Joseph & Susanna Dye’s home in Hingham Road, Great Ellingham. Photograph taken before 1942.
Courtesy of Bryan Dye
At the time of the 1921 census, this delightful cottage in Hingham Road was occupied by the Dye family.
The census lists 50 year old Joseph Alfred Dye with his 51 year old wife Susanna and four of their children – 17 year old Alfred Fielding, Lawrence Wilfred aged 15, Florence Ruby 11 and nine year old Raymond Idris John.
Joseph and his two sons are all working for local farmer, ‘J R Mann’.
I believe the Dye family continued to live in the cottage until Joseph’s death in November 1942.
The Skipper Family Move in
Extract from a drawing from a reproduction of an original plan of Deopham Green, 452nd Bomb Group (H). Original drawn by S/Sgt. Gordon C Weber to install the Base Telephone System.
Reproduction drawn and prepared by A G Jeffery & Martin J Jeffrey. Period 1943 to 1945. Courtesy Martin Jeffrey
We know from a map of Deopham Green Airfield (1943-1945) that by this time, the cottage was occupied by Herbert Skipper.
Herbert George Skipper was born on the 13th April, 1909 to James and Sarah Skipper . He was probably born at the family’s home in Stalland Common.
In 1934, Herbert married Ella Rudd.
Ellen was born in 1914 to Frederick and Edith Rudd. In 1921, the Rudd family lived in the Wymondham area.
Low Common
Not long after their marriage, the 1939 Register captures Herbert and Ella living in Low Common, Great Ellingham. By this time, the couple have two children. Walter born in 1935 and Sheila in 1938.
Herbert’s widowed mother, 64 year old Sarah Skipper, is also living with the family.
In addition, Herbert and Ella ‘took in’ at least three evacuees. This included 11 year old Rose Wright from Hackney, and sister and brother June and Norman Brand (aged 11 and 6 respectively).
Many evacuees were welcomed by Great Ellingham families during WWII.
However by around 1943, Herbert and Ella moved their family to the thatched cottage in Hingham Road. I believe that Herbert’s mother Sarah continued to live with them. I do not know whether the family were still caring for evacuees.
Thatched Cottage in Hingham Road
By the time that Herbert and Ella moved from Low Common to Hingham Road, the Stalland area of the village had undergone significant changes.
Several cottages along with Hawhill Farm had been demolished to make way for the Deopham Green Airfield.
The 452nd Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Corp was based at the airfield between January 1944 and August 1945. Although referred to as Deopham Green Airfield, the base incorporated land in both Deopham and Great Ellingham. Further, significant ancillary buildings were built along the Hingham Road and Bow Street.
As it happens, the camp’s hospital and mortuary was directly behind the Skipper’s home.
Death of Son
Sadly, the Skipper family suffered great heartache in April, 1944, with the death of their 8 year old son, Walter.
Walter and his friend William Neal (also aged 8) of The Croft, Bow Street, died following a tragic accident in the village.
Move to Attleborough Road
It was after Walter’s devastating death that the Skipper family (including Herbert’s mother Sarah), moved to ‘Wayside’, Attleborough Road, Great Ellingham.
Sources:
1921 census RG15. Registration District 231. Great Ellingham Schedules 55 & 65. Also viewed index only. All viewed via www.findmypast.co.uk
1939 England & Wales Register. The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: RG 101/6590H. Ancestry.com. 1939 England and Wales Register [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2018.
Marriage. Dec Qtr 1934. Ella Rudd & Herbert G Skipper. Wayland District. Viewed via FreeBMD website
17 April 1944. Eastern Daily Press. Viewed on microfilm at The Norfolk Heritage Centre
1942 Gt Ellingham Invasion Committee Record. Sue Fay