Heligoland 39
Remembrance - Reconciliation - Commemoration
Heligoland39 News Blog
Text & Photographs by Patricia Ruff
Introducing the Heligoland39 Blog
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Our book Daylight to Darkness focuses on the human story of the men who flew in The Battle of Heligoland Bight.
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A baptism of fire: Wellingtons from three squadrons took off between 09.00 and 09.45, when the battle drew to a close four hours later, twelve Wellingtons had not returned, and 57 lives had been lost. It is hard to imagine what those young men were thinking as they set off, just seven days before Christmas, in the line of duty.
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To try and further his insight, and connect with others who have an interest in keeping the narrative alive, Jack Waterfall has made it his mission to visit all the locations where aircraft ditched or were lost that day. I am Jack’s sister and in my role of ‘wingman’ will share our journey.
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This blog is a record of the unfolding story, post publication of Daylight to Darkness, as we go on our travels.
10 January 2024
Meeting Fred Sinclair’s youngest son Tony - Jack and Tony finally meet face to face after Tony initially got in touch through our website. Meeting over lunch Tony shared his family archive and accounts of his father Fred Sinclair, Skipper of the trawler Erillus. They talked about the part Fred played in the rescue of four of the five crewmen of IX Squadron aircraft Wellington N2983, which ditched in the North Sea off the Cromer Knoll.
Tony Sinclair receiving copy of book from Jack Waterfall
11 January 2024
Jack and I visited IBCC Lincoln to catch up with Heather Hughes who is Professor of Cultural Heritage Studies/Head, IBCC Digital Archive/Co-Lead, University Arts, Culture and Heritage Strategy.
Heather Hughes & Jack Waterfall
​We were joined by Nicky van der Drift OBE, CEO of IBCC, to discuss the possibility of hosting a Memorial Service for the 85th Anniversary of The Battle of Heligoland Bight on 18 December 2024. So pleased this is now in the diary!
Jack gifted copies of Daylight to Darkness to the centre, sharing the research undertaken by Caroline Kesseler and Doug Aylward.
They successfully traced so many families gaining insight into the lives of the young men who flew in the Battle of Heligoland Bight.
March 2024
Our travels took us to the East Coast to find out more about the role of the trawler men. We were in touch with Sheila Coates from The Carnegie Heritage Centre in Hull whom we had met previously. She shared her extensive knowledge including that of the naval trawler Erillus and the part it played in the rescue of four of the crew of Wellington N2983.
4 March 2024
The Ryder Club, Hull, East Yorkshire - having made contact with Mike Bamforth, Secretary of the Royal Naval Association (RNA), to present the association with a copy of Daylight to Darkness, Jack, Heather (Professor Heather Hughes) and I joined members of the RNA. We shared stories and heard more about Hull and in particular Hessle, pre and post war. Hull suffered severe destruction through bombing. It is reported as many as 95% of its buildings were damaged or destroyed. The fact that Hull was the most severely damaged British city or town during the Second World War (much of which is documented) made our afternoon even more emotionally charged.
19 March 2024
North Coates Flying Club, Lincolnshire
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We had a warm welcome at North Coates Flying Club spending time with Brian Stafford, North Coates Archivist and other members of the club, to talk about the history of RAF North Coates. Their museum collection holds much information. A great insight into how Lincolnshire, with so much flat land, became a prime bomber county as airfields across Lincolnshire came into operation.
Brian Stafford presented with book by Jack Waterfall
Today the club hangar and grass strip are the only assets left of the original RAF Station. Most of the land has reverted to agricultural use and solid runways have been broken-up.
The story of 1939 unfolds as IX Squadron Wellington N2871 had sustained considerable damage during the battle and Flying Officer MacRae had to make a forced landing at 17.30 hours with all crew surviving.
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Thanks to Brian, Jack and I were fortunate to secure a flight in a Cessna with pilot Charlie Patter, to follow the flight path of Wellington N2871 as it returned towards the Humber Estuary. As Jack reported, ‘it was so surreal to be in the same airspace as those 1939 Wellingtons’.
Jack Waterfall signs a book for pilot Charlie Patter
​The story of the four survivors of Wellington N2983 is vivid and provides insight into the swift action of the crew and the part Skipper Fred Sinclair on the trawler Erillus played in picking them up and transporting them via the Humber Estuary to Hull.
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What must they have felt making it to dry land that evening? As we took to the sky we got a good sense of the expanse of sea and coastline flying across the Humber and over Spurn Point, along to Withernsea and its Lighthouse known as Dock Tower, but we were flying on a sunny day in March and could only begin to imagine the difference between daylight and darkness.
