Wednesday, August 29, 2018

BRIGG HELPED WAR EFFORT IN THE DAD'S ARMY ERA


Brigg Blog was watching one of the early episodes of Dad's Army on TV recently, being screened as part of  50th anniversary celebrations for this classic comedy series about the Second World War Home Guard.
Captain Mainwaring (played by the great Arthur Lowe) proudly informed the platoon that their town's fund established to pay for a  new Spitfire fighter aircraft now exceeded £3!
The cost of building one in 1940 was about £8,000. But back in those dark days of the war, everyone was keen to play a part, however insignificant it might seem.
That point would have been appreciated by viewers watching that episode of Dad's Army when it was first screened less than a quarter-of-a-century after the conflict.
Many communities raised money, in various ways, to help the war effort and to support those on active service.
Brigg was among them and the Dad's Army joke reminded us of the above picture that has come our way from the archive of the late Cliff Padley, of Scawby.
It shows Mr W. H. Webster, right, presenting a £50 cheque to Mr C. C. M. Taylor in aid of the RAF Pilots and Crews Fund, which had, by then, raised more than £3,000 for the cause. Mr Webster was a local Justice of the Peace (magistrate).
Spitfires flew from RAF Hibaldstow and Kirton Lindsey during the Second World War, and Brigg had its own Home Guard. Bombers were based at Elsham and Kirmington.

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