On This Day in Wembury – 11 February 1941
A burglary took place at a guest house on Wembury Bay, but the culprit was caught within half an hour thanks to the intervention of a naval officer.
The intruder, Clifford Graham, aged 26, a stoker in the Royal Navy, broke a window to enter the property, overturning furniture and leaving spots of blood in several rooms. He stole £1 5s, four cigars, and a pencil sharpener. The occupier discovered the break-in around midnight and alerted the police. With the help of the naval officer, Graham was identified and arrested by 12.30 am.
At court, it was revealed that Graham already had previous convictions for larceny, taking cars without consent, and assaulting a constable. He pleaded guilty to the Wembury offence and was sentenced to two days’ imprisonment to await naval escort, the bench making clear that naval discipline would deal with him further.
The case illustrated how Wembury, even during wartime, was not immune to petty crime — and how quickly civilian police and the services worked together in a coastal community under pressure.
Source: Western Morning News, 1 Mar 1941.
Entries are summaries and interpretations of historical newspaper reports.