GEORGE & HUEY’S EMAIL INTERVIEW WITH FRED TOPLIFFE
In 1954, a daring rescue took place close to the village of Westhumble when the roof of a cave collapsed on top of a 15-year-old boy. Thanks to the skills and bravery of the firemen, Fred Topliffe survived his ordeal – and he went on to live the most remarkable life.
In 2020 Dorking Museum traced Fred Topliffe, now in his eighties, to his home in Oxford.
George and Huey asked if they could interview Fred by email to find out more about his story.
Here is their interview:
What got you into potholing in the first place?
I had always been interested in geology and at school studied it as an extracurricular subject with the object of getting another GCE science subject. During school field trips, and with friends at weekends, I visited many chalk quarries along the North Downs in search of fossils and to learn more about the local geology.
Had you been to Westhumble Caves before?
The mine in the quarry immediately attracted me and we returned with lights and helmets to explore it. We also discovered that there was a hearthstone mine at Godstone and a ragstone mine at Hosey Common caves, Westerham we visited all these places many times before the collapse at Westhumble.
About the cave collapse:
What went through your mind at the moment the rocks began to fall?
This is not going to be good.
Were you completely covered by the rocks? Could you move at all?
Yes, I was and could only move fingers and toes.
Did you lose all your breath when you cried for help?
No.
Were you scared? Did you think you would die?
The answer is “yes” to both questions!
If the crash helmet covered your face, how did you drink the coffee passed down to you?
You have probably heard a lot about ‘fake news’ lately, but it’s nothing new. Newspapers and social-media have always exaggerated, distorted and got things completely wrong. The truth is, my helmet stayed on and protected my head. It did not slip down and cover my face. The chalk blocks were large and had spaces between them through which air could circulate so I was not in danger of suffocating. I suppose the papers thought this made a better story!
Did you need to wee while you were in the cave?
I didn’t need to go and there were other things taking my mind off it.
Did you know the doctors were thinking of amputating your leg?
No, I didn’t and when most of the chalk had been removed, I was just held by one large block on my left foot. I knew it was just a case of getting it off and I would be free. The fireman had a ceiling hook and between us we were able to lever the rock off.
About your rescuer, fireman Bert Bullet:
How did you feel when you first saw Bert? Did he tell you his surname was Bullett?!
I couldn’t actually see him, just heard him removing the rocks and talking. I don’t remember him telling me his name, in any case I just called him “Mister” as boys did back then. To be honest I couldn’t see much of him and was just glad he was doing a good job removing the chalk blocks.
About the aftermath:
Where were your parents when they first heard? Were they there when you came out?
The police must have phoned the local station near to my home and they sent an officer to my house but my parents were not in, so I expect they left a message. They were not there when I was rescued.
How did you feel when you met your parents again and were free? Were you in trouble?
I was glad to be home and I expect they were so glad I was back that they didn’t give me a hard time.
About your life beyond the cave incident:
How long until you went potholing again?
Not long, just a few weeks
Where was your first cave expedition after being trapped?
I don’t really remember, but when I was at the Godstone mines later I met a group of Rover Scouts from Chelsea who had also been exploring underground workings around London and I joined their trips. We formed the Chelsea Speleological Society. (N.B. This is one of Britain’s top caving groups)
You went on to explore in many places: where did you go and what was your favourite? Why?
As a member of CSS, I visited natural caves in Somerset, Devon, South Wales (favourite) and Yorkshire as well as many more underground places around London.
As far as working overseas, I joined the British Antarctic Survey and was sent to Signy Island (a favourite) as a meteorological observer and ringed thousands of birds and tagged seals and made studies of the breeding behaviour of snow petrels and Weddell seals.
Later I joined the Anti Locust Research Centre and studied desert locusts in Saudi Arabia and then armyworms in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya and Tanzania.
I studied zoology at university in America and then joined The Royal Society who sent me to Aldabra Atoll in the Indian Ocean where there are many birds and 150,000 giant tortoises.
After I returned to UK, I joined the Plant Sciences Department of Oxford University where I worked as an ecologist on the technical staff until I retired in 2003.
What were you doing in Antarctica?
Together with two other meteorologists, we took it in turns in taking meteorological observations (recording temperature, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, wind speed and direction and describing the clouds every three hours around the clock). There were eight of us on the Base altogether and we all took turns cooking, cleaning, repairing equipment and buildings, looking after the dogs, unloading stores from the ships and doing anything else that was necessary as well as our own jobs. In my spare time I studied birds and seals.
How did your experience in the cave influence your work in later life?
It didn’t really affect my later life, except perhaps to be a bit more careful in chalk mines. In fact, my potholing experience came in useful in the Antarctic when I had to climb out of a crevasse I’d fallen into.
I’ve always been interested in ecology in the very widest sense: the earth, the atmosphere, animals and plants and their relationships with each other and of course with us.
With thanks to Fred Topliffe for kindly sharing his story.
