The Mystery of the Cippenham Duck

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This is the community discussion for this article. Add your memories, questions and corrections here. Imported historical comments below retain their original author names and dates; they are not newly registered accounts.

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Imported historical comment — Phil — 2018-11-07 22:47:06

I remember the duck and played in it extensively as a kid. As I remember, it was just behind the Scout Hut, or thereabouts. Never knew how it got there. For us kids it was gold, as playing 'war games' was the thing in the early 70's. WW2 ended just 25 years before 1970, so it was still relatively recent history at the time. By comparison, the first Gulf War was 28 years ago (in 2018!). There was also what was reputed to be a 'bomb crater' in the same field as the duck, on the far side nearer the M4.

Original comment #543

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Imported historical comment — Dreadnaught — 2018-11-08 17:20:22

In reply to historical comment #543.

I remember the ‘bomb-crater’ as a hole around 10 feet deep. In the bottom there was a manhole cover with a concrete surround. I think it was to do with a sewage pipeline that went to the works in Wood Lane. The 1932-38 OS map shows a sewage pumping station roughly where the scout hut now is. In the war, a V1 exploded on the other side of the green in an orchard where Frencham Gardens is now. Houses in Millstream Lane were damaged. See here

Original comment #544

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Imported historical comment — Dave Hill — 2019-07-17 19:17:53

Lord St Levan (the present Lord's uncle) I think had a DUKW which they used for going over to St Michael's Mount (where he lived) I'm not sure it was still there when we moved down to Cornwall in 1993. Then they had the Drake built (play on words!) now its the St Michael, its huge! I think you could buy them after the war. I once asked to look at Bob Gregory's old cars, he had a loada Bentley saloons which he kept as spares for his Bentley tourer. he also had an old lorry out in the field which we played on, wasn't the Darracq in the film Genevieve his?

Original comment #574

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Imported historical comment — Raak P — 2020-05-10 18:31:30

Any further info or photos of Gregs farm would be appreciated! I grew up in Warner Close and with my brother and 2 friends we spent hours in the farm, playing in the 'terrible tunnel' which runs from where the barn was to Mercian park , nearest to the trees of warner close and fence. We use to play in the Barn and yes I remember the caravan very well, as it was in the back side of the barn (thus closer to the Green ). It was rusty and quite frankly quite sharp and dangerous in parts. The Steel wheel was there and i recall an old WW looking truck or jeep in the field and I believe the DUCK was also there but in a state of ruin. That said my 'childhood' playing there was realistically 1980-1986 in those fields. Does anyone have more photos they can share please?

Original comment #618

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Imported historical comment — Owen Hurley — 2020-06-18 05:49:28

In reply to historical comment #618.

Hey I grew up in Warner Close in the 80's as well!
We must have known each other, I would think?

Original comment #627

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Imported historical comment — Tony Winzar — 2020-10-03 09:13:22

Don't recall the DUKW but behind the 'old' cricket pavilion, at the North of the green & just over the fence on Farmer Gregory's field, there used to be a line of World War 2 ex service vehicles.
I left Cippenham 01966 so my sighting would have been somewhat before then.

Original comment #643

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Imported historical comment — Andrew B — 2020-10-29 21:57:36

Hello,
Most kids from Westgate used to go back to Greggs field to play on the duck, i was one of them in the 60's !
I think the duck was used when the river Thames banks burst at Datchet in March 1947, it ferried people from The Rising Sun pub. I have a news paper clipping from August 2001 from The Express, which shows an image of this taking place. Maybe it was parked/abandoned in Greggs field after the flooding of Datchet?
I think it was a dumping ground for derelict second world war vehicles, including two aeroplane tyres which me and my friends used to jump and play around on.

I also think that the bomb crater mentioned above, was actually a well for the farm. I believe that the spring that fed the well, fed part of Sloughs water supply.

Original comment #647

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Imported historical comment — norman belson — 2021-02-05 14:58:55

i the dukw belong to bob gregory it was used 1949 when the green was flooded the lorries ex canadian army made by g/motors 3.8 h/p engine one was gun tractor with the back cut off there was some old tractor one my grandad drove i all so was lucky to be small boy on this farm and remember the old farm in barnfield i worked there when i left school norman belson

Original comment #703

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Imported historical comment — Lisa — 2021-06-22 15:10:16

It wasn't just boys that used to play on the vehicles by the green. I lived in Millstream Lane and was always over there pretending to drive! I also loved the cricket crease roller 😁. One of the vehicles was like a jeep and you could practice changing gear, and the tractor had a great big wheel.

Original comment #834

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Imported historical comment — Carolyn — 2021-12-30 19:01:17

In reply to historical comment #643.

Hi Tony - (TV Carol here!) in the 1950s there was also a huge black and red 'boat' with wheels (an amphibious vehicle) on the verge for any passers-by to see as they travelled along Mercian Way. It was outside Gregory's Farmhouse.
I have read references to it on other sites. I will search around and see if I can find them and will post them here.
Thousands of ex-military vehicles were taken to the Slough Trading Estate and sold off from there.

Original comment #992

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Imported historical comment — Colin George — 2022-01-16 10:17:02

In reply to historical comment #834.

Hi Lisa, I remember all the kids from Millstream Lane, including me and I have the scars to prove it, playing in the Duck along with all the other army vehicles kept on Greg’s farm. I lived at 11 Millstream lane from 1962 to 1987 and spent many hours when I was young with the boys next door climbing all over the duck, until the hull rotted away and it became too dangerous to play on.
The last time I saw the duck was in 1978 as it was being consumed by rust and the undergrowth, there was only a small portion of the sides and wheels that could be seen at this point.

Original comment #1012