South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 29 August 1942

Wombwell Orchard Raiders

Farmer Complains of Damage

At 1-45 a.m. on July 9th, Percy Charlesworth, farmer, Townend Farm, High Street, Wombwell, heard strange sounds and on looking out of the bedroom window he saw four men in his orchard.

There was a sequel at the Barnsley West Riding Police Court on Friday. when Oswald Homson (18), George W. Turnbull (17), machine blowers, Wombwell. Frank Firth (18), glass blower, Ward Green and a sixteen years old Wombwell youth were summoned for doing wilful damage to a garden and orchard to the extant of £4.

Charlesworth said he was awakened by noises in the orchard and in the bright moonlight he saw the four youths among the apple tree. There were two girls on the wall watching them. He hurried out and when he succeeded In Intercepting the youths they all denied being in the orchard. Some of them were very cheeky. While he was asking them for their names one of them said to the others: “Oh come on. We are on work of national Importance.”

Witness added that the youths all worked at Wood Bros. Glass Works. They had trampled down peas and onion beds and the apple trees were stripped despite the fact that he had notices posted up in the garden under the Defence Regulations. The father of the youngest boy said he had recently lost his mother and had got a little out of hand. He (witness) was In bed when the offence was committed but he thought the damage was greatly exaggarated.

P.c. Pollard said the defendants were four decent lads. It was very hot where they worked and they often came out for a walk during their “snap” time.

Homson, Turnbull and Firth were each fined 20s. and costs, and the younger defendant 10s. and costs. They would each have to pay 20s. also towards the damage they had caused.