Memories of look-out duty during WWII

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When researchers working on the Lincoln Castle Revealed project recently asked for memories of Lincoln Castle during World War II, they were delighted when Colin Atkinson contacted them.

And it seems quite fitting to kick-off  ‘Views from Castle Hill’, our new series of occasional stories from different people connected to Historic Lincoln in some way, with Colin’s memories as a boy during WWII.

Colin volunteered as a Messenger for the Civil Defence Service when he was only 14 years old. While still attending school during the day, his night time duties included being a look-out from the Castle Observatory Tower. The top of the tower was glazed all round, and in the centre of the room was a map of the surrounding area with a range finder above it. Colin, along with other Messengers of a similar age, watched through binoculars, and if they saw an incident they would focus the range finder, locate the position on the map and report to the Nottingham Observer Corps.

Colin remembers that the boys took their duties very seriously, but there was some time for fun too. He recalls there was an escape rope that hung from the top of the Observatory Tower through a window, and the boys used this as a quick way down even when there wasn’t an incident to report!

 

Do you have memories of Lincoln Castle during WWII? Or perhaps an older relative has told you their reminiscences? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Researchers on the Lincoln Castle Revealed project are doing a brilliant job piecing together the site’s history up until the end of the 19th century.

Now we want to discover more about what happened here when the city came under attack from enemy airships and aircraft in more recent times. We know the site became a military barracks during the Great War, and during WWII the castle walls and Observatory Tower were patrolled by wardens on fire watch duty over the city. If you can add more, or have your own story to tell, please get in touch with us via enquiries@historiclincolntrust.org.uk

 

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