http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local- ... el-6472086" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Postman Walter Percy Fenwick survived a bomb blast in an air raid in 1940. The shrapnel from the bomb has now been given to local historian Jim Bell.
A remnant of a blast from Wokingham’s past could be displayed in a historical collection after an extraordinary story of survival came to light.
The rusting piece of shrapnel is in line to join an archive at Wokingham Town Hall, thanks to a request by amateur historians.
Walter Percy Fenwick, a renowned postman and former The Wokingham Times columnist, survived the blast of a 1,000lb bomb during a rare air raid on the town during the Second World War.
Mr Fenwick, known to readers in the past as ‘Old Havelocker’, kept a 3lb 10.5oz piece of shrapnel which was hung in a family shed, with the story written on a note wrapped around the piece.
The souvenir was passed on to Mr Fenwick’s daughter Veronica Lown, who shared details of her father’s experience on October 4, 1940, after a chance encounter with amateur historian Jim Bell while visiting her parents’ grave at St Paul’s churchyard in Wokingham.
Mrs Lown, 68, of Staines, said: “It’s quite a remarkable story. He used to be quite a local figure. He was the sort of postman who would know if someone is ill or out. I’ve tried to carry on his principles and values.”
Mr Bell said: “This is a piece of Wokingham’s history and will be of interest to many people. Old Havelocker loved Wokingham and what happened to him was a chance in a million.”
Mr Fenwick served as a postman in the town for more than 30 years, contributing local history articles to The Stroller column and Down Memory Lane supplements in The Wokingham Times. He went on to have five children and died in 1978.
The fragment of the bomb was wrenched from the floorboards of the van after the explosion.
Mr Bell showed the piece to Councillor Bob Wyatt.
Cllr Wyatt said: “Anything I get of Wokingham’s history I present to the town hall to become part of the archive.
“I knew there had been some air raid activity over Wokingham, but I hadn’t heard about this particular bomb. There was a bomb that was dropped on St Crispin’s sports fields.
“This is another little piece of Wokingham’s history. If you didn’t know the story behind it you would throw it away as a rusty old piece of metal.”
Then maybe would get a bit more respect from everyone. 