HMS Birnbeck (1941-46): The Pier Master's Tale

When Edgar (Jack) James Wide applied for the job of Deputy Pier Master at Birnbeck in 1937, he could hardly have imagined that, just a few years later, he would play an important role in the defeat of Nazi Germany. What he did know, however, was that he was expected to assume the more senior role of Pier Master as soon as he was able to relieve the incumbent, Mr H.A.Cole - a transition which took place just a few months later.

Edgar (Jack) was a Bristol lad, born in 1903 and, during his formative years attended the Colston School. He was known mostly as 'Jack' and so that's the name I will use for the purposes of this account (confusingly he was sometimes known as 'John' also!). He left at the age of 16 having had his first taste of military-style discipline as a member of the Colstons School Cadets. The photograph below shows Jack with fellow cadets in 1917. These fifteen year olds would be spared the trenches of the First World War, although most, if not all, would belong to the generation that fought the war that followed. Jack was no exception. As we will see, his Second World War service was both unique and of considerable importance. 

Colstons School Cadets - Cathy Keep Collection

P.S. Glen Avon - Phil Curme Collection

Prior to receiving his appointment letter from the Weston-super-Mare Pier Company, Captain 'Jack' Wide had worked on the White Funnel Fleet, operated in the Bristol Channel by P & A Campbell Limited. After leaving school, he was employed by the Anglo-American Oil Company before joining P & A Campbell in May 1929. He worked his way up through the ranks, eventially becoming Captain of the paddle steamer Glen Avon. 

His association with the P&A Campbell steamers would resume after his time on Birnbeck Pier - but that's a different story! Much of what follows comes from the recollections of Jack's daughter Cathy. 

The Birnbeck Pier records show the late 1930s to have been a busy period. However upon the outbreak of war, steamer traffic ceased, apart from the Cardiff ferry - and even that stopped after a couple of weeks.

 Income continued to come in from the turnstiles, but on 18 October 1941 that too came to an end, when the Admiralty requisitioned the pier for use by the newly formed Department of Miscellaneous Weapons Development (the DMWD), better known as the Wheezers and Dodgers. 

Prior to the full requisitioning, Jack must have found it difficult juggling the needs of pier promenaders with those of the DMWD boffins who would arrive at short notice to take advantage of the Bristol Channel's tidal reach. The strong tides made Birnbeck an ideal location for testing experimental weapons, while allowing easy retrieval at low tide, of projectiles fired into the sea.

Admiral John Casement - Cathy Keep Collection

The chain of command at Birnbeck was initially somewhat unclear and Jack's daughter remembers her father saying that the early months were chaotic.

As a civilian - albeit an RNVR officer - Jack had responsibility for the pier, which had been designated as HMS Birnbeck). The DMWD was  commanded by London based 'Jock' Coulson (until 1943), but many of the trials carried out at Birnbeck were organised and overseen by Charles Goodeve's team of experts and scientists. Goodeve, of course, was the founder of the DMWD. 

Adding to the complexity, HMS Vernon were using the pier to trial weapons scheduled for operational deployment. Both the DMWD and HMS Vernon were heavily reliant on the local engineering contractor, Crowe and Green. 

It is little wonder then, that Jack appealed to Commander Coulson for help in bringing some order to the situation. The situation was eased somewhat when Jack was given the Royal Navy rank of Lieutenant - which enabled him to issue orders to more junior service personnel.

It was the arrival of Admiral John Casement, as Captain, HMS Birnbeck, that really made a difference however. The retired Admiral was the Resident Naval Office, Watchet, within the jurisdiction of the Naval Office-in-Charge, Appledore. Journalist Gerald Pawle described him as an 'Irishman of great charm, who took a great interest in the pier from the start'. Pawle also observed that Casement was 'a tall, wiry man, and a strong disciplinarian'. 

Jack's daughter recalls her father saying that the Admiral quickly brought order to what was a highly unorthodox organisation. Within a few months, Casement had established himself in Weston-super-Mare's Royal Pier Hotel and set up his office in what is now known as the Pier View building.

The Pier View building (2026) - Peter Lander Collection

Lieutenant Wide & daughter Cathy - Cathy Keep Collection

For the remaining years of the Admiralty's tenure on Birnbeck Pier, Jack played a leading role in ensuring that trials were conducted safely. He was not afraid to exercise his authority when necessary. On one occasion, for example, he insisting that the rocket-propelled 'Baseball' bouncing bomb should not be fired off the the pier as originally intended. The subsequent test at Brean Down proved the wisdom of this decision (details here). 

When Jack took on the Pier Master role in 1937, he and his wife, Kitty, moved into the Pier Master's house on the shore, adjacent to the pier entrance. it was here that two of their three children were born - Catherine on 20 May 1943, and younger brother Stephen a year or so later. Older brother Tony, was born in Bristol prior to Jack's appointment, though sadly his life was blighted by illness and he died at Birnbeck in 1947. The family occupied the property until the mid 1960s.

One of Cathy's most treasured possessions is a beautifully bound portfolio of photographs of her aged 10 months, taken by the official DMWD photographer, Louis Klemantaski.

Lieutenant Wide with German GC Mine (1944) - Cathy Keep Collection 

Some of Cathy's earliest childhood memories are of life on Birnbeck Pier. She remembers the naval officers who visited the Pier Master's house to see her father, and her mother frequently driving the family car up to the station to collect DMWD personnel travelling to Birnbeck for particular trials. Kitty had been given a special petrol allowance to enable her to make these journeys.

The Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS) played a vital role on Birnbeck Pier. Much of the administration was done by the WRENS whose centre of operations was on the ground floor of the building that Admiral Casement used has his office. Cathy remembers spending time with the WRENS and on one occasion in 1946, witnessing a visit to Birnbeck Pier by the Duchess of Kent, shortly before the pier was reopened to the public. Cathy was allowed to watch the proceeding from Admiral Casement's desk. The WRENS were not amused when she started scribbling on the Admiral's blotter! You can hear Cathy's recollection here.

Mrs Wide & the Duchess of Kent - Cathy Keep Collection

Jack was released from Naval service on 23 January 1946 and, as the reinstated civilian Pier Master, oversaw the work required to reopen the pier to the public. Although the pier returned to public use on 6 June 1946, the DMWD weapons testing facility at St St Thomas's Head continued to operate under the auspices of HMS Vernon for another three years. The fascinating story of that site can be accessed here. 

On the 31st of December 1946, Jack's wartime service was formally recognised by the Mayor, Alderman and Burgesses of Weston-super-Mare and in 1977 he was awarded an MBE for services to his country. 

On Friday, 12 October 1979, the Weston Mercury reported the end of an era at Birnbeck Pier. Indeed, Captain 'Jack' Wide's retirement at the age of 76 had made headline news. Just four days earlier, Jack had brought the SS Balmoral back to Birnbeck after a three day cruise to the Scilly Islands. 

The distinguished seafarer passed away on the 24th February 1986 - but one only has to speak to his daughter to discover what a remarkable man he was!

With thanks to Peter Lander of the Birnbeck Pier Regeneration Trust for his help in researching this topic, and for introducing me to others who were able to assist.

North Somerset Council's Birnbeck Pier Restoration Project has been made possible thanks to over £44m in external funding secured from the UK Government, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Heritage Memorial Fund and Historic England.

 

The research that I’m carrying out for the project, which is covering Birnbeck Pier's Second World War history, has been made possible thanks to funding from the council’s social value agreement with its contractor, Mackley.