Caistor cadets capture tales of wartime memories

Working with the Lincolnshire Memories and Memorials project, the cadets have put together a series of films about wartime experiences in the town, either first hand or through family memories.

Their oral history programme saw the cadets interview a number of people and learn a number of skills along the way.

“This has been a really good opportunity to get young people to talk to older people in their communities about their experiences,” said project officer Cath Pike.

“It is these tales of day to day life that aren’t in the history books and need to be recorded.”

The cadets first heard about the project just after Remembrance time last year and were keen to get involved.

“It sounded like something worthwhile,” said Cadet Cpl Andrew Corrigan.

“You have got all this history sitting around in the minds of people who lived through it and the unfortunate reality is that everyone hits the hay eventually, so its worth getting all the information down before it’s gone.”

The cadets held an oral history day, where they recorded interviews with nine local people about their experiences.

Some of those interviewed joined members of the cadets at a presentation afternoon in the town hall to see the culmination of eight months work.

The cadets had created a short film to show how the oral history day had gone and snippets of the information they had gathered.

One of those taking part in the filmed interviews was Caistor resident Harry Minns, who served in the Royal Navy.

“I got a shock when I saw myself on the screen, but it has been good,” said Harry.

There were tales too of boyhood memories seeing a plane crash on Yarborough field and the mystery of the American servicemen stationed in the area.

As well as the film, the cadets have set out a wartime trail for the town, which will be available shortly.