Remembering 14 Sept 1940 ?

[Evil Sid]

Showed the picture of the plaque to my mother earlier today and got the following story.

 

Her and her sisters were due to go to that event but as one of them was working the rest did not go so a lucky escape for them.( the one that was workng was fourteen at the time). She did remember seeing the plane as it flew along lilford avenue towards arpley meadows and recalls one of the more beligerent gents runnig inside to get his shotgun to take a potshot at it. The whole family was worried as they had been told that the bombs had landed on the dog track where her father was. There was soem relief at hearing that was not the case but great grief for those who had perished and anger at the Germans for being so callous as to bomb a fete.

 

Some of the theories banded about at the time were that the pilot had mistaken the tents for an army camp or part of burtonwood airbase.

[Gary]

Hope to see a few of you there on Monday

[Tracey Bennett]

Well done to both Dizz and Gary for bringing this to light.

[SusanW]

Very pleased to hear that these people who lost their lives will be remembered today.

 

I spent Friday evening in the company of my Uncle Leslie (my late Father's surviving brother. He remembers this event and told us about it.

 

He was aged 10 and the family lived in one of the cottages on Bellhouse Lane, Grappenhall. That Saturday afternoon he heard the sound of a plane and went outside to spot it. He thought it might be German as it sounded so different from British aircraft. He watched it coming up from the south and heading towards Warrington. He remembers the black outline as it was silhouetted against the late afternoon sun. It turned left and went across the town - then there was a loud 'bang'. The plane turned south again very quickly and he watched as it flew away much faster than it arrived. The sound of the explosion brought his Mum out of the house and she asked what the noise was; he replied "I think it was a bomb, Mum!"

[SusanW]

Notes that my late Mother wrote about her early life detail her memory of this incident. Grace was 15 at the time and the family lived on Forrest Street, Latchford (now Kingsway South). She went to town regularly on a Saturday afternoon to queue at M&S as it was sometimes possible to buy a few custard creams and some tomatoes. These unrationed items were a gift for her mum and much appreciated by the family - quite a noble act on my Mum's part as she had a lifelong aversion to both the taste and smell of tomatoes!

 

From her notes:

"Walking down Cairo St towards Sankey St, there was the sound of a low flying airplane. In the split second when I thought perhaps it was a German, and pictures of them machine-gunning refugees flashed in my mind, I was grabbed and pushed into a doorway by a young Air Force man. As we stood there, both saying we hadn't seen anything, he was convinced it was a German plane, there was a terrible 'bang!".

[Gary]

Big thank you to everyone who turned out for this event today - and to Dizzy for highlighting the anniversary.

When we all question the value of this forum - I think moments like this should be remembered.

Without the forum this important part of the town's history would have passed without recognition.

http://www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/2015/09/14/thames-board-mills-bomb-victims-remembered/

[Dizzy]

Such a lovely service so well done to all and to everyone who attended