American tanks, fire watchers and 50 tons of tomatoes – Wimborne’s wartime years shaped the town’s landscape and community
During the Second World War, East Dorset found itself quietly on the front lines. From the Fire Watchers to the Women’s Land Army, local people played their part in the war effort, while unfamiliar faces — Allied troops and prisoners of war — became a common sight in the fields and lanes around Wimborne.
The town itself escaped the worst of the Blitz, suffering only minor damage during an air raid on the night of 9th September 1940, when a flurry of incendiary bombs set fire to a cottage roof on Leigh Road. The wider Wimborne and Cranborne district was not so fortunate, with very few villages escaping damage. Only two fatal casualties occurred – one at Corfe Mullen, where a woman lost her life when her bungalow was destroyed by a high explosive bomb, and similarly at Verwood, where a young boy was killed.
Fourteen explosives were dropped at Corfe Mullen on May 24th 1942 – three houses were very seriously damaged and 70 slightly damaged. Colehill was subject to two attacks, the worst of which was on January 9th, 1941 when, at Leigh Common on the outskirts of Wimborne, many incendiaries fell and a thatched cottage was burnt out – and that adjoining practically gutted. Eight days later, high explosive bombs damaged three houses and killed a pony near Greenhill, making a huge crater in the middle of the road. Over the course of the war, approximately 240 high explosive bombs and 8,500 incendiaries were dropped over the district.
Despite the dangers, there was a strong spirit of resilience. Local efforts included the Air Raid Precautions (ARP) teams and the Home Guard, captured in some of the photographs from the time. The town’s Mother’s Union also played its part, hosting sewing parties to make clothing, bedding and essential supplies for servicemen and bombed-out families.
The town took part in National Savings Warship Week, a national campaign encouraging communities to ‘adopt’ Royal Navy vessels by raising funds. In 1941, Wimborne adopted HMS Challenger. Local schools, churches and charities knitted gloves, socks and balaclavas for the crew, and children sent letters and cards to the sailors. When possible, officers and men from the adopted ship would visit the local community. To celebrate their visits, parades would often be organised in
their honour.
American forces had arrived in Dorset in significant numbers by 1943, with camps and hospitals springing up across the countryside. One of the largest was the 106th American Army Hospital at Kingston Lacy. In 1944, in preparation for D-Day, American artillery and tanks were stationed on Jenny Down and in the grounds of Beaucroft House, while troops set up camp in Highland Road
Meanwhile, everyday life carried on as best it could.
On the eastern edges of Colehill and Leigh Common, several acres of greenhouses of Leigh Vineries – already known for their prolific tomato production – became part of the wartime agricultural effort. Land Girls were stationed there to help maintain the vital food supply, with some 50 tons of tomatoes grown per acre in 1943.
Today, the glasshouses are long gone, replaced by housing, but their story is another reminder of how Dorset’s landscape adapted during the war.
To mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, the Museum of East Dorset’s temporary exhibition Wimborne at War is situated in the Voices Gallery and can be viewed until late August. The exhibition is included with normal museum entry. Visit their website – Museum of East Dorset
