The Scarborough Mercury also featured the following report on 24th December, 1914 entitled "VISITORS TO SCARBOROUGH - SALE OF PIECES OF SHELL"
On Sunday a large number of people visited Scarborough, many by motor car, to see the effects of the bombardment, and advantage was taken by some men of selling pieces of shell. For a fairly large piece a man on the South Foreshore, in the afternoon, asked for 5s.
A large number of excursionists arrived on Sunday.
This section features several letters which show how the German Raid on Scarborough in December 1914 resulted in a huge market for mementoes. Many people were desperate for bits of shells and shrapnel from the attack.
One of the first enquiries to Scarborough council came from Hull Council in a letter from Joseph H Hirst 19th December 1914.
"I am anxious of obtaining as a curiosity a piece of a shell and am wondering if it might trouble for you too much to get a piece for me. I see that the fishermen are selling samples and if you would let one of your staff to go down for me should be very much obliged. I will send the cost of purchase in a package by return. Hope I am not asking too much".
The attack had made national headlines and on the 19th December Edward Willis, from Chiswick district council, sent the following letter which concentrated on the recruiting value of the Scarborough raid.
"The chairman of my council is strongly of opinion that some pieces of shell an shrapnel which may have fallen in your town would be a great help to recruiting in this neighbourhood, and he would certainly arrange to keep same officially as a memento of the calamity which has just fallen upon your noted town. He therefore asked me to communicate with you in the hope that you could probably let me have one or two pieces for the above named purpose".
"I might mention that between 1500 and 2000 men have recruited already from this small district of 42,000 inhabitants,"
"Thanking you in anticipation, Believe me, Yours faithfully"
Harry W Smith sent a reply to Chiswick, along with a piece of shrapnel. He states "I am sorry I have been unable to do better for you but the demand for these memento's is so great, that good specimens are now scarce and are fetching very big prices. I paid 4/0 for the piece I am sending you."
In a letter from Harry W Smith, borough engineer to W Oxtoby, town hall, Camberwell, London, 4th January 1915 we see how the market had hotted up for these momento's.
"I have got a hold of about 18 pieces of shell, none of them very large, who will part with them for a sovereign. If you care to go as far as this I will send them on, I understand they are rapidly being bought up"
One letter from Mr Wakelam, County engineers department, Middlesex Guildhall,(18th June 1915)used some quite colourful language describing the raid as "devilish work". He wrote: "In connection with the German raid I would be extremely glad if you would kindly send me a small piece of the shells dropped by the "Huns" on Scarborough."
Not all enquiries for shells and shrapnel were linked to recruitment. On 3rd August, 1915, the town hall received the following letter from George Ball, Town Hall, Bexhill.
BELGIAN RELIEF FUND. We are trying to get up an Exhibition in Bexhill of War Souvenirs in order to raise a fund for the relief of Belgian refugees in this town.
It occurred to me that you may have a very good sample of the shells from the German raid. If you can loan me a good sample of one of two I shall esteem it a great favour, and would undertake to return them to you in due course.
