The Floating Bridge

On Saturday we received a request for more books at Medina Bookshop of Cowes.  After we had delivered them, we decided to go home via the Floating Bridge to East Cowes, instead of sitting in endless traffic on the Cowes to Newport Road.

There has been a lot of words written about, the Floating Bridge.  It has had its trials over the past few years.  It was out of action more than it was in action.  The new one obviously is an improvement on the old one, but the old one was reliable, it worked.  This one, is bigger and takes more cars, an improvement I approved of as we drove on and parked in one of the four lanes. 

Bob paid for his ‘ticket’ by just tapping his card on their tiny machine held by the operator.  The silent method of payment, was a stark contrast from the chug chug chug of the chains as the Floating Bridge made its way noisily to the other side of the river. 

Research

When I was researching the bombing of Cowes and East Cowes for my book ‘There will be Blue Skies,’ I was given a blow-by-blow account of that night in May 1942, and in it there were a few mentions of the floating bridge.  It was staffed and worked throughout the attack, one reference mentioned, how a crew member was sweeping away incendiaries which had landed on the wooden deck.  Another reference was how a crew from Sandown had used the floating bridge to get where they were needed. 

A further reference was made when Ryde N.F.S. Sub Officer Albert Harry Collis, made his way using the floating bridge to get to Northwood House, in search of two of his firemen, Bert Dewey and Colin Weeks.  We now know they lost their lives that night.  The casualties from East Cowes had been taken to Northwood House, via the floating bridge.

The anti-aircraft shells were being fired from the Polish War Ship, Blyskawica, some sailors were firing the ship’s machine gun, as well as bombs falling from the Luftwaffe planes, but the crew of the faithful Floating Bridge did their duty and kept a service going.