

1947 Floods Click on small pics for full size view and the F11 key will give you full screen.
1947 THE FENS ARE FLOODED THE FLOOD It began towards the middle of March with the ending of the coldest, hardest, wettest and worst winter in living memory and resulted from an unusual combination of weather conditions. For about six weeks there had been severe penetrating frost and frequent heavy snow. The ground was frozen to a depth of half a metre and snow had drifted more than two meters deep. The harsh weather meant the snow was unable to melt slowly into the ground and feed away into the rivers. A sudden rapid thaw set in on 10 March and the following day heavy rain swept the area. The combination of melting snow and rain amounted to four and half inches of rain, the equivalent of a heavy thunderstorm continuing unabated for 24 hours! The water ran off the frozen ground, pouring into the rivers, which rose at a ferocious rate. By Friday 14 March flood patrols were on full alert and work was well underway to sandbag points where the water was beginning to attack the tops of the riverbanks. The following day floods engulfed 500 homes, shops and offices in Bedford and the Ouse Valley. Downstream in the Fens more and more gangs of men worked feverishly to bolster vulnerable banks. The water continued to rise and was soon running up to two metres above normal. It lapped over the riverbanks, scoured across flood plains and rose relentlessly as it left the higher ground inland for the bowl of the Fens. Throughout Saturday-15-March-the situation deteriorated rapidly. Reports of flooding and threats of imminent breaching of banks were pouring in. The battle was on. Repair attempts were hampered by the height of the water. Tugs and barges carrying clay to reinforce the banks were unable to get under the numerous bridges. Some barges were ballast so low in the water they foundered and sank. By the end of the flood up to 18 barges and three steam dredgers were lost. A TUG STUCK AT BRANDON CREEK BRIDGE Sunday 16-March heralded the arrival of hurricane force winds. They built up throughout the day making the foul working conditions even more horrendous. By the early evening the wind, blowing at 70 mph and gusting up to 98 mph, was so violent it brought operations to a standstill. Driving rain and bitter cold tore the men toiling on the banks, the savage gale whipping up huge waves of water, lashing them into the banks and sending icy spray more than 10 meters in the air. The men, sliding around in the sea of mud and clay, were blown off their feet and the rescue operation was plunged into darkness, as the hurricane lamps could not be kept alight. Sandbags being used to seal the breaches were snatched away by the force of the raging water and winds. It was too dangerous to continue. Throughout the fens trees were uprooted and flung across roads, smashing down telegraph poles and hampering the transport of men and materials. Communications collapsed into chaos as telephone lines were broken and more than 30 telephone exchanges were put out of action by flood and gales. With the frost loosening its grip on the earth banks and the massive weight of water in the rivers and channels, some sections of the banks began to lose their stability. Small leaks grew larger and where water overflowed it began attacking the banks from the rear. The Soldiers provided renewed spirit and efficiency and with the Engineers, Superintendents and Foremen, set about tackling the worst incidents. 18th March and the bank went at Little Ouse-Hockwold. Click on picture 19th March the Army and the Locals were trying to defend the fens around Southery, knowing if the the banks burst water would go through the old Sams Cut under Modney bridge and flood the fen and the Sugar factory. Also if the Wissey burst there could use the banks of the Great Ouse and the high road from Southery to the Ferry Boat to with hold the water. Sand bags and taypolling were place along the hole length of the Ferry Bank. Then the Wissey bank did burst, no more could be done here. The Wissey today where the breach was, no sign of the breach on the bank, the banks have been strengthened and moved back from the river. Desperate efforts were being made to prevent a major breach at SOUTHERY but at the end of the week Saturday-22-March in a vicious gale the defences were blown. To compound the misery, the breach at Over was still retaining millions of litres of water.
The battle of the banks continued day and night without respite. Mobile canteens ferried up to 1,000 meals a day to workers and food was taken by boat to the more inaccessible sites where gangs were working in cruel weather conditions and isolation. On Monday 24 March the over breach was 'plugged' with a string of Neptunes-18 ton amphibious load carriers which had been discovered parked and redundant in a Railway siding at Bluntisham, awaiting disposal as war surplus. These were driven into the 50-metre gap, surrounded with tank track panels and covered with tarpaulins and sandbags. The task of pumping out and reclaiming 12,000 hectares of flooded land could begin. It took another 10 days-until Thursday 4 April-to staunch the breach at SOUTHERY with a huge brushwood and willow mattress and tons of clay. On 9 April the gale force winds began to decrease, the flood waters started to subside and the danger passed.

This House was OK in the flood until the road and bank gave way, then the rush of the water into the fen just pulled it down completely.
This House gives you some idea how high the water was, it reached the upstairs windows before the Ferry Bank burst, and the House is still standing about half way between Southery and the Ferry Boat Inn.
Pumping Engine, taken from the Ten Mile Bank side of the river. Pump on the right of main Engine is Big Berther, two small pumps are seen on the left pumping water into the Great Ouse. Seven of the pumps along the Southery to Littleport road. Sedgefen is seen in the background.
After the flood had subsided.
FLOOD STATISTICS During the recurrent repair operation 126 Barges were used to transport materials, mainly 11,000 tones of loose and bagged clay. They were towed to the sites by a fleet of six tugs. About 700 lorries-mostly three-ton tippers were involved in the operation. About 550,000 sandbags were used in addition to those provided by the Army. The largest quantity-100, 000 was issued on Tuesday 18 March. One Catchment Board stores also issued 430 Lanterns, nearly 500 Shovels and 800 Tarpaulins during the main flood period. More than 200 large pumps-including 17 from Holland were used to pump out the flooded areas.
The Premier of Ontario (Rt.Hon.George A.Drew.), talking to Mr J.M.Laws(left) at Red House Farm, Southery Fen during his see-for-himself tour of the flood area. With them is Mr.F.Starling, who is taking a leading part in the distribution of Canadian gifts to hard - bit fen dwellers. "I was in the 1915 flood and this was only a pond by comparison. you can't discourage a man who was born in mud," Mr. Laws told the premier. When the Premier went to inspect this badly damaged home belonging to Mr.C.Hodson, a Norfolk county Council smallholdings tenant in Larman's Fen. He found himself in squelching mud. The picture gives a good idea of the devastation left by the floods.
Gertrude Legg serving tea to the farm workers after the flood.

1947 Floods

Click on small pics for full size view and the F11 key will give you full screen.

1947 THE FENS ARE FLOODED

THE FLOOD

It began towards the middle of March with the ending of the coldest, hardest, wettest and worst winter in living memory and resulted from an unusual combination of weather conditions.

For about six weeks there had been severe penetrating frost and frequent heavy snow. The ground was frozen to a depth of half a metre and snow had drifted more than two meters deep. The harsh weather meant the snow was unable to melt slowly into the ground and feed away into the rivers.

A sudden rapid thaw set in on 10 March and the following day heavy rain swept the area. The combination of melting snow and rain amounted to four and half inches of rain, the equivalent of a heavy thunderstorm continuing unabated for 24 hours! The water ran off the frozen ground, pouring into the rivers, which rose at a ferocious rate.

By Friday 14 March flood patrols were on full alert and work was well underway to sandbag points where the water was beginning to attack the tops of the riverbanks. The following day floods engulfed 500 homes, shops and offices in Bedford and the Ouse Valley. Downstream in the Fens more and more gangs of men worked feverishly to bolster vulnerable banks.

The water continued to rise and was soon running up to two metres above normal. It lapped over the riverbanks, scoured across flood plains and rose relentlessly as it left the higher ground inland for the bowl of the Fens. Throughout Saturday-15-March-the situation deteriorated rapidly. Reports of flooding and threats of imminent breaching of banks were pouring in. The battle was on.

Repair attempts were hampered by the height of the water. Tugs and barges carrying clay to reinforce the banks were unable to get under the numerous bridges. Some barges were ballast so low in the water they foundered and sank. By the end of the flood up to 18 barges and three steam dredgers were lost.

A TUG STUCK AT BRANDON CREEK BRIDGE

Sunday 16-March heralded the arrival of hurricane force winds. They built up throughout the day making the foul working conditions even more horrendous. By the early evening the wind, blowing at 70 mph and gusting up to 98 mph, was so violent it brought operations to a standstill. Driving rain and bitter cold tore the men toiling on the banks, the savage gale whipping up huge waves of water, lashing them into the banks and sending icy spray more than 10 meters in the air. The men, sliding around in the sea of mud and clay, were blown off their feet and the rescue operation was plunged into darkness, as the hurricane lamps could not be kept alight. Sandbags being used to seal the breaches were snatched away by the force of the raging water and winds. It was too dangerous to continue.

Throughout the fens trees were uprooted and flung across roads, smashing down telegraph poles and hampering the transport of men and materials. Communications collapsed into chaos as telephone lines were broken and more than 30 telephone exchanges were put out of action by flood and gales.

With the frost loosening its grip on the earth banks and the massive weight of water in the rivers and channels, some sections of the banks began to lose their stability. Small leaks grew larger and where water overflowed it began attacking the banks from the rear. The Soldiers provided renewed spirit and efficiency and with the Engineers, Superintendents and Foremen, set about tackling the worst incidents.

18th March and the bank went at Little Ouse-Hockwold.
Click on picture

19th March the Army and the Locals were trying to defend the fens around Southery, knowing if the the banks burst water would go through the old Sams Cut under Modney bridge and flood the fen and the Sugar factory.

Also if the Wissey burst there could use the banks of the Great Ouse and the high road from Southery to the Ferry Boat to with hold the water. Sand bags and taypolling were place along the hole length of the Ferry Bank.

Then the Wissey bank did burst, no more could be done here.

The Wissey today where the breach was, no sign of the breach on the bank, the banks have been strengthened and moved back from the river.

Desperate efforts were being made to prevent a major breach at SOUTHERY but at the end of the week Saturday-22-March in a vicious gale the defences were blown. To compound the misery, the breach at Over was still retaining millions of litres of water.

The battle of the banks continued day and night without respite. Mobile canteens ferried up to 1,000 meals a day to workers and food was taken by boat to the more inaccessible sites where gangs were working in cruel weather conditions and isolation.
On Monday 24 March the over breach was 'plugged' with a string of Neptunes-18 ton amphibious load carriers which had been discovered parked and redundant in a Railway siding at Bluntisham, awaiting disposal as war surplus. These were driven into the 50-metre gap, surrounded with tank track panels and covered with tarpaulins and sandbags. The task of pumping out and reclaiming 12,000 hectares of flooded land could begin. It took another 10 days-until Thursday 4 April-to staunch the breach at SOUTHERY with a huge brushwood and willow mattress and tons of clay. On 9 April the gale force winds began to decrease, the flood waters started to subside and the danger passed.

This House was OK in the flood until the road and bank gave way, then the rush of the water into the fen just pulled it down completely.

This House gives you some idea how high the water was, it reached the upstairs windows before the Ferry Bank burst, and the House is still standing about half way between Southery and the Ferry Boat Inn.

Pumping Engine, taken from the Ten Mile Bank side of the river. Pump on the right of main Engine is Big Berther, two small pumps are seen on the left pumping water into the Great Ouse.

Seven of the pumps along the Southery to Littleport road. Sedgefen is seen in the background.

After the flood had subsided.

FLOOD STATISTICS

During the recurrent repair operation 126 Barges were used to transport materials, mainly 11,000 tones of loose and bagged clay. They were towed to the sites by a fleet of six tugs. About 700 lorries-mostly three-ton tippers were involved in the operation. About 550,000 sandbags were used in addition to those provided by the Army. The largest quantity-100, 000 was issued on Tuesday 18 March. One Catchment Board stores also issued 430 Lanterns, nearly 500 Shovels and 800 Tarpaulins during the main flood period. More than 200 large pumps-including 17 from Holland were used to pump out the flooded areas.

The Premier of Ontario (Rt.Hon.George A.Drew.), talking to Mr J.M.Laws(left) at Red House Farm, Southery Fen during his see-for-himself tour of the flood area. With them is Mr.F.Starling, who is taking a leading part in the distribution of Canadian gifts to hard - bit fen dwellers.

"I was in the 1915 flood and this was only a pond by comparison. you can't discourage a man who was born in mud," Mr. Laws told the premier.

When the Premier went to inspect this badly damaged home belonging to Mr.C.Hodson, a Norfolk county Council smallholdings tenant in Larman's Fen. He found himself in squelching mud. The picture gives a good idea of the devastation left by the floods.

Gertrude Legg serving tea to the farm workers after the flood.