Isle of Man at War, 1939–45 by Matthew Richardson

Author:Matthew Richardson [Richardson, Matthew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Nonfiction, History, British, Military, World War II
ISBN: 9781526720740
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books
Published: 2018-10-30T04:00:00+00:00

The year ended with news that blackout restrictions would be lifted slightly to allow the hunting of rabbits at night with lamps, provided this was done carefully and in some cases under military supervision. This was in the main because rabbits had become such a problem that they were destroying whole crops, particularly in the north of the island. Indeed so bad had the situation become that farmers were advised to approach known poachers to assist them with the work! The change in regulations also allowed those hunting rabbits to enter on to any private land, with or without the owner’s consent. The fur of the creatures was widely sought after for clothing purposes, and they also provided a valuable source of protein as ‘off the ration’ meat.

The festive season made separation from loved ones all the more poignant. Because they were confined to bed by illness, Mr and Mrs Lewis Killip of Laxey did not hear the radio message broadcast to them by their only son, Trooper Alan Killip of the Royal Armoured Corps, in the ‘Greetings from Cairo’ feature on Christmas Eve. The message was, however, heard by Mr Clayton, a friend and neighbour, who went at once to the Killips’ house, only to find that they had not known that a Laxey man had been announced as taking part in the programme and had not switched on their radio set. He nonetheless relayed Alan’s message, and assured them that his familiar voice sounded robust. Naturally they were deeply disappointed at having missed their son’s words. Moreover the messages on Christmas Eve were broadcast from the surgical ward in a military hospital, where wounded from the Western Desert campaign were being treated, and this was the first indication that he was injured. However, his message concluded reassuringly: ‘Hope you are well and happy. I am fine.’ Killip, who had joined the army as a regular before the war, had been recalled to the colours in 1939. He received his wound at Tobruk, where he also was awarded the Military Medal. His parents would not have long to wait until they saw him again, however, for the following year he was a patient at Nobles, undergoing further treatment for his arm injury before discharge.

Christmastime, particularly in this early part of the war, also presented an unprecedented challenge to the Castletown Brewery. Syd Cringle who worked there remembered:

Trooper Alan Killip MM of the Royal Armoured Corps, awarded the Military Medal in North Africa. (Courtesy of Barry Bridson)

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.