Dead Man's Lane (Wesley Peterson)

Product Information

An Ordnance Survey map surveyed in 1850-51 shows Deadman's Hole Lane (from bottom left corner) (Image: Ordnance Survey/National Library of Scotland) This is the twenty-fourth in Ellis’ DI Wesley Peterson series of police procedurals. It can easily be read as a standalone if you have not read the others in the series. Another field called Middle Allhays (number 65 on the 1843 Tithe Survey Map) was occupied by a Peregrine Rosling and was leased from Henry Eugene Shadwell who was the son of Dr John Shadwell, the Lord of the Manor. (This is the land we now know as Long’s Field). Peregrine Rosling had come to live in Horfield from Corby, Lincolnshire, and must have attended Horfield Parish Church as his name was on a petition to rebuild Horfield Parish Church in 1836. At that time there were several branches of the Rosling family shown as living on The Common, including his brother Reuben Rosling who ran Berry Lane Farm.

Golden Hill is one of the highest points within the Bristol City environs and is located across the Horfield, Bishopston and Henleaze districts. It is said that the name Golden Hill derives from the fact that it was a pre-Christian beacon hill. It has also been suggested it has an ancient pagan origin and the remains of a tumulus nearby could well support this theory. A killer on the loose isn't the only problem Wesley is facing: his childhood sweetheart, Grace Compton, has turned up in Tradmouth and she wants his help. Grace, an architect for the Strangefields development, has seen someone from her past who she wants Wesley to investigate; a man she thought was dead. These landings would be followed by the deep-wading tanks of Company C in the third wave (H+15), which would land on both beaches. Eight tanks outfitted with bulldozer blades landed in this wave, as well. We dedicate this article to the brave men of the 70th Tank Battalion and the 101st Airborne Division, and thank them for their role in liberating Europe from Nazism.) Three documents are crucial in identifying the tank crew: the casualty list of Company D, entries in the company diary, and the official history of the battalion (published shortly after the war). The casualty list is the most important, as it contains data on when, where, and how men were killed, wounded, or went missing.Ellis’ mysteries always have a link to the past and her Author’s Note gives her readers details of the real life historical influences for this tale. In 2012, we took Mr. Burgett to the field, where he confirmed that the terrain matched what he remembered. Without hesitation, he pointed out where the tank had entered the field and the corner where it later left the field and moved onto the N-13. Exiting the field in the northwest corner is quite simple, since the banks level off to road level at that point. Since Tank 17 was his tank, Lieutenant Anderson can be assumed to have been killed in that tank, as well. This is supported by the diary, which states: “We found Tank 17 today […] and learned Lt. Anderson had been killed.” Additional evidence is provided by Sergeant Francis Ross, who confirmed that Tank 17 was used by Lieutenant Anderson. He knew this for a fact because he was personally asked by the lieutenant to become his driver but declined.

With another brutal murder in a nearby village occurring, it seems almost blatant that this is the case. Among these two men is the likely commander of Tank 12, Sergeant Anthony I. Tomasheski. He was initially reported in the company diary as missing in action and was later listed as killed in action. When his body was examined, it was found that he had suffered fractures to his skull, jaw, and left humerus. His body was ultimately returned for burial in the U.S.In November 1920, huge tracts of land owned by the Shadwell Trust estate in Bishopston, Horfield and Filton were put up for sale. The map in Figure 7 below shows some of the lots, with handwritten names indicating the names of fields. Figure 7: Shadwell estate Land sale plan, 1921