Grimsby and Cleethorpes suffered from large numbers of
air raids between 1940 and 1943. This was part of what
was known as ‘The Blitz’, and happened nationwide.
Grimsby was a target for the Germans because of its
fishing industry.

295 people were killed in 30 separate air raids on the
area. However, it was not just civilians that were killed in
these devastating raids. Members of the emergency
services were also killed in their efforts to save lives. These
included firemen, police officers, and air raid wardens.

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On June 14, 1943, the Germans used a terrifying new weapon
for the first time on Grimsby and Cleethorpes. These weapons
were called butterfly bombs, due to their winged appearance.
These bombs were the first anti-personnel weapon to be used
on the civilian population of Britain. They were designed to
latch onto telephone lines and burst into homes, with the sole
purpose of killing people when triggered. Some would explode
on impact, but others had timed fuses, so could be set off
when people had gathered around the damage to assist.
After a bombing raid which involved the use of a 1000kg bomb,
huge destruction had already occurred. However, the next day,
2000 butterfly bombs were found littered across the area. 30
people died within an hour of the raid, unsuspectingly triggering
these bombs with just a single touch. The final death toll was
around 114 people, a number that the government censored
for good morale.

Most of these bombs were cleared, but their presence remained
for many years. For example, tragically, a 9-year-old boy was
killed in 1944 attempting to retrieve a bomb from a tree.
Unexploded butterfly bombs are still being found, decades
after the war ended.

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Bull and Haile Sand Forts

Both of these forts can be seen from the seafront, and were
constructed during the First World War to defend the Humber
Estuary from the German Navy, particularly U-boats. They were
both heavily armoured and weaponised to deal with this threat. A
large, submarine net was set up between the forts to prevent
attacks. The forts saw most of their action during the Second
World War.

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Bull and Haile Sand Forts
Both of these forts can be seen from the seafront, and were
constructed during the First World War to defend the Humber
Estuary from the German Navy, particularly U-boats. They were
both heavily armoured and weaponised to deal with this threat. A
large, submarine net was set up between the forts to prevent
attacks. The forts saw most of their action during the Second
World War.Haile Sand Fort

Cleethorpes Pier

The pier used to be much longer than it is today,
measuring 1,200 feet.
This is because a section of the pier was
dismantled during the Second World War. This
happened to a large number of piers on the East
Coast, as the authorities believed the Germans
may try to use them as a runway to land planes
on! No German plane ever attempted this during
the war.

The pier was demolished and rebuilt in 1949. The
timber from this was used to help repair Leicester
City’s football stadium, which had been damaged
by bombing.

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R.A.F. North Coates Strike Wing Memorial

This memorial can be found close to Cleethorpes seafront. It
commemorates the airmen, navigators and ground crew of the
North Coates Strike Wing during the Second World War.

The Strike Wing flew planes called Beaufighters, and targeted
German shipping. They inflicted heavy losses and damage,
attacking by both day and night. These bombers flew at low
altitudes, often under heavy anti-aircraft fire.

They destroyed over 150,000 tons of enemy shipping. This
memorial commemorates all those that served.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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