The German bombardment of Scarborough in 1914 left people feeling vulnerable to further attacks and the fear was of an actual landing. Because of this barbed wire and defences were prepared around the coastline. The following article features a letter by one disgrunted citizen whose shop was severely effected by the defences.
Letter sent by T Wilson, 80 Eastborough, corner of Eastborough and Sandside, 7th April 1915 to Scarborough council
Dear sir,
Could you kindly let me know if there is any prospect of an opening being made in the barbed wire barricade outside my premises. My business is being affected to an alarming extent owing to the pedestrian traffic being diverted and the fact that one of my display windows is entirely blocked up with wire across it. I think it is high time something was done in this case otherwise I might as well shut the place up as it is not worth standing in it, at least I think the portion that blocks my shop window might be taken down I cannot hope to sell fancy goods to the visitors without being able to display them in my windows. I would be greatly obliged if you could do anything in the matter as it is most serious for me,
Yours respectfully, T Wilson
Letter from Borough engineer, Scarborough to Matthew Hay, Medical Officer of Health, 41.5 Union Street, Aberdeen, dated 16th January, 1915
Dear Dr. Hay
Bombardment of Scarborough
I am in receipt of your letter of the 14th instant with your enclosure which I think is admirable and covers all the points likely to arise during a bombardment.
What means have you adopted for letting the inhabitants know should there be an attempted landing as well as bombardment? Here we are thinking of installing a siren or a buzzer.
I am sorry the duplicate Key Map was omitted from my letter to you but has since been forwarded.
There will be no objection at all to your showing the map to the Members of your Emergency Committee so long as there is no publication of the same.
I trust you may not have a similar experience to Scarborough as the after effects will be more disasterous to the Town than the actual bombardment owing to the flight of a large proportion of our population.
