After years of research by a local historian a plaque was unveiled at The Carlton Apartments on The Crescent in Bridlington to commemorate the founding of an elite unit.
The No.5 Commando Unit, an organization sent to “wreak havoc” on the enemy coasts at the height of the Second World War, was founded in a house on The Crescent in 1940.
Madeleine Waplington lost her uncle Bertie Johnson during a raid on St Nazaire in 1942; she unveiled a green plaque that she generously paid for outright after a very short campaign to recognise the unit by Bridlington Historian Richard Jones.
She summed it up with her speech when she unveiled it saying… “In memory of the most ordinary people who did the most extraordinary things.”
Photos by Ian Ellis show Madeleine with the plaque, Thomas Bui, the owner of the Carlton Apartments, with a No.5 Commando shield and an image is of those who attended including Bridlington armed forces veterans and attendees from all around the country.
Richard’s work on Bridlington during the Second World War is still ongoing so if anybody out there can help with highlighting any of the forgotten stories or provide images of the war years in the town then please contact him on shipwreckdata@yahoo.co.ukor via my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/shipwreck.data to get in touch.
Full story in the May edition of the Bridlington Echo.
