On This Day in Wembury — 23 November 1945
The Western Morning News reported a tragic accident in Wembury. George Henry Harvey, of Little Ryland, Hollacombe, lost his life while engaged in hauling freshly felled timber. It is believed that the log he was moving became caught between two tree stumps, causing his tractor to topple backwards and crush him.
Reflection:
This grim reminder from 1945 shows how dangerous agricultural and forestry work could be in the immediate post-war years. While much of the nation’s attention was fixed on rebuilding after the war, local men still faced daily hazards on the land. Stories like Harvey’s connect with earlier and later tragedies in Wembury’s working life, from smuggling skirmishes to naval accidents, underscoring how livelihoods bound to land and sea carried ever-present risks.
Source: Western Morning News, 23 November 1945.
