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Messages - teecee1941

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World War Two / Re: retreat to Dunkirk,battle at river Dyle.
« on: Sunday 22 July 12 20:00 BST (UK)  »
Its more than likely I'm too late with my reply but I've only just found your post. I am currently searching for my uncle who is buried in Saint Venant after being involved in the fighting under the command of CSM Metcalfe. My uncle, Private Anthony Corkhill 2nd Btn Durham Light Infantry, was batman to RSM A.Goddard who last saw him alive on the 27th May 1940. He was wounded in both legs and had a neck wound. The injuries were not life-threatening and the fighting had ceased. At the time RSM Goddard and his men were being marched away to a POW camp, the Germans said that Pte Corkhill was to be taken to hospital. He was never seen again and there are no records of him ever being in hospital or a POW camp.

I have a copy of CSM Metcalfe's War Diary from the time they landed in France up to the 28th May 1940. I would be pleased to send a copy to you. I live in Newcastle upon Tyne.

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Northumberland Completed Look up Requests / Re: COMPLETED - Where exactly is Bigges Main?
« on: Sunday 07 February 10 23:03 GMT (UK)  »
Hi Stephen, I have only just discovered this site and your query about Bigges Main. Regardless of which local authority it belonged to Bigges Main was situated geographically about 50 yards behind where Wallsend Sports Centre is now. If you take a diagonal line from Benfield School to the top of West Street Wallsend it was about half way along that line.

It was accessed by a dirt road half way along the Coast Road from West St to Wills cigarette factory until it's demolition around the mid fifties. The village pub was called The Mason's Arms and was still open until the early sixties when it was demolishe as part of the development of the area to form Wallsend Sports Centre.

Bigges Main played quite a part in my early life as I was born about three quarters of a mile away in Cross Avenue Westmorland Estate Wallsend. I remember quite vividly as a young boy that outside the Masons Arms there was a ramshackle brick stucture of sorts that I always thought was the actual village but maybe it was the school. There were also remnants of foundations nearby which were lost amongst the piggeries and allotments that had taken over the area. There was also an old disused mansion almost on the Coast Road until about 1957.
 Around 1930 Westmorland Estate was built and two of the streets were named after Bigges Main.These were Main Crescent and Bigges Gardens and it was said that these names would help the new settlers who were rehoused when Bigges Main was demolished.

I have tried to obtain a photograph of 'The Main' for many years but it seems that for some reason nobody has one. I know it must have been quite a primitive place to live, what with no electricity and flush toilets but in my memory it must have been like Brigadoon or a village out of a Walt Disney film.Surprisingly there seems to be very few people in Wallsend who know very much about Bigges Main even though it is, or was, right on their doorstep.







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