Note signed by oilmen on secretive Kelham Hall second world war drilling mission turns up in Texas

A pound note signed by US oilmen who secretly drilled near Newark has been returned to what was their wartime home.

The note, which turned up at a rare coin shop in Dallas, Texas, is now back at Kelham Hall, where the oilmen stayed during the second world war.

The note was signed by 33 Oil Patch Warriors, the American roughnecks who aided the advance of Britain’s oil production during the war by drilling for oil at a site in Eakring.

They signed it 73 years ago at the end of their stay.

At the time Kelham Hall was home to monks of the Sacred Mission.

A customer took the note to Dallas Rare Coins among a collection of foreign money and it caught the eye of Mr Reggie Cusick, who works at the store.

Mr Cusick gifted the note to his brother-in-law, Mr Dewayne Bragg, who researched the note’s history by looking up details of the chief cashier and using the serial number to establish that it was printed in 1940.

He searched for the names on the note using military records, but that was not successful as they were mostly nicknames, initials or incomplete signatures.

Mr Bragg then searched online for a name on the back of the note ­— Spanky Hemphill ­— which brought up an article about the American oilmen who went to Britain during the war to help increase oil production.

Spanky Hemphill’s name was mentioned in that article along with others who signed the note.

That helped Mr Bragg discover the oilmen’s story and why they were in Britain.

'You never know when life will cross paths with something that totally captivates you'

Mr Cusick and Mr Bragg, of Hot Springs, Arkansas, were due to visit England and they decided to return the note to Kelham Hall.

Kelham Hall houses the Duke’s Wood Oil Museum, which includes artefacts and pictures telling the story of UK oilfields, both offshore and onshore.

The museum was previously in Eakring.

After visiting Duke’s Wood with his children, the owner of Kelham Hall, Mr Jonathan Pass, struck up a friendship with the museum’s curator, Mr Kevin Topham, and later offered him the chance to move the museum.

Mr Cusick and Mr Bragg presented the pound note to Mr Topham during their visit to the museum.

Mr Bragg said: “You never know when life will cross paths with something that totally captivates you.

“That path led us to a fascinating story and an unexpected and enlightening trip to history.

“We are pleased to have returned this pound note to Kelham Hall.”

The drilling at Duke’s Wood was described by wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill as one of the greatest secrets of the conflict.