On This Day in Wembury
7 December 1940 — Drunken Sailors Damage Car After Down Thomas Dance
On this day two Scottish sailors, William Henderson and Clifford Graham, found themselves in trouble after a dance at Jubilee Hall, Down Thomas. The pair, who admitted in court they were “not used to the booze,” took and drove away a motor car belonging to K. C. V. O’Connor of Little Wilfowhayes, Wembury.
O’Connor had left his car parked outside the hall, but later discovered it 200 yards down the road with its windows smashed and headlamp broken. Inside sat the two sailors, clearly under the influence of drink. The damage was valued at £3 — a significant sum at the time.
At Plympton court on 10 December, the men were fined £1 each on each charge, plus the cost of the damage, bringing the total to £7.
The case shows how wartime village life, with servicemen frequenting local dances, sometimes spilled into disorder. It also captures a moment when motor cars were still precious property, especially under petrol rationing, making even minor damage both costly and disruptive.
Source: Western Morning News, 10 December 1940 (reporting incident of 7 December).
