Tetney Tallboy?

I took these photos earlier this week.

Speaking to the owner of the yard, which originally used to be the goods yard for the Holton le Clay station, he told me that 25 plus years ago(*) his father used to receive scrap from a number of RAF stations, and that this bomb came from the scrap compound at RAF Waddington, having been placed there after being removed from display (at the main gate?).

They had attempted to cut it up, but failed and it had sat covered in undergrowth near the railway line. There were a couple of occasions back then when the authorities took an interest in it, the first when a passing Bomb Disposal man spotted it and nearly had kittens, evacuating the houses and throwing up a cordon before being persuaded it was inert. The second involved the arrival of a large truck and crane with the offer "to get rid of it for you". On both occasions there was a deal of resistance and the bomb is now regarded as a family heirloom.

Some time later they made the stand which now allows it to stand vertically in the front corner of the yard. To be clear this is not an unusual "garden ornament", apart from anything else it does not stand in a garden...

He told me that the plate holding the 3 fuse pockets had been removed (and used as the basis for some dismantiling jig) and was now been found again and placed at the bottom of the bomb stand. see this diagram Also that the fin cone had been extended/replaced by them at the widest end to provide additonal weather protection.

The black item to the right of the bomb is a hatch from a German U-boat which was scrapped at Grimsby

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Note that this bomb is private property and while visible from the road, stands on private land. The photos here were taken with permission.

Kevin

TA 29318 01519 53.494508,-0.05211

(*) Actually probaly pre 1970 when the railway line was lifted

John Ford, the owner of the Tallboy, died recently. A colourful character he had a scrapyard, ran a crane business, owned various military vehicles including Jeeps and DUKW and ran the Funderbirds attraction off Cleethorpes Bezch using Stalwarts

This from today's papers and a larger online version with more photos is also available
www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-...e-collection-4621379





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