Secretary.cheadlehistoricalsoc@gmail.com 07887 691 893
For our final meeting of 2024, we had the pleasure of hosting Gillian Crowther, a friend from the Blythe Bridge Historical Society, as our speaker. Despite the miserable cold December evening, it was heartening to see so many dedicated members facing the weather. Gill's enlightening topic covered American soldiers working at Blythe Colours during WWII, specifically BOLERO CAMP, CRESSWELL 1943 – 1946. The secretary thanked Barry Phillips, a former employee who rescued the GI photos from a skip and carried out thorough research.
The US Army’s 104th Chemical Company arrived in Cresswell on 29th November 1943 and was based at Bolero Camp, which was a custom-built camp of Nissen huts near Rookery Crescent, housing approximately 600 men. Later, these men were joined by the 106th Chemical Company, the 46th Chemical Impregnating Company, and the 130th Chemical Processing Company. Obviously, this influx made quite an impact on the area; they organised parties for the children and were always handing out sweets. One of the men, Philip Sower, apparently sorted out the sewage system.
The reason the camp was based in Cresswell was due to existing laboratories and chemical expertise at Blythe Colour Works, a successful company owned by the Wildblood family since 1870. Although it was very secretive, it was widely known that two Nissen huts, based on the Blythe Colour Works site, were used for parachute packing.
Gillian told us of a visit from an ex-GI who was stationed at Bolero Camp. He arrived along with his 8-year-old daughter and told her that they were actually testing fabrics for resistance to chemical warfare, one of these chemicals being mustard gas. He said that the US troops enjoyed being in Creswell, but did not care much for the food and warm beer. Gillian distributed a diagram of the camp, together with a key to the buildings, etc. Screen projections showed photos of GIs at work and at play, including a game of baseball and the civilian Chinese cook who traveled over with the unit. There were off-duty photos of the GIs enjoying the pool and gardens at Trentham Gardens.
Then came “Meet the GIs,” with photos, names, and details of where they came from. These included Sgt. Merrill Newhough, who drove a truck to Liverpool Docks each week to collect supplies and was billeted in the stables at Aintree Race Course before returning to Cresswell due to a lack of accommodation caused by bombing damage.
Gill introduced us to Eli Estes Horton, a poor Mississippi farmer’s son. He arrived in Cresswell when he was 22 years old and served for 2 years. Apparently, he had a very unpleasant and frightening trip across the Atlantic. He crossed on the SS Audacious, an Italian cargo ship seized by the Americans in 1941. There were photos shown of his cap badge, Chemical Corps collar insignia, good conduct medal with ribbon, and dog tags. Before he came to England, Eli was a sharecropper, renting a small acreage from the landowner and paying a tithe. This was hard work with poor rewards, working with mules. Eli returned home on the RMS Queen Mary on the last troop transport to the USA, arriving home in February 1946.
The last remaining US soldiers left Cresswell in January 1946, and the camp then became the “squatters” camp. Local residents who were living in overcrowded, uncomfortable conditions immediately occupied them before the council could do anything. They were charged 5 shillings a week - 25 pence. Later, in 1948, council houses were built in The Avenue and Mount Road, with a rent of 19 shillings 11 pence a week, just under £1.00.
As an aside, we also learned that the Art Deco house featured in the film The Underdog (1993), an Agatha Christie Poirot episode, is situated in Stallington Lane, Blythe Bridge.
We return on January 16th to the New Life, and we will be given a very interesting presentation by Jenna Goodwin, aka “The Red Haired Stokie,” about a medieval casket that turned up in Uttoxeter several years ago and is now in Ohio, U.S.A. Medieval is always good… DON’T MISS IT!
Uncovering the Stories: American Soldiers at Blythe Colours in WWII
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