| Boldon Parade |
Wings FOR VICTORY WEEK PLAN
More than 1,000 members of the Forces, Civil Defence units, and juvenile organizations are to take part in the inaugural parade of Boldon Urban District's Wings For Victory Week on Saturday. The parade will start at East Boldon station at 3pm and proceed through East Boldon and West Boldon to North Road, Boldon Colliery, where the salute will be taken by Air Commodore C. A. Bouchier CBE, DFC, RAF. He will be supported by the chairman of Boldon Urban Council (Count- T. Davis) and Mr W. J Stewart, MP. Taking part in the parade will be naval, military, and RAF units. detachments of the Air Training Corps, and Army Cadet Forces, the Regional NFS Band, Civil Defence units from the Boldon area and juvenile organizations scouts, Guide, Boys' Brigade etc Target figure for the area is £50,000 Source: Sunderland Echo & Shipping Gazette Date: Friday, October 9, 1942 |
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| Bomber Crash Brings Boldon Girl Romance |
Two and a half years agao a RAF bomber crashedin the Welsh Hills, killing one if its crew of five. The other injured were taken to the Robert Jones and Agnus Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital Oswestry, Shropshire. LAter three of the four were trasnfered, but Flight Lieut. Ian Gordon Hunt of Moot Villa Downtown Wilts, remained. At this hospital he met Miss Joan Margaret Thompsonh of Boldon Colliery, a physio-therapist and a romance sprang up. Culmination will be their wedding at St Nicholas's Church, Hedworth Boldon Colliery to-morrow. Miss Thompson is the only child of Mr and Mrs J. A Thompson of Dunelm, Boldon Colliery. Mr Thompson is manager of Boldon Colliery and Mrs Thompson is District Commissioner for the Girl Guides. Source: Sunderland Echo & Shipping Gazette Date: Friday, May 30, 1947 |
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| Court Story of East Boldon Railway Station Shots |
Exciting scenes at East Boldon Railway station on August 22, when it was alledged, shots were fired from a train, were described at South Shields County Police Court at Jarrow to-day when Frank Johnson (35) of Edgar Street, West Hartlepool, a lance-corporal in the Royal Engineers was charged with the attempted murder of Inspector B Coates. Mr W R Patterson, prosecuting said the evidence would be that as a train approached East Boldon sation two rifle shots were heard and a passenger pulled the communication cord. The guard, Martin Tweddle having headrd the shots, walked along the train and found Johnson sitting in a compartment. Before the guard could day much the accused pointed the rifle at him. The driver, Mr Neil and the stationmaster came along and as they approached the compartment one shot, probably two were fired in their direction by the accused. A Mr Ellis of the ENSA Organisation who walked down the train found Johnson in a compartment with a rifle in a ready position Mr Ellis said "What is the matter Old Chap?" "Keep out or you will get it," Johnson replied, threatned him. P.C. George approached the compartment and then Inspector Coates came along. The Inspector said: "What is the matter? Put your rifle down." Accused replied "Take another step and you@ll get it," pointing the rifle at the window as the inspector looked through. "stop where you are," said Johnson. There was a loud report and the smashing of glass, Inspector Coates fell back. Blood was running down his right cheek and he could not see. Accused was then seen getting out of the carriage door, carrying his rifle. Wounded though he was, Inspector Coates ran along the corridor and seeing the accused had his back to him, jumped on him and held him until assistance came. Accused was taken into custody. Inspector Coates afterwards remembered, Mr Patterson said that accused said something about being sorry. When charged with attempted murder accused repleid: "I think it is rediculous, I have never seen him in my life." Mr Ellis and PC George would say, added Mr Patterson that accused smelt of drink but was not drunk. Dr Foggett, of Sunderland Eye Infirmary, in evidence said he removed a piece of metal embedded in Inspector Coates's right eye and a piece from the right ear. There was still a piece of hard substance to be removed from underneath the eye. In his opinion there would be no permanent injury to the eye. Martin Tweddle of Denville Park Newcastle, guard on the train said that with PC George he examined the compartment and found two emptay clips and four empty cartridges. Source: Sunderland Echo & Shipping Gazette Date: Tuesday, September 16, 1941 |
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| Award For Boldon police Inspector |
Police Inspector Bert Coates, of East Boldon was decorated with the King's Police Medal for gallantry, at a recent investiture at Buckingham Palace. Inspector Coates was summoned from his home to a train which had been stopped at the nearby railway station because a soldier on board had fired several rounds from his rifle through the carriage windows and had threatened to shoot anybody who came near him. Inspector Coates, who was accompanied by a constable, tried to persuade the soldier to put his rifle down, but without success and as the inspector moved towards him the soldier pointed the rifle ar the inspector and fired a shot through the window of the compartment. Inspector Coates fell back with blood streaming down his face, which was peppered with fragments of metal and broken glass. He was temporarily blinded in one eye but could see a little out of the other. The inspectors injuries were being attended to at the end of the corridor when someone shouted that the soldier was getting out of the train. Inspector Coates immediately ran along the corridor and jumped on to the soldiers back as he was descending to the platform. The Constable seized the rifle and helped the inspector to arrest the man. Inspector Coates has 23 years service in the police force Source: The Evening News Date: Wednesday, July 22, 1942 |
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| Boldon Man Mentioned in Dispatches |
Driver Ernest Cave, of East Boldon, who is serving in North Africa with the Seaforth Highlanders, has been mentioned in despatches for gallant conduct while in battle. In a letter to Mr and Mrs J Mahaffey, of Front Street, East Boldon. Driver Cave says: "When the Germans made a counter-attack at Gabes we were in a defensive position with our guns, and in the early hours of the morning the enemy opened out with heavy shell fire and machine-guns. It became so bad that we were ordered by our officers to withdraw our guns. "with my lorry I made towards my gun, hooked it on and hastened towards the next line of defensive position. On the way over some of our gun crew were injured. I stopped and got them into my wagon, and afterwards. I had my front wheel blown off in a minefield. "I stopped under heavy shell fire to change my wheel. My company commander asked me to come away, but i remained there with my lorry and gun, when I was wounded in the arm by shrapnel. "I had to lift mines to get my lorry going again. "It was observed one lorry and gun had been left owingto the terrible fire from the Germans. I volunteered to go back during the hours of darkness with a patrol and my company officer and bring it out." Driver Cave, who was born in East Boldon is married and before joining the services was employed as a motor lorry driver by a Sunderland Firm. Source: The Evening News Date: Monday, April 12, 1943 |
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