|
|
| | |
 About SLHA Library Publications Local History Archaeology Industrial Archaeology Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology |
LINCOLNSHIRE AT WARReport of a conference organised by the Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology 1 The Roman Occupation of Lincolnshire – Dr Steve Malone In the late-Iron Age, prior to the Roman conquest, Lincolnshire and parts of Leicestershire formed a fairly coherent unit under the Corieltauvi tribe. There is evidence (coins, symbols) that this local identity was retained under the Roman administration that followed. The progress of the Roman legions during the conquest from 43AD was rapid, proceeding towards the north and west. Camps (enclosures protected by simple earth banks and ditches with wooden stakes) were set up after each day’s march. In Lincolnshire they have been identified at Great Casterton, Ancaster, Lincoln, Newton on Trent, Owmby by Spital, Hibaldstow, Winteringham and Kirmington. At Lincoln a more permanent legionary fortress was built with barracks and all the necessary ancillary buildings. The eleven gravestones from this period which have been discovered through archaeological excavation relate to soldiers from many parts of the Roman Empire, including Spain and the Danube valley. The Roman military were dispersed around the surrounding area to exercise control in numerous ways. In the late-Roman period more attention was paid to coastal defence and small fortified towns were also created at Caistor and Horncastle. Further Reading: 2 The Battle of Lincoln Fair – Dr Jonathan Clark The importance of this early medieval battle is frequently overlooked. It involved the Angevin King John (1199-1216) and rebel barons supported by the French. Losses of estates on the Continent, high taxes and the failure of the King to honour the terms of Magna Carta had antagonised the barons; they invited Prince Louis of France to lead them in an attempt to overthrow John (and later his infant son Henry, after John’s death). Part of the rebel army came to Lincoln in 1217 and occupied the walled town on the hill, except for the castle itself. However, a clever strategy by the William the Marshal (the Regent) enabled the royalist forces to break into the castle and – mistaken by some as allies – crush the rebel forces. News of the comprehensive defeat reached the remainder of the French/rebel force in Dover and they surrendered and dispersed. Lincoln Castle has many elements which survive from the time of the battle, although most are masked by later additions and remodelling work. Lucy Tower had an adjoining building which was probably demolished in the battle; today’s Observatory Tower, known for centuries as Aaron’s Tower, has recognisable 12th century features; both East and West Gates have Early English pointed arches from the period. Cobb Hall Tower, probably built in the 1190s, contains graffiti that may have been inscribed by John de Mortimer at the time of the parliament of 1301. Further reading: 3 The Civilian Experience of War in Lincolnshire: 1642-46 – Professor Clive Holmes During the Civil War the control of Lincolnshire varied and was never completely in the hands of either the Royalists or the Parliamentarians. A significant event was the capture of Lincoln by the Parliamentarians in 1644, a relatively modest affair resulting in 60 deaths and some plundering and pillaging. But the Royalists retained strongholds at Gainsborough, Belvoir and, especially, Newark. Both sides in the conflict made arbitrary and occasionally brutal demands for resources (cash, food, horses) from local parishes across the county. Kesteven, in the south-west, fared particularly badly, because of the proximity of Newark, and Colonel Edward King of Ashby de la Launde led a revolt in 1646 against the punitive taxes. During the war many ministers of religion were summarily dismissed and not replaced. Livings were generally poor and the number of parishes held in plural increased. The Parliamentary army brought Baptist practice into the county and also many variations of non-conformism. Several prominent families, because of their Royalist support, were effectively wiped out (e.g. St Pol, Heneage) and families of lower rank took local and county offices. The fenmen of the Isle of Axholme seized the opportunity to regain their land and traditional way of living that had been taken away by the drainage schemes of Vermuyden under King Charles. Further reading: 4 Defending Lincolnshire in the 20th Century – Dr Mike Osborne At the time of the First World War priority was given to defending the East coast ports. Batteries were set up along the Humber estuary, including the Haile Sand Fort in 1918/19, to protect Grimsby and Hull. Pillboxes in this period – hexagonal, octagonal and circular – were built along the Lincolnshire coast from 1917 onwards as the fear of invasion persisted. Many of the drill halls built in the larger towns at this time have survived, some of which date from the late-nineteenth century. In the Second World War attempts were made to protect the whole of the east coastline from Scotland through to Kent and the English Channel. “Stop lines” near the coast and at strategic points inland were designed to hold the invading enemy temporarily at bay. The defence network included tanks traps, pill boxes, gun emplacements and observation posts. Scores of these concrete structures were erected in Lincolnshire – some of distinctive local design - and many can still be seen. A later strategy was to use rivers and waterways as defensive lines and to be prepared to sacrifice bridges in order to impede the enemy. An inner defensive structure at Lincoln enclosed part of the city and relied to some extent on existing railway embankments. In Lincolnshire, as elsewhere, the Home Guard and Auxiliary Units had a role to play; understandably there was a strong local focus on airfield defence. Further reading: 5 Lincoln’s Industries in the First World War – Peter Robinson Each of the four major engineering companies in the city switched to armament or aircraft production during the war. Clayton and Shuttleworth made vanes and gondolas for early airships used in reconnaissance. Later they turned to production of aircraft: the Sopwith triplane followed by the well known Sopwith Camel. With Government support they opened the new Tower Works (later site of Clayton Forge) on the north side of the river Witham; here they built Handley Page aircraft. Ruston, Proctor and Co. made a wide range of armaments – gun mountings, bombs – and an idiosyncratic flame thrower. They too built aircraft (over 1000), all of which were taken to Lincoln’s West Common for trial on what was designated the No.4 Acceptance Park. Many women (munitionettes) were employed at Ruston’s on the lathes where the bombshells were turned. Robey’s were the first UK firm to design and build their own planes – not a success – but later they produced Sopwith Gunbuses and Short seaplanes. A new and more convenient trial area was created at Bracebridge Heath for this firm. The story of the development of tracked vehicles which led to the armoured tank is intriguing. The undisputed inventor is David Roberts of Hornsby (Grantham, Lincolnshire), but his patent was eventually sold to Holt in the US. However, the earliest successful tanks (armoured, tracked vehicles) in WW1 were designed by William Tritton and Wilson and made at Foster’s Wellington Works in Lincoln. Several improved versions appeared and other UK firms became involved in production. Further reading: 6 The Lincolnshire Bomber Airfield of the Second World War – Terry Hancock At the time of the First World War airfields were set up at Killingholme (the earliest), Cranwell and about half a dozen other sites in the west of the county. The role of aircraft changed from pure reconnaissance to air-to-air fighting and bombing during the war. As the threat of further conflict stepped up in the 1930s pilot training was greatly increased and new airfields were constructed for both fighters and bombers, largely to standard designs. At the outset of war and later when additional airfields were needed, suitable land was requisitioned, often at very short notice and with very little compensation to the owner. Bomber bases of the Second World War were first equipped with Hampden aircraft (up to 1942), later Wellingtons and finally the Lancaster (post-1942). Airfields were laid out with concrete runways, the principal one being aligned to the prevailing SW wind direction and up to 1.5 miles long. The standard base had 3 hangars plus a wide range of auxiliary buildings (for ground crew, bombs, fuel, administration). For safety reasons staff quarters were usually dispersed at several points in the vicinity of the base. A typical bomber base had 2 squadrons supporting 40 planes and 850 personnel. Fuel, imported and refined at Merseyside or Avonmouth, came by pipeline to Misterton and on to Stow Park for conveyance to Lincolnshire bases by road tanker. Bombs were stored in great numbers at 3 or 4 roadside locations across the county. Many bomber crew members were killed in action – and some through pure accidents – but their contribution to the winning of the war tends to be underestimated. Further reading: 7 Stenigot: a Pioneering Radar Station – Chris Lester The pioneering integrated Chain Home system developed in the UK in the late 1930s (based on the principle of radio wave reflection or radar) involved 20 locations along the east coast of the country. Each station had eight towers, four for transmitting the radio signals and four for receiving them. In addition there were blocks containing the equipment necessary for generating and interpreting the signals. Equal numbers of RAF and WAAF personnel – about 120 in all - worked at each station. At a high point on the Wolds at Stenigot one 365-feet high transmitting tower survives, but almost all the other structures on the site were demolished in the 1990s. Today there are only one or two other towers in the country and only the Stenigot tower has retained the distinctive high-level platforms from which cables were tensioned. The site of the residential quarters, half a mile distant, has long since been cleared except for the small water tower which provided the domestic supply. The Chain Home system continued on the site until the mid-1950s and was then re-equipped. The final active use of the site was from c1970 to 1990 when a NATO system (tropospheric scatter) with 60-foot diameter transmitting and receiving dishes (two of each) formed another distictive landmark. For more information and images of the site see Gallery page for Stenigot. Further reading: 8. Prisoner-of-War Graffiti in Lincolnshire: 1939-48 – Dr Claire Hubbard-Hall Writing and scratching on the walls of cells and barrack blocks by prisoners-of-war can reveal much about mood, attitudes, experience and political affiliation. It also gives pointers to the relationship between the members of a closed community (the camp) and the open, local community outside. Examples of graffiti have been found at many of the Second World War camps in Lincolnshire (e.g. Pingley, Callow Farm, Market Rasen, Donna Nook). A detailed study of the graffiti in the cells beneath the chapel at Wellingore Hall has thrown up a wide range of material. The majority of PoWs were taken out daily to provide labour on local farms and it is not clear why prisoners were retained here in such secure conditions and what civilian or military force was in charge. Some of the graffiti indicates Nazi loyalty. The presence of Ukrainians among the prisoners is indicated by inscriptions in their language and several depictions of the Ukrainian national emblem. Other graffiti comprise crude verses and vulgar slogans. Others refer to specific farmers and co-workers in the fields. A frequent feature is a calendar and the apparent marking off of days since imprisonment. The study is in its early days and Dr Hubbard-Hall claire.hall@bishop.ac.uk) would welcome information and comment. |