Posted To Butlin’s

I was interested to read the article ‘Wish you were here’ (Summer) about holiday camps, because my father was initially stationed

at Butlin’s in Skegness during the latter part of the war and sent a postcard to my mum (above).

My dad, James Trice, was a retail pharmacist when war broke out in 1939 and as a result was in a reserved occupation. However, in April 1942 he was called up and joined the Fleet Air Arm. His records show he was posted to HMS Royal Arthur (York House), which was Butlin’s, as an ordinary telegrapher.

Later he moved to HMS Gosling (Ariel) at Risley (Culcheth) in Lancashire and stayed there until the end of the war. By then he was a petty officer radio mechanic.

My mother lived in Culcheth and I have a memory of sitting in a highchair being fed by her as a tractor goes past the open window. The smell of an old tractor brings back that memory!

My dad said he was sent to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) to remove the radios from the aircraft before the Japanese invaded. On his way to Ceylon the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

Anthony Trice, by email

Editor Replies: HMS Royal Arthur certainly has a different ring to it than Butlin’s! include 2,424,047 transcriptions of baptisms, marriages and burials from Northumberland and Durham Family History Society. These records are also available online to members of NDFHS. Douglas Burdon, by email

EDITOR REPLIES: Thanks for letting our readers know Douglas!