Geoff Pritchard tells us of how relagging some pipes led to the discovery of a series of events caused by a blackout at Weymouth harbour that resulted in a tragedy.

IN ANTICIPATION of a harsh winter in about 1979 I relagged the pipes in my parents’ house. It had been done by a previous owner in a rudimentary fashion and as I unwound the old newspapers and rags wrapped round the pipes I found that one was the Dorset Evening Echo of 16 December 1939. This was the first winter of the Second World War, which was one of the most severe on record. Among the news items and other articles was a story which would have a tragic sequel. This was largely a result of the wartime blackout.

On 14 December a wireless mechanic called at the house of Mrs G.L. Banbury at 23 Hope Street, Weymouth to repair her wireless. On leaving he fell into the harbour and was rescued by neighbours. The following evening Mrs Banbury was returning home and she also fell into the harbour. Passers by heard her cries for help and rescued her. They were helped by the fact that there was a high tide.

Her son Bobby was sent to buy brandy to aid her recovery. Whilst returning he heard shouts coming from the harbour and helped a sailor who had fallen in.

Whilst this was happening a local G.P., Dr Devereux of 23 Trinity Road was chatting to his colleague Dr Jennings and heard shouts. In the blackout it took some time to locate their origin, but joined by two sailors and the landlord of the Sailors’ Return, they located a sailor clinging to a chain between the quayside and a barge. They hauled him out and treated him before he was taken to hospital.

There was a tragic sequel to this story. On Friday 2 February 1940, 62 years old George Louis Banbury, a Private in the National Defence Corps enjoyed a friendly game of whist in the Fox Inn, St Nicholas Street (which was destroyed in a bombing raid two years later.) On leaving he lost his bearings and fell over the edge of the quay. “Look out, you’ll be over in a minute” one passer-by called to him, but it was a dark night and he did not have a torch. Witnesses stated that he was perfectly sober.

Hearing a shout for help, another witness got a boat and on shining a torch spotted Mr Banbury floating face down in the harbour. His body was retrieved and Doctor Jennings (who had been involved in the rescue mentioned earlier) attempted artificial respiration, but to no avail.

Four days later the acting deputy coroner, Philip Wickham held an inquest and recorded a verdict of Misadventure. He commented that he could assume that Frederick Banbury lost his way in the dark at a place where there were no railings, as ships moored alongside that section of the quay.

The report of the inquest led to a retired Royal Naval captain writing to the Echo stating that such accidents could be avoided by the practice common at naval dockyards of placing chains and stanchions along the quayside, which could be removed when ships were loading alongside.

Probably I would not have been aware of this tragic series of events which happened 80 years ago had I not relagged the pipes in the loft!