Murder in Beccles Wartime

In 1944 a murder took place in Ellough, just outside of Beccles. Leading Aircraftman Arthur Heys of Colne, county Lancashire was executed for the murder of Winifred Mary Evans which took place at the Beccles R.A.F Base.

"Built for the USAAF and completed in 1943, Ellough airfield had three concrete runways and a perimeter track, typical of many bomber airfields in East Anglia. Until its closure in 1945, the airfield was used by various RAF and FAA squadrons. One of Ellough’s few claims to fame is that in 1944 it was used by Mosquitoes of 618 Squadron to practice dropping spinning bombs called 'Highball' which were prototypes of the bombs used by 617 ‘Dambuster’ Squadron to breach the dams of the Rheur." (My grandmother Freda often told me stories about the "terrible racket" caused whilst they practised).

R.A.F Control Tower at Ellough
now derelict

L.A.C Arthur Heys, aged 37, was charged with the murder at Ellough between 8 November and 9 November 1944, of Miss Winifred Mary Evans, aged 27. She was a London member of the W.A.A.F employed as a Radio Operator. Heys, who was married with three children, pleaded "not guilty" but the increasing amount of evidence, although circumstantial, was heavily stacked up against him and he was executed in March 1945 at Norwich Prison.

On the night of 8 November 1944 Winifred Evans had attended a dance given at an American aerodrome outside Norwich. She had returned by 11.30pm and changed into her work uniform to report for duty. She was last seen walking down the laneway unescorted to where her duty post was based nearly a mile away. Shortly afterwards a W.A.A.F corporal, who had said goodbye to Evans, saw Arthur Heys in a hut nearby, under the influence of drink, and saw him set out on the same road the girl [Evans] had taken.

On the morning of 9 November 1944 the body of Winifred Evans was found lying face down in a muddy ditch by local man, Wilfred Payne. Evans was found with a black tie (in a sailor's knot) around her neck and there was undenial evidence that she had been subjected to tremendous violence, including strangulation, suffocation and outrage (today, known as rape).

The Beccles police immediately called in Scotland Yard as there were too many groups of men, including Italian Prisoners of War, as well as Royal Air Force men from various countries (American, British and Australian) in the area. The list of suspects was however quickly narrowed down to one after somebody came forward with damning evidence against Arthur Heys (who was also stationed at Beccles R.A.F Base). The witness claimed he saw Heys brushing his clothing and shoes which were dirty. He also claimed Heys was attempting to light a fire against orders, as if he wanted to burn something. Heys and Evans's shoes were both covered in the exact same brick fragments and mud which corresponded to the ditch where the body was found. Also, Hey's clothing bore signs of having been recently sponged and there was a tear in his greatcoat.

At the three days hearing in March 1945 in Bury St. Edmonds, Arthur Heys was brought down further with reports of his "Jekyll and Hyde" behaviour, being a model husband and father when sober but becoming violent when under the influence of alcohol. Mounting evidence against him convinced the court to sentence Heys to execution. Nobody had been hanged at Norwich Prison since 1938. When Heys was asked why sentence of death should not be passed to him, Heys replied: "God knows I am innocent of this foul crime." As he turned to leave the courtroom he looked around the gallery at his wife, who sat in tears.

Winifred Mary Evans (known as Winnie to her friends) was born in 1917 in Willesden, county Middlesex. She was the first-born child of William Henry Evans and Eliza Winifred, nee Chilvers. William and Eliza were married at St Stephens Church in Battersea on 7 April 1912.

Marriage of William Evans & Eliza Chilvers
(click image to enlarge)

Arthur Heys was born on 1 November 1907 in Colne, county Lancashire. He was the son of Edward Heys and Mary, nee Laycock. Edward Heys was a Cotton Weaver by trade. Edward and Mary had four sons, Arthur being the youngest. Tragedy struck the Heys family for the first time in July 1913 when Edward Heys committed suicide after a twelve-month history of being "unwell" and under medical supervision for depression. Arthur would have been five years old at the time.

Arthur Heys was executed on 13 March 1945 and buried in the Norwich Prison Yard on 17 March 1945. A little over thirty years apart, father (Edward Heys) and son (Arthur Heys) both died as a result of hanging. Both were 38 years of age. It is believed that Arthur's surviving wife married twice more in her lifetime. She died in 1990, aged 79.

Further reading: RAF Beccles At War, 1943 - 1945 by Malcolm R. Holmes

Merry Christmas Becclesians

I have been very neglectful of this blog and for that I am truly sorry to all four of my avid followers! It has been a very busy yet fruitful past three or four months, which has drawn to a nice, neat and tidy close and now I can finally exhale and look forward to Christmas.

I have written a novella, which has been a total of five years in the making from start to finish. The seed planted itself firmly in my head back in 2008 when I had the visualisation of a young girl moving to a new town where she meets her new neighbours, including one who has a mysterious secret. Over the course of the following two years, she discovers that the link between her neighbour and the ghost that she encounters at her mother's work-place have more in common than anyone thought possible.

This initial idea was took root when I loosely based it upon my own childhood experiences, set it in my beloved Beccles, and researched in depth the history of the Kings Head Hotel in New Market, Beccles. From there a fictional story grew and took a journey of its own and, over the course of the following five years, became my biggest writing achievement to date. 

Symphony of War is about my love of Beccles history, as well as the history of World War Two and the child evacuees, and it is a story about family and the secrets they hold. It also has a light paranormal theme attached to it, which is one of my favourite genres in fiction.

E-book cover

I have had to overcome a lot of self-inflicted stress and anxiety, and almost insurmountable self-confidence issues to get my ebook novella "out there" but now that I have taken the plunge I am immensely proud to share it with those who love Beccles as much as I do.

The year 2014 will hopefully have be back to regular blogs on this site and a new novel which is currently in its infancy but is also set in Beccles, and is centred around one of the female character's who features in Symphony of War. 

If you are interested, you can find it here: 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphony-War-Debra-Watkins-ebook/dp/B00H9E8PAC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1387523369&sr=8-1&keywords=debra+watkins

A very Merry Christmas to one and all, and see you in 2014 with more stories and histories of Beccles.

http://www.beccleschristmaslights.co.uk/

Evacuation to Beccles : 1939

I have often wondered about Beccles and its role during World War Two. My grandmother used to tell me stories about hearing the sounds of heavy bombing carried on the winds, across from the North Sea to the East Anglian coastline, but I don't actually recall her talking about some of the vital war work which civilian Beccles took part in.  My personal interest lies in the Evacuation Schemes from London and all of those children who came to Beccles during the Phoney War period and beyond.

David Lindley, a Beccles historian, has extensively researched and transcribed the local newspapers for Beccles and they paint an intriguing picture of the role that people of Beccles played during those early pre-war years of 1939. In particular, the evacuation of children.

Evacuees from London
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/castlekay

In January 1939, plans were already underway for the EVACUATION of CHILDREN in the event of war: "In connection with the Government’s scheme for the evacuation of children from the big cities in the event of national emergency, local authorities in reception areas up and down the country have been asked to find out what housing accommodation will be available. Between now and 28 February these surveys have to be completed and the details analysed.  The Borough Accountant has been given general direction of this in Beccles. So far between 40 and 50 public-spirited citizens have offered their services as visitors, and during the next few days they will be making their calls from house to house. The borough has been divided into 16 districts of about 100 houses each."

Six weeks later the newspaper reports: "EVACUATION RETURNS: From the survey carried out in Beccles no fewer than 3,708 people from crowded cities and towns can be accommodated in Beccles in the event of war."

In April 1939, the local council sat to discuss EVACUATION & BILLETING. "The Chair was taken by the Deputy Mayor, Dr Wood-Hill (as the Mayor, Mr Allden Owles, was on holiday abroad at the time). The Accountant, Mr WS Clark, reported on a recent conference at Ipswich. Beccles was one of the nine detraining stations in the county, and would receive 2,000 persons on the fourth day of the evacuation. The number of billets available in the district served from the Beccles rail-head was 7,300. The approximate proportion of the 2,000 who would remain in Beccles would be 800. The remaining 1,200 would be distributed to Lothingland rural district and Bungay urban district by means of buses. Offers of accommodation in Beccles itself totalled 3,000. “In the event of an emergency, I think the matter will be dealt with ably,” he added."

April 1939. WOMEN’S VOLUNTARY SERVICE: "Public Meeting for women to advise them about civil defence work. The services with which it deals particularly are air-raid precautions, nursing and first-aid, and evacuation. The organisation is likely to play an important part with the evacuation scheme by assisting with billeting, communal feeding and the care of children, as well as catering for their reception, transport, etc. Mrs ME St J Barne, of Sotterley Hall is to be district organiser."

Evacuees from London leave for the countryside
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle

2 September 1939. EVACUEES: "Since last Thursday, the Town Council offices in Blyburgate have been a centre of intense activity, final arrangements being made for the reception of evacuees. Between 200 and 300 reception officers, billeting officers, billeting assistants, guides, canteen workers and welfare workers have since been enrolled and allotted their particular jobs at the distribution centres in the event of war.

Allowances to be made to householders in respect of evacuees are: 10s 6d per week for one child, or 8s 6d for each child where more than one is taken. These payments will be payable each week at the Post Office on production of a certificate issued by the chief billeting officer.

It should be clearly understood that the billeting of evacuees is no longer optional on the part of householders, but has been made compulsory by the Emergency Powers Regulations."

By the end of September the Beccles & Bungay newspaper made this report. DIFFICULTIES OF EVACUATION in north-east Suffolk: "Plans were carefully laid, but at the last moment considerable numbers arrived by boat at Lowestoft and Felixstowe. There was no transport available to move them into the country and no free space to accommodate them. At Lowestoft evacuees had to be accommodated under all sorts of conditions - in schools, cinemas, hotels and public rooms for from two to four nights. As regards trains, for the first day & a half, they contained school parties only, but then to the dismay of the receiving officers, a train of women and children arrived instead of school children, with the result that billets were occupied by the mothers instead of school children. A large number of expectant mothers also arrived by train, not only alone, but in many cases with three, four or even five children under five years of age. However all these difficulties were eventually overcome thanks to the hard work of the officials."

The following week, the newspaper of 7 October 1939 ran this piece: 
EVACUEES’ LETTERS: “I appreciate the people of Beccles for the way they welcomed us into their homes, and the way they are kindly treating us while we are away from home.” These young evacuees are fortunate in being able to attend such a fine up-to-date school as that at Castle Hill.

On 2 December 1939 the Beccles & Bungay newspaper reported: "80 EVACUATED CHILDREN at St Benet’s School given canteen meal at lunchtime every week day. The Mayor & Mr Loftus, MP visited them, & Mr Loftus, who was very glad to see the children so happy and cheerful, told them:
“You have come to Suffolk and Suffolk is quite the nicest county in all England, so you are very lucky. You have come to the ancient town of Beccles and Beccles is one of the nicest towns in the nicest County in all England."

Evacuation Poster