en le piégeant par les ouïes dans un filet droit. Le cotre faisait la navette

Le Rose of

Argyll

Loch Fyne Skiff, construit en 1964 au chantier James Adams and Sons à Gourock (SW Ecosse) sur un plan de James Mc Gruer. Ces bateaux (type Zulu Skiff) étaient utilisés pour pêcher le hareng à la fin du 19ème, début du 20ème.

Rose of Argyll a été dessinée d'après ces bateaux.

Construite à clin, bordés mélèze, rivetés cuivre sur membrures ployées en Frêne, charpente axiale en chêne et gréée avec misaine et foc. Elle a navigué en Grande Bretagne jusqu'au début des années 90 où elle est arrivée en sud Bretagne puis mise au sec. Rachetée en 2004, elle a subit une grosse restauration (70%) pendant 5 ans dans la région de Douarnenez. Mise à l'eau mai 2009, gréée d'abord avec misaine et foc, elle navigue aujourd'hui en lougre.

Longueur coque : 9m95 Longueur Hors tout : 17m Largeur : 3m65 Tirant d'eau : 1m70 Surface : 80m² Déplacement : 9t (pas de moteur)

Le Gwen Bleiz GWEN-BLEIZ est construit pour la plaisance par Jean François SIBIRIL à CARANTEC en 1963 sur des gabarits de cotre de pèche , les cotres de la baie de MORLAIX , ceux la mêmes qui ont traversés à partir de Carantec à l'initiative D'ERNEST SIBIRIL et de LOUISE son épouse pour évacuer vers les côtes anglaises les aviateurs tombés et les volontaires .

Le réseau " ALLIANCE " qui à fonctionné de Juin 1940 à Janvier 1944 à permis le passage d'au moins 193 personnes par 16 cotres quelquefois "retapés " à la hâte et clandestinement (les allemands surveillaient le chantier) .

Ces passages à partir du chantier SIBIRIL se faisaient de nuit , en s'aidant de la marée , et à la voile pour ne pas faire de bruit.

Certaines traversées se sont faites dans des conditions extrêmes pour des bateaux " ouverts" quelquefois surchargés ( 21 a bord de l'AMITY goémonier de 6.75m ).