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The Sandtoft Squatters Camp
This area is where the Squatters Camp used to be. Photo courtesy of Mick Fotheringham This story is about the Squatters Camp at Sandtoft R.A.F. Station. The R.A.F camp at Sandtoft was invaded by squatters (or displaced persons) in August 1946. One of the families was the Wilmot family, my Grandma and Grandad Phyllis and Reggie and Reggie's brother Len and sister in law Edna. Reggie served in the army in the second world war, when he returned from war there was a shortage of houses, so they joined with twenty other families and took over the R.A.F camp at Sandtoft. Edna recalls the camp as a very happy time, with everyone looking out for each other. Each family would barter with each other to get what they needed. Len always had plenty of coal, with him being a coal miner, so he was always able to swap a bucket of coal for butter, eggs, tea etc. There was a hut where everyone did their washing, which had a boiler and a mangle. There was also a shop that sold bread, milk, and a few other things and a van which came onto the camp selling vegetables. They also used one of the huts for a dance once a week where they all got together with a record player and had a good time. Buses only ran twice a week on a Wednesday and Saturday. Saturday had two buses a day, one at about 2pm returning about 5pm and then an evening one. Wednesday only had the afternoon one. Len an Reggie had to cycle to work at the pit at Moorends. Saturday used to be a day when Len and Reg would go to work in the morning, then they played football in Moorends in the afternoon, only returning home at bedtime probably after a few pints. There were still prisoners of war at the camp, the squatters used to get on well with some of the prisoners, they would go along to watch the films being shown there and some of the prisoners played football with the squatters in Belton including Len, Reg and there other brother Eric. The following article was taken
from the Epworth Bell’s, a local newspaper. Twenty families of squatters have moved into the R.A.F. Station at Sandtoft, and occupied huts on a dispersal site. Sandtoft is a wartime ‘drome fairly widely dispersed and occupied at the moment by an R.A.F. Care and maintenance party together with a labour force of German P.O.W.’S, some of whom work on nearby farms. The site which the squatters have taken over has a guardroom close by, but this has been closed down. No attempt has been made by the R.A.F. To move the squatters who are families from Thorne and Moorends, and have already christened their new community: ‘The New Village.’ The men are nearly all colliers and cycle daily to and from their work at Thorne pit-some eight miles away. One young couple state that they have been living in a small house occupied by 13 people and they are going to take some moving from their new home.Sanitary facilities are excellent. Electricity has not yet been switched on. Water supply is available. The squatters held a meeting on Sunday and agreed to reserve 5s a week for each hut occupied in the event of rent being claimed. The oldest member of the camp-a 70-year-old pensioner-has been appointed ‘outside cleaner up’ each ‘tenant’ paying him 1s a week for his work. Three families have occupied the huts on the searchlight site at West Butterwick. Friday, August 23 rd, 1946 Sandtoft Squatters Colony Has No Problems All the Nissen huts on the R.A.F. Dispersal site at Sandtoft are now occupied by squatters from Thorne and Moorends. Thirty families are in occupation. A medical officer visited the camp on Saturday. The leader of the squatters said that everything was being done to help them, and that electricity had been switched on. Celebration No arrangements have yet been made for delivery of letters and daily newspapers, but they have wireless and a boy is to deliver Sunday papers. The families are finding no difficulty in obtaining food supplies as a butcher and fish merchant call daily. An addition to the colony is anticipated in a few days by an expectant mother, and a celebration is being planned by the family who lived previously in cramped surroundings. Friday, Sept. 13th, 1946 Sandtoft Squatters Unmolested Sandtoft squatters are now well established in the Nissen huts on the R.A.F. Dispersal site. This happy colony of between 30 and 40 families have not been interfered with in any way. Each day a bus comes from Thorne to fetch the 30 odd children to school. All the men are colliers from Thorne district and cycle to and from their work daily. Sandtoft Squatters Mr Knowles raised the question of the Sandtoft squatters site, expressing the opinion that a previous resolution of the Council to have nothing to do with the site should be rescinded. There were 30 hutments occupied by people (who had come from Thorne). And the children were attending the local schools, while the people traded at he local stores. He thought the Council should accept responsibility for them. He understood that the occupiers had agreed to put a certain sum aside each week for rent and rates (if and when required) and that Mr. Hurst had been asked to act as a trustee for same. Apparently the people had not come as "spongers"....... A couple of lines I cannot read. The Clerk got a letter from the Minister of Health relative to the irregular occupation of the site. The Thorne Rural District Council had notified the Ministry that they were prepared to accept responsibility for the squatters, and the Minister wished to know if the Isle Rural Council were agreeable to this suggestion. Mr Holliday said he was pleased Mr Knowles had raised the question. When he (Mr Holliday) first brought the facts before the Council he informed them that the men were working at Thorne where they had been...........Mr Holliday was not aware at that time that the camp would be vacant so long. He (Mr Knowles) now moved that the council take it over. MR Hurst said that as Mr Knowles had stated the Council did not know in the first instance what the position was with regard to the Air Ministry, who provided light and sewerage. The people had got quite a good sum together. Which was deposited in the bank. Mr Richardson and himself the trustees, but the parties had now withdrawn the money. Mr Wickenden observed that he had information from Thorne on the subject, and asked "Why take in people letting houses at Thorne and squatting at Sandtoft". Mr Hurst asked if the Air Ministry had been approached on the matter and if they were still running the camp, to which the Clerk replied that a communication had been received as to steps being taken to rate these properties. Mr Bradbury said he had been on the site that morning, and he favoured it being taken over by the Council. Mr Holmes proposed and Mr Bradbury seconded that the site be taken over which was carried. Mr Justice voting against the resolution.
The Surveyor having submitted details of the hutments occupied by squatters at the Sandtoft aerodrome he has been directed to communicate with the Ministry of Health on the subject of making satisfactory provision for the accommodation of the occupants and is recommended that a rent of 7s 6d per week be charged each family.
Names provided by Pat Fotheringham. She used to deliver Groceries to the camp with her Grandfather when she was a child.
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