Above Clapham Village is Trow Ghyll. This wooded limestone ravine in the heart of the Western Dales hides a secret. In the summer of 1947, in a small cave now known as Body Pot, human remains were discovered. Those remains are unidentified to this day.
Sunday 24th August 1947 was a warm late summer day. Two friends, Jim Leach an electrician from Great Harwood Lancashire, and Harold Burgess a motor engineer from Leeds, both members of the North Pennine Club, one of the oldest Caving clubs in England, were planning on exploring the area to find new entrances to the famous Gaping Gill cave system.
At approximately 12:30 that afternoon, they discovered a small opening partially obscured by stones. Investigating further Leach moved the stones to be able to gain entry to the cave. After climbing down about ten feet, he first saw a pair of shoes. Looking further he discovered a skull and the rest of a body. It was in a state of advanced decomposition with hardly any flesh remaining. Burgess also noticed that there was a small bottle of white powder next to the body.
The friends returned to Clapham to report their find, and were then accompanied back to the cave by Police Sergeant Nock of Ingleton. The remains were removed by the police the following day to Skipton Mortuary and the effects found with the body, sent to the forensic laboratory at Wakefield. The police assured the community that foul play had been ruled out as the cause of death.
An inquest was held at Skipton Town Hall in front of Coroner Stephen E. Brown on 25th November. Both Burgess and Leach gave evidence, as did the Police.
Evidence from the post mortem that took place on the 26th August was given by Professor P. L. Sutherland. The remains were described as being those of a man 5’5 ¼” tall, aged between 22 and 30 years. Death was estimated at having been between two and six years previously, and the bones found were not considered to have been a cause of death, since they were neither broken or diseased. The clothes had rotted to the point where they were difficult to distinguish.
Forensic evidence was given by Mr Lewis Nickolls from the North East Forensic Science Laboratory. The clothes were identified as a blue shirt and tie, a grey blue suit with red and white stripes, a tweedy herringbone overcoat, grey trilby hat and plum coloured scarf. The deceased hair was described as being light brown or auburn in colour.
Amongst the possessions discovered was the glass bottle spotted by Burgess. It was found to contain Sodium Cyanide, a lethal poison. The bottle was described as “full to the shoulder” but Nickolls was of the opinion a lethal dose could have been extracted. Also found was an unbroken ampule also containing Sodium Cyanide, and 11s 5 ½d, with no coins newer than 1939.
Also found were two pairs of shoes made in 1938 and 1939. A mineral water bottle of a type supplied to hotels in Morecambe, Lancaster and Ingleton, containing a blue crown top not introduced until 1940. On the basis of this evidence, Nickolls believed the date of death to be no later than 1941.
Other items included a wristwatch, handkerchief, shaving tube, studs, toothbrush, fountain pen, propelling pencil, compass, box of matches, tablets, torch and toiletries. A key was also found but the police could not identify the lock it opened.
Following publicity at the discovery of the body, several people came forward to link missing relatives to the remains. The police compiled a list of eighteen possible suggestions. On investigation four were discovered to be alive, ten were eliminated as having no resemblance to the remains. Of the four remaining it could not be said conclusively if any were the man. A verdict of insufficient evidence was returned as to cause of death and the identity of the remains.
Since the inquest there has been much speculation as to the identity of the Trowl Ghyll body. Was he a German spy? Had he committed suicide to escape capture? Had he been murdered? Had the man died in a tragic accident? Was this a similar to the recent case of David Lytton, the man that travelled from London to Manchester to later be discovered on Saddleworth Moor in 2015 having committed suicide?
The spy theory is the most romantic explanation. The enemy agent, possibly with the authorities on his tail hides out in the wilderness and with no chance of rescue. He has no escape and as authorities close in he commits suicide. Sadly, this does not stand up to scrutiny.
Whilst it is true that Cyanide ampules were issued to covert agents during the war, Sodium Cyanide was widely used as a poison for vermin at that time. In addition, documents discovered after the war from German Intelligence do not support the spy theory. Around 115 enemy agents were sent to Britain during the course of the war. All were successfully captured by MI5 with the exception of Willem Ter Braak, who committed suicide in Cambridge in 1941.
What about the murder theory? Since Leach and Burgess had to move rocks to enter the cave, could this suggest unknown assailants had dumped the body and tried to conceal it? But then why would the body be found not only with extensive possessions, but a reasonable amount of cash. Eleven shillings is the equivalent to around £30 today.
The most likely explanation would seem to be suicide. Perhaps the man had received his callup papers and did not want to go to war. Perhaps he was in love but had his heart broken. Perhaps he had committed a crime and was trying to avoid justice.
Whatever the theories, unless there is more evidence still to be discovered, the mystery will remain. The story of the body in the cave will probably be forever unsolved.
Sunday 24th August 1947 was a warm late summer day. Two friends, Jim Leach an electrician from Great Harwood Lancashire, and Harold Burgess a motor engineer from Leeds, both members of the North Pennine Club, one of the oldest Caving clubs in England, were planning on exploring the area to find new entrances to the famous Gaping Gill cave system.
At approximately 12:30 that afternoon, they discovered a small opening partially obscured by stones. Investigating further Leach moved the stones to be able to gain entry to the cave. After climbing down about ten feet, he first saw a pair of shoes. Looking further he discovered a skull and the rest of a body. It was in a state of advanced decomposition with hardly any flesh remaining. Burgess also noticed that there was a small bottle of white powder next to the body.
The friends returned to Clapham to report their find, and were then accompanied back to the cave by Police Sergeant Nock of Ingleton. The remains were removed by the police the following day to Skipton Mortuary and the effects found with the body, sent to the forensic laboratory at Wakefield. The police assured the community that foul play had been ruled out as the cause of death.
An inquest was held at Skipton Town Hall in front of Coroner Stephen E. Brown on 25th November. Both Burgess and Leach gave evidence, as did the Police.
Evidence from the post mortem that took place on the 26th August was given by Professor P. L. Sutherland. The remains were described as being those of a man 5’5 ¼” tall, aged between 22 and 30 years. Death was estimated at having been between two and six years previously, and the bones found were not considered to have been a cause of death, since they were neither broken or diseased. The clothes had rotted to the point where they were difficult to distinguish.
Forensic evidence was given by Mr Lewis Nickolls from the North East Forensic Science Laboratory. The clothes were identified as a blue shirt and tie, a grey blue suit with red and white stripes, a tweedy herringbone overcoat, grey trilby hat and plum coloured scarf. The deceased hair was described as being light brown or auburn in colour.
Amongst the possessions discovered was the glass bottle spotted by Burgess. It was found to contain Sodium Cyanide, a lethal poison. The bottle was described as “full to the shoulder” but Nickolls was of the opinion a lethal dose could have been extracted. Also found was an unbroken ampule also containing Sodium Cyanide, and 11s 5 ½d, with no coins newer than 1939.
Also found were two pairs of shoes made in 1938 and 1939. A mineral water bottle of a type supplied to hotels in Morecambe, Lancaster and Ingleton, containing a blue crown top not introduced until 1940. On the basis of this evidence, Nickolls believed the date of death to be no later than 1941.
Other items included a wristwatch, handkerchief, shaving tube, studs, toothbrush, fountain pen, propelling pencil, compass, box of matches, tablets, torch and toiletries. A key was also found but the police could not identify the lock it opened.
Following publicity at the discovery of the body, several people came forward to link missing relatives to the remains. The police compiled a list of eighteen possible suggestions. On investigation four were discovered to be alive, ten were eliminated as having no resemblance to the remains. Of the four remaining it could not be said conclusively if any were the man. A verdict of insufficient evidence was returned as to cause of death and the identity of the remains.
Since the inquest there has been much speculation as to the identity of the Trowl Ghyll body. Was he a German spy? Had he committed suicide to escape capture? Had he been murdered? Had the man died in a tragic accident? Was this a similar to the recent case of David Lytton, the man that travelled from London to Manchester to later be discovered on Saddleworth Moor in 2015 having committed suicide?
The spy theory is the most romantic explanation. The enemy agent, possibly with the authorities on his tail hides out in the wilderness and with no chance of rescue. He has no escape and as authorities close in he commits suicide. Sadly, this does not stand up to scrutiny.
Whilst it is true that Cyanide ampules were issued to covert agents during the war, Sodium Cyanide was widely used as a poison for vermin at that time. In addition, documents discovered after the war from German Intelligence do not support the spy theory. Around 115 enemy agents were sent to Britain during the course of the war. All were successfully captured by MI5 with the exception of Willem Ter Braak, who committed suicide in Cambridge in 1941.
What about the murder theory? Since Leach and Burgess had to move rocks to enter the cave, could this suggest unknown assailants had dumped the body and tried to conceal it? But then why would the body be found not only with extensive possessions, but a reasonable amount of cash. Eleven shillings is the equivalent to around £30 today.
The most likely explanation would seem to be suicide. Perhaps the man had received his callup papers and did not want to go to war. Perhaps he was in love but had his heart broken. Perhaps he had committed a crime and was trying to avoid justice.
Whatever the theories, unless there is more evidence still to be discovered, the mystery will remain. The story of the body in the cave will probably be forever unsolved.
No comments:
Post a Comment