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Kirmington Primary School was built in 1882,
to hold 150 children from Kirmington and Croxton parishes.
Children Outside Kirmington School in 1908
Teachers at the School
TOPHAM, John T, mar, age 31, born Hull, master at Kirmington in 1891.
BANKS, Lucy, teacher in Kirmington in 1891
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Someone like Marjorie comes along only once in a lifetime. Very few people attached to the school knew Marjorie, so Bert and Norma Acum (once Head and Infant teacher) have kindly written about her:
“When we came for the interview at Kirmington Church of England School late in 1966 the caretaker kindly took us home and gave us tea. In January 1967 arriving at the school house on a bitter afternoon, darkness already having fallen, we were full of doubts at having brought our young baby to a place where we knew no one. However we found the house bright and cheerful, with a fire roaring up the chimney and everything ready for tea. This was our first encounter with Marjorie Gray. We spent many happy years at Kirmington School, with many special people, but Marjorie was something else again,”
Born Marjorie Shipworth in 1926 she spent most of her life at Southfield Farm, as a child and then as the wife of Denis Gray, who worked for Francis Sowerby. Marjorie was known to all.
She trained as a nurse but gave up her job of nursing sister at Hull Royal to care for her daughters, Vanessa and Angela. She became the school caretaker when Vanessa started school.
She helped run a tap dancing troupe and put on shows, she dealt with all school verrucas, helped with transport and often looked after Bert and Norma’s young daughter – even taking her on a family holiday in a time of illness. She ran local shops and the post office to allow staff to take holidays and worked at Barnetby Cheshire Home as a relief matron when needed.
She was there for birth, for illness and when somebody died Marjorie would be sent for to lay out the body. However busy she was she would always juggle things round in order to help.
She died after a short and sudden illness in 1981 and is buried in Kirmington churchyard. Her death was a huge loss to the local community. Hundreds attended her funeral.
For many years after her death and in her memory the Parish Council gave a prize to a child in the school who had written the best essay. The school would now like to make the award reflect her character by awarding a prize to a child for being a good citizen and fulfilling the school’s Mission Statement.
To reach their full potential with enthusiasm and enjoyment.
To respect people from all races, cultures and creeds knowing
we are all part of God’s family.
To appreciate and treasure each other and the environment.
To respect, support and comfort one another by our behaviour
and attitudes.
To be polite, caring and confident in our citizenship.
If you are a child at Kirmington Church of England Primary School and win the Marjorie Gray Award you can be very proud. You are following in the footsteps of a very special person.
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History of 166 Squadron
Motto: "Tenacity"
Badge: A bulldog affrontée.
The bulldog was chosen because of its reputation for courage and tenacity.
Authority: HM King George VI, September 1944.
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166 Squadron was formed at Bircham Newton, Norfolk, on 13th June 1918, for heavy bombing, and in the following September became the first mobilising unit of No. 27 Group which then began to prepare for long-distance raids into Germany. The squadron personnel were carefully selected, and the pilots and observers, many of them from night-bombing FE2b squadrons in France, underwent a special course at the School of Navigation at Andover. The squadron was to be equipped with the Handley Page V/1500 four-engined bomber - unofficially known as the Super Handley - with which it was hoped, Berlin would be reached from the base in Britain. The first V/1500 flew in May 1918, but was wrecked on test soon afterwards. The Armistice intervened before the squadron could be completely mobilised. Only three V/1500s were ready for use.
The squadron was re-formed in November 1936, as a heavy-bomber squadron equipped with Handley Page Heyford aircraft. It became part of an air observers' school in June 1938, than a Group pool squadron about May 1939 and by the outbreak of the Second World War was flying Whitleys. Soon after the outbreak of war it became a No. 6 Group training squadron. It remained as such until April 1940, and then merged with No. 97 Squadron and SHQ Abingdon to form No. 10 OTU.
166 squadron was re-formed in January 1943, at Kirmington, Lincolnshire - again as a bomber squadron. It remained based at Kirmington throughout the remainder of the war and, flying Wellingtons and Lancasters, participated in many major raids, and also played an active part in Gardening (minelaying). The squadron won at least two DSOs, two CGMs, 117 DFCs and 108 DFMs in the Second World War and was disbanded on the 1 September 1946.
This information was taken from the  History page on 166 Squadron.
Kirmington airfield opened in October 1942 as a satellite to Elsham Wolds. It became a 13 Base substation in 1943. 166 Squadron was its main occupant, but 150, 142, and 153 Squadrons were also briefly based there between 1942 and 1945. 166 Squadron took part in the Ruhr raids in 1943 in Wellingtons, but by the end of the year was upgraded to Lancasters. Thereafter it took part in the Battle of Berlin and the Nuremberg raid, as well as costly raids on France in support of the invasion.
Kirmington has continued to operate as an active airfield as Humberside International Airport.
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