THANKS to Mr Stuart Morris (Dorset Echo February 21) I now know exactly what I was doing on the night of the 18/19 July 1955.
As an apprentice at Cosens & Co, I was on the 5pm to midnight shift in the cold store in West Street in Weymouth, and due to the rain the flooding came nearly to the top of the step of the cold store machine room but luckily did not come in.
My relief at midnight was another apprentice, Tony Wells, who I believe lived on Radipole Lane. He was met at Westham crossroads (where the Admiral Hardy is) by waist deep water which made him rather late relieving me.
The next arrival was Bill Merret, landlord of the Kings Arms, and foreman of labourers on Cosens who was worried that the six motor boats owned by the firm may sink. So instead of going home the three of us set about pumping out the boats and managed to save them.
Some days later I was approached by the general foreman, Mr Brooks, who said they had put a little extra in my pay packet but they had to take income tax of it.
I think it was about £2.
Michael D. Venning
Faircross Avenue
Weymouth
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