219 MU Settle

After disembarkation leave to Hornsea, Geoff was posted to as corporal to 219 Maintenance Unit (MU)based at The Falcon Hotel, Settle. 219MU were responsible for Halton West and Long Preston hedgerow bomb dumps. He arrived late September 1945 though the official posting was 8 August 1945. At that time 219MU was commanded by Wing Commander Turner billeted at the Plough, Wigglesworth. Right: Corporal Crompton taken at Carnaby 1946 though the inclusion of the medal ribbons could make this a later date Source: Family photograph intended for his parents

With the end of the European war, 219MU's task was the responsibility for the maintenance and disposal of the RAF's bomb dump scattered in the hedgerows of the River Ribble's flood plain in the area of Rathmell Bottom. However, the Operations Record Book suggests that the bomb storage extended as far south as Halton West and Gisburn. In June 1944 the Units headquarters moved from Halton Place ¹ to the Falcon Hotel in Settle. The author is of the opinion that the move was to a larger building closer to the rail network used for bomb distribution.

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Above: Map locating 219MU's location, bomb dumps and communications network

The table below from the Operations Record Book (ORB - TNA AIR29/1063) shows that the vast majority of movements were made through the Settle rail hub, rather than by road. From September, the month after VJ Day, the movement of bombs in dropped to zero with the 55 tons being, perhaps consolidation from other dumps. From September the number of bombs taken from the Rathmell Bottom hedgerows increased significantly, suggesting that this was the main occupation and responsibility of 219MU. The ORB gives no indication as to their destination.

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The personnel, from Geoff's time remained around 200. The Italian Co-operators were Prisoners of War (POW). Until July 1944 219MU had communications problems with their labour force. This was solved with the arrival of Lt Campogrande, who spoke fluent French. All instructions are issued to him in French with the Unit Schoolmaster acting as interpreter. He was responsible for the administration of the two camps and visited Settle daily on routine matters. Locally, the phonetic pronunciation of his name was Capo Grandee, which can loosely be translated as Big Head or Big Boss and is appropriate for his rank and responsibilities.

The Italian Co-operators worked well and caused little trouble until 16 June 1944 when their status was causing problems. This was solved by the visit of the Adjutant POW Camp at Overdale, Skipton. The camps at Gisburn and Tosside were unsatisfactory, but the buildings were clean. Tosside was most unsatisfactory as it was built on marshy land once designated for searchlight crew. In August 1945 Gisburn and Tosside were closed down with new accommodation built at Whitefriars, Settle, on the area of the present car park. Co-operators began the construction of a dining hall and cookhouse in the grounds of the Ashfield Hotel. The table below shows the gradual repatriation of the Co-operators.

The table below shows the personnel of 219MU. There seems to be a high proportion of corporals, Geoff's rank. It is assumed this was a trade rank relative to the storage of bombs and the associated explosives.

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The Officer Commanding change regularly as demobilisation progressed. In the early days before Geoff's arrival, his future wife remembers Wing Commander Turner, who was billeted at The Plough, Wigglesworth. On 22 September 1945, Squadron Leader (S/Ldr) HE Lewis took over when S/L Piggott was demobbed. In February 1946, S/Ldr HE Lewis went to hospital and Flight Lieutenant (F/Lt) PVR Fantiai assumed command until S/Ldr Lewis returned on 27 February 1946. When the Unit was disbanded, on 20 May 1947, a Flight Lieutenant was commanding.

Above: 219MU Settle in 1943 with a Wing Commander as CO, a possible civilian Education Officer and two Chaplin mention in the Thanksgiving service Click on the map to open a large 3mB image in a new window Source: Family photograph

Between 15 and 16 August 1945 with The termination of hostilities in the Far East by the unconditional surrender of Japan was observed by two days holiday on the Unit, enabling the personnel of the Unit to take part in the Victory Celebrations locally or at their homes. All personnel attended an Undenominational Service of Thanksgiving for Victory in the Far East on 19 August 1945 at the Falcon, lead by officiating Church of England and Other Denomination Chaplains. Several Peace celebrations were marked by a Unit march past, mentioned as one officer and 30 airmen. For the National Thanksgiving Week, a detachment of the Unit marched through Settle on 06 October 1945, Accrington on 13 October 1945 and Barnoldswick on 20 October 1945. During a second Thanksgiving Week the Unit raised £339/6/6 (£339 6 shillings and 6 pence) in National Savings. Parades were again made through Silden on 10 November 1945 and Clitheroe on 17 November 1945.

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Courting

Geoff's future wife and my mother lived across the road from the Falcon at 2 Ingfield Estate. She was a twenty year old employee of Martins Bank, Settle. Being of that age and with up to 280 available men, the RAF entertainment figured largely in her wartime life. Right: 2 Ingfield Estate, Settle 2004. In Joan's day there was no back door porch and hedge was chain linked. Source: Author

Pilot Officer Moss wanted to walk sister Beryl and Mum home without realising they lived across the road, so they went round the fields in blue died wooden soled shoes, which deposited the dye on the respective feet. Shoes were taken to work to dry out before their mother 2 found out. Many of the Joan's 'gang' married RAF personnel because there were no other men around and did not want to remain spinsters. Most girls stayed in Settle so, on demob, the RAF men came back. Chrissie Lord married Leslie Lyndon in the fourth quarter of 1943, the pianist from the band. Three RAF men were billeted on Ingfield Estate: the parents of Lyndon Riley, at number 10, had Donkey Bill, because he had donkeys on Blackpool beach. Right: Joan and Beryl Pitts standing at the front door of wartime 2 Infield Estate Source: Family photograph

The RAF constructed a building as a recreation hall at rear of Falcon. 219MU's dance band performed on Saturday and Tuesday night for dances to which the local girls were invited as a necessity: the first dance likely to have been Saturday 2 October 1943.

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The plans record:

BUILT IN 1943 BY THE LADS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE STATIONED AT THE ' FALCON' [...] WITH AIRMEN D.J.H. [DOUGLAS J HOLLOWAY]

15 LADS OF THE R.A.F. CREATED THIS HALL FROM SECOND HAND MATERIALS: AIRCRAFT PACKING CASES, TELEGRAPH POLES AND OLD DEMOLITION BRICKS. - IT TOOK 16 WEEKS AND AS A REWARD WE HAD EXTRA LEAVE - AWARDED BY THE COMMANDING OFFICER. SQUADRON LEADERS 'BILL' TURNER WHO, INCIDENTALLY WAS THE OLDEST SERVING OFFICER IN THE ROYAL AIR FORCE AT THAT TIME. DJH

THE ORIGINAL 'ONE-OFF' PLAN WAS DRAWN IN THE SETTLE RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL OFFICE ON 1-5-43. THE PRESENT OWNER OF THE 'FALCON' PHOTO-COPIED THIS DOCUMENT FOR DOUGLAS J HOLLOWAY ON THE 19-9-85

Unfortunately, the photograph copy is not clear enough to see the scale of the drawing or the detailed lettering. The band played on a platform at one end of the building adjacent to the two entrances. The drawing does show a ventilated, but not heated building, levelled with telegraph poles and then constructed in brick and weather boarding. The site plan suggests the recreation hall was built on the present location of the modern house at the end of Falcon Gardens.

Joan's brother Cedric, then aged eight or nine recalls playing in the grounds of the Falcon well within sight of the RAF police. They ventured into the Scammell trucks, let off the fire extinguishers before returning them to their rest. They had a den under the recreational hall. He remembers the RAF holding Christmas parties for the local children.

Above: 219MU's recreation hall plans Click on the plan to open a scalable pdf image in a new window Source: TNA AIR 29/1063/1

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On Tuesday 2 October 1945, the second anniversary of the Recreation Hall, Joan went to the dance with her crowd of girls. Geoff went to 'case the joint', but asked Joan to dance a waltz to the tune of 'Ramona'. At the end of the evening Geoff asked if he could take her home. When she said she only lived across the road Geoff already knew because he had asked someone where Joan lived as 'he wasn’t going hiking over the hills to some remote farm behind Settle': something that shows the popularity of the RAF dances. After the dance she knew she would marry Geoff. There were difficulties. Her mother asked Geoff's age which was '32 next month' against her being 21. There was a height difference: Geoff was not the 5' 7" [5 foot 7 inches] allegedly declared in his pay book, or his Service and Release book which records his height as 5' 6", when his height on joining was 5' 5" with a 33½" chest. Worried about this difference in heights Joan cut down her heel height. There were difficulty dancing with RAF men because Brassoed button stained front of dress and it was difficult to get off. Right: A studio photograph of Joan Pitts in 1943 aged 20. Her vanity prevented the wearing of her glasses.

Apart from the dancing, courting took place on the green metal bench seats by the Ingfield railway bridge on the outskirts of Settle or on the wall at the front of 2 Ingfield Estate. There was much cigarette smoking. When asked if her mother waited for her to come in she answered ' No, ut she often looked from the front bedroom window. On one occasion she didn’t know whether I was in, so at 3am she checked the bedroom to find us both asleep.' She was however 'fully clothed'. It is assumed that the other person was Beryl who shared the bed.

After about three months at Settle, Geoff applied for a compassionate posting RAF Carnaby to be nearer his mother, Jane, because of her mastectomy, and Settle was a 'dump' - whether this referred to bombs being dumped or a heap of rubbish is unclear. Having proposed to Joan on her Boxing Day birthday of 1945, Geoff was posted the following day.

RAF Carnaby ¹

Once Geoff had arrived at Carnaby, thirteen miles from his home in Hornsea, he tried hard to get posted back to Settle: Jane, just out of hospital, had got 'better' all of a sudden. Although many letters were exchanged, the separation proved too much and Joan moved, with her ration book and a quantity of butter and sugar to 2 Clifton Street, Hornsea, where she met Geoff's family. Joan's mother had given her £1/10/0 toward a return train fare that cost £1/19/11 with Geoff meeting her at Hull Paragon Station. Joan described Jane and Arthur as making her ' very welcome' and Jane's home as a 'beautiful home, polished silver, napkins, a fire in sitting room and an extra bed in front bedroom'. Geoff's brother Ted, perhaps demobbed from the RAF, and his Canadian wife Bessie ³ were also at Hornsea, making a full house.

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Their wedding

The wedding took place at Settle Church on 19 January 1946 at 10am in the snow. Joan wore an 'old rose pink crêpe two piece costume with leather soled Dolisis shoes costing 12/6, whilst her bridesmaid, sister Beryl's shoes cost 6/0 with cardboard soles.

Above: Geoff Crompton and Joan Pitt's wedding photo 19 January 1946. Left to right: Don Crompton, Jane Crompton, Geoff Crompton, Joan Pitts, George Allen Pitts, Beryl Pitts, Ted Crompton. It should be noted that Geoff was wearing a wedding ring, something the author and his sister have never seen.

Geoff was demobbed from RAF Uxbridge, though his Royal Air Force Service and Release Book was processed at Cardington, on 12 February 1946 but officially not until 28 May 1946 on the completion of his demob leave. Geoff had a pale grey pin-stripped demob suite but got a second suite because he swapped his golf clubs with Steve Edmonson of Settle. They both went for holiday to sister Bessie at 23 Egerton Road, Wembley. He received his gratuity of £80/8/6 for 67 months in the Force plus a £30 marriage allowance on 25 March 1946. It was all banked together with £6 from Geoff's wallet.

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His RAF Release Book contains his Certificate of Service as a Corporal Equipment Assistant with four years overseas service. This entitled him to be awarded the 1939-45 Star, the Pacific Star, the Defence Medal and the War Medal 1939-45. He was assessed as having a very good RAF character with a superior skill in his trade and as a supervising non-commissioned officer. On 12 February 1946, Wing Commander JB Stewart signed Geoff's reference writing This airman is a very sound working Equipment Assistant by trade in the RAF. Good at clerical work. Has a wide experience in Grocery Trade.

Above: Geoff RAF discharge centre page

Right: Geoff medals and ribbons Left to right: the 1939-45 Star, the Pacific Star, the Defence Medal and the War Medal 1939-45

Right: The official Campaign Stars, Clasps and Medals list that came with Geoff's medals marked with a cross

After their marriage Geoff and Joan lived in Hornsea as Geoff was entitle to return to his pre-war place of work that being WM Jackson Grocers 4 at £4/5/0 a week. Jackson's was located at Newbegin, opposite Hornsea Parish Church and was more recently an Aunt Bessie's restaurant. Right: Newbegin Hornsea pre 1939 with the possible site of Jackson on the left

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Right: A 1948 advertisement for Jackson in the Hornsea tourist brochure. The Ancestry York area phone book gives the address as 14 Newbigin with the number Hornsea 2089.

End notes

1. A 1770 building with late 19th century and early 20th century alterations.
2. Florence Pitts (Flo) née Harris.
3. They married on 13 December 1945.
4. It is believed that Jackson ran a chain of grocery stores established in Hull in 1851. Their bread is part of the William Jackson Food Group still based in Hull.

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RAF Carnaby RAF Carnaby was an emergency landing strip that enabled crippled bombers a safe place to land near the English coast during World War II. It was situated two miles southwest of Bridlington. RAF Carnaby opened in March 1944. Unlike most RAF airfields there was a single runway, five times the width of a standard runway and 9,000 ft (2,700 m) long, lying approximately east-west to enable bombers crossing the coast an easier landing. Two other similar functioning airfields were either constructed or further developed along the east coast of England, at Manston and Woodbridge, all three providing an emergency option for wartime bomber crews. These airfields were intended for use as an east coast emergency landing by returning bombers suffering from low-fuel and/or suspected damage to their pneumatic wheel brakes and/or hydraulic control surface systems. All three airfields were equipped with a single runway, 9,000 ft (2,700 m) long and 750 ft (230 m) wide. There was a further clear area of 1,500 ft (460 m) at each end of the runway. At each of the three airfields, the runway was divided into three 250 ft (76 m) lanes. The northern and central lanes were allocated by flying control, while the southern lane was the emergency lane on which any aircraft could land without first making contact with the airfield]. Over 1,400 bombers made an emergency landing at Carnaby up until the end of the war. Carnaby was only one of fifteen airfields operating the fog dispersal system known as Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation (FIDO). The system consisted of two rows of burning petrol one on each side of the runway, the heat from this fire raised the air temperature above the runways, cutting a hole in the fog and provided crews with a brightly lit strip indicating the position of the runway. Source: RAF Carnaby (Accessed: 06 October 2021)

This page was created by Richard Crompton and maintained by Chris Glass		Version A3 Updated 04 June 2023