Fairy Tales, Royalty & Bouncing Bombs (1943)

Having taken a family road trip down Germany's 'Romantic Road' to the Austrian border a few years back, my wife and I decided to strike north this year and cover the so-called 'Fairy Tale' route which runs from Hanau (near Frankfurt am Main) to Buxtehude, a short distance from Hamburg. The route covers locations associated with the Brothers Grimm - Hansel & Gretel, Snow White, the Pied Piper of Hameln and lots of other well-known stories. On the Romantic Road, I'd managed to squeeze in a couple of military history orientated side trips to Nuremberg and Berchtesgaten. The Fairy Tale route seemed to offer similar opportunities. One such diversion was to the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park, home to one of the dams breeched by the RAF's 617 Squadron on the night of the 16th / 17th May 1943.

The Eder Dam

No self-respecting history buff should visit the Eder Dam without first calling on Oliver Koehler who owns and runs the Dambusters Museum in Edersee. The museum is easy to spot as right outside there is a full size replica of an 'Upkeep' device - a huge cylinder known in popular culture as a 'bouncing bomb'. One can't fault Oliver's enthusiasm for the Dambusters story and his passion for all things British. The reception area is festooned with pictures of the late Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III and other members of the Royal Family. Before a guided tour of his extensive Dambusters collection, my wife and I were obliged to watch a tribute film to the late Queen Elizabeth - no problem, it was very good. Apparently Oliver had attended a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace a few years back and in the line up the Queen had remarked "so you are the Dambusters man". In that one brief introduction she had secured the lifelong loyalty and devotion of this eccentric German. 

My Wife and Oliver + a Bouncing Bomb

The Eder Dam is a five minute drive from the museum, and it is a lovely spot. The main approach has been pedestrianised and there are a number of cafes, an information centre (unsurprisingly not covering Chastise) and a big wheel where paying customers can get a spectacular view of the lake. History records how difficult it was for the Lancasters of 617 Squadron to breech the Eder Dam, and visiting the site it is clear why this was so. The reservoir is surrounded by steep sided escarpments and the run in to the dam for an aircraft flying at less than 100 feet would clearly have been perilous. Indeed, in his book 'Chastise' the author Max Hastings makes the point that the crew of an attacking aircraft would have less than a minute to aim and release their payload. Coming over the hill topped by the Schloss Waldeck the pilot would need to skip over the Hammerberg Bluff, switch direction, drop to the required height, release Upkeep at exactly the right moment before executing a tight upward turn to avoid crashing into a sheer wall of wooded mountain known as the Michelkopf.

On the Dam towards the Michelkopf

On the night the dam was not defended, no doubt it was felt that the natural defences would be enough - though it is surprising that Luftwaffe night fighters were not mobilised given that four Lancasters were over the dam for over 45 minutes (three attacking plus Gibson's aircraft). the first Lancaster made four approaches but didn't release knowing that the bomb had to hit the dam in exactly the right place having bounced twice. The second Lancaster missed the timing, and was damaged when its' Upkeep exploded harmlessly on the lip of the dam. The third Lancaster, N-for Nuts piloted by an Aussie, Les Knight a former accountant from Melbourne, hit the bulls eye -knocking a hole in the dam which quickly developed into a major breech. The consequences were severe (for those persons who were caught below - of course - and for the local war economy) as several million gallons of water poured into the valley below.

Models in the Dambusters Museum, Edersee

The dam was repaired surprisingly quickly, under the direction of good Nazi (sic) Albert Speer. Nowadays one can stroll across to the northern side where there are a handful of lakeside restaurants and a couple of jetties where one can hire a boat or take a trip on the lake. The two towers which were used to orientate the bomb aiming point are still there, indeed the only indication of the breech is the discolouration on the wall of the dam where the repair was completed (see first image above). Aside from Oliver's wonderful establishment in nearby Edersee there is nothing to indicate what happened on the night of the 16th / 17th May 1943, and that is, perhaps, as it should be. 

My Eder Dam photographs on Flickr - click here.

Hearts and Minds: Votes for Women and the Great Suffragette March of 1913

 During the last long summer of 1913, prior to the outbreak of the First World War, the country was gripped by suffragette fever. Over a period of six weeks, tens of thousands of non-militant campaigners marched from all over the country to London, in a protest known as the Great Pilgrimage. The Portsmouth contingent was met by a particularly hostile crowd on the third day of their march, when they reached Petersfield. My Great Grandmother, Mary Curme, and my Great Aunt, Nellie Curme, were amongst the protestors who were obliged to face a hostile crowd as they marched through the town carrying a banner that they had made. In an oral history recording made in the 1960s, my Grandfather talks of his mother and sister 'going through all these angry people, and having things thrown at them'.

Mary and Nell Curme with the second banner in Petersfield

Mary, the wife of Henry Curme - a coach painter, operated a dress making business from a room in the family home at 6 Charles Street in the town. Employing a couple of 'girls' she carried out work for well-off local women, including teachers from the nearby Bedales School. In 1907. Mary wrote to the local paper praising Dora Hooper, the wife of the Art Master at Bedales, to whom the local suffragette movement 'owed everything'. The banner in the photograph above was made by Mary, almost certainly with the help of her coach painter husband, (Henry my Great Grandfather). She is in the picture directly under the second banner wearing a white blouse and her daughter Nell is holding the banner (nearest to the camera). Mary had been a long term supporter of the cause and her activism persisted for years afterwards. Indeed, a few years later, within the pages of the Hants and Sussex News (10 March, 1915) Mary is recorded as having 'housed and managed ... a small library of books dealing with women's work for circulation among the members of the Petersfield Women's Suffrage Society' (PWSS). The same article refers to the PWSS having its' own badge, 'on sale for 6d'. 

Mary Curme's women's suffrage badge - Petersfield

One of Mary Curme's letters survives in the Women's Library. In 1907 she wrote to Mrs Bradley expressing satisfaction that the Petersfield branch of the National Union of Women's Societies (NUWSS) had strong local leadership, keen to advocate for votes for women. In later life Henry would sport his wife's badge (see reference above) on a skull cap that he often wore, a rather eccentric garment but one that demonstrates his pride in what his wife and daughter had helped to achieve. A newspaper report in the Hampshire and Portsmouth Standard points to another one of Mary's roles on the march.

The pilgrimage may be made on foot, on bicycle or in any kind of vehicle. A brake will be provided: applications for seats (1s each) to be made to mrs Curme of Charles Street.

The brake referred to is a horse drawn carriage with two pairs of seats facing each other. It is perhaps tempting to think that the brake was sourced by Henry, from his employer, H.Cox & Sons, Carriage Builders. 

Petersfield Coach Builders - Henry Curme, fourth from left

Mary and Henry had four children - my paternal grandfather Charles who went on to marry Edna Price - the daughter of the headmaster at Eggar's Grammar School in nearby Alton, Rita, Alfred and Nell. Nell who, as mentioned above, held one of the banners during the Petersfield leg of the Great Pilgrimage. She later served as a military Staff Nurse from 28 August 1917 to 9 March 1918 (WO 399-10710), leaving to marry Tom Neal. The couple had two sons, Tom and Jimmy. Tom Neal (Junior) was killed in action during a bombing mission over Berlin in 1940 whilst serving with the Fleet Air Arm and his younger brother had a successful career in journalism having served in the Army during the 1943-44 Italian Campaign. He retired as editor of the Yorkshire Post and had married four times - a colourful character whose unpublished autobiography is a roller-coaster of a story.

Nell, Tom and Jimmy - Mary Curme

It transpires that Mary and Nellie weren't alone in their activism. Mary's husband Henry Curme (my Great Grandfather) was heavily involved in a local campaign to end the trafficking of working class women for sexual purposes. A local newspaper dated 5 July 1912 announced a meeting for men at St Peter's Hall, Petersfield on Sunday 7th July, to 'pass a resolution protesting against the The White Slave Traffic', citing Henry as one of the organisers. The Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1912 provided for the arrest without warrant of suspected procurers, harsher penalties for brothel keepers and souteneurs (pimps), action against landlords whose premises were used for prostitution, and the clarification of 'solicitation by men' to encompass the solicitation of either sex.

Henry and Mary Curme

I write this after spending a fascinating couple of hours with PhD researcher Sarah Houghton who is studying the Portsmouth Suffragists' campaign for equal rights - in particular the Portsmouth leg of the Great Pilgrimage. Sarah will be preparing an exhibition showcasing her work next year. Venues include Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery and the Museum in Petersfield. My thanks to Sarah for sharing some of her insights with me, and for recommending the definitive book on the subject: 'Hearts and Minds: The Untold Story of the Great Pilgrimage and How Women Won the Vote'.