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By: - 16th November 2010 at 14:40 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Interesting.
My Mother (GRHS) was in her Anderson shelter with my two elder brothers on Manor Way, Woolton that day I would guess.
Moggy
By: - 16th November 2010 at 15:22 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
If you search by Kampfgeschwader history and eliminate those who flew Ju88 and HE111's in 1940 - you should be able to get close to the answer.
For example:
KG76 flew Do17s and did Blitz Liverpool in 1941.
A list of KG is here
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Kampfgeschwader/Index.htm
By: - 17th November 2010 at 11:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Interesting.My Mother (GRHS) was in her Anderson shelter with my two elder brothers on Manor Way, Woolton that day I would guess.
Moggy
Small world Moggy! Do your family have any memories of the events?
Incidentally, my Uncle states that the stick of bombs that hit Woodrock Road and killed the Rowsons, also hit Old Swan and killed two of my mother's relatives - not quite sure how he can be so certain - but it's an old family chestnut!
By: - 17th November 2010 at 11:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
If you search by Kampfgeschwader history and eliminate those who flew Ju88 and HE111's in 1940 - you should be able to get close to the answer.For example:
KG76 flew Do17s and did Blitz Liverpool in 1941.A list of KG is here
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Kampfgeschwader/Index.htm
Thanks Brian, I'll give it a whirl!
By: - 17th November 2010 at 17:39 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Small world Moggy! Do your family have any memories of the events?
A bit late for that I fear. My mother died last year aged 97, my brothers were 4 and 0 at the time and have no memories, certainly not the younger one, since he too is dead.
Family legend has it that Mum used to tell the boys there was nothing to worry about when in the shelter during raids. The ack-ack and the bombs were just 'Rats upstairs'
My abiding memory, post war, was all the bomb-sites, or 'debbys' as we used to call them, where we gathered there to throw stones at opposing gangs (Until somebody took a head-shot and then everybody - except him - scarpered very quickly) and the walls with EWS and a direction arrow painted on them in huge letters.
Moggy
By: - 17th November 2010 at 19:06 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Luftwaffe raiders Liverpool supporters
There must be some good tales of raids on Liverpool, my own Father always thought the Luftwaffe was made up from Liverpool supporters, as they had a couple of goes at Evertons ground !!!.
As Dad lived two streets away from the ground it did get a bit hairy a few times.
Once during the famed May Blitz my Nan thought they would be safer with his Aunty { his Dad was in the RAF in north Africa} she duly dragged him to his very shocked Aunts, she lived next to a gas works !!!, although his aunty never left her house in any of the air raids she happly survived the war.
Another time some one in their street managed to get a couple of lorries and alot of them spent the night camped out in a field on the outskirts of Liverpool , only to find in the light of the next day they had spent the night next to a Ammo dump !!!!!!.
Sorry if I've gone on a bit much but its so important to pass on these memories whilst we can ...
By: - 17th November 2010 at 20:57 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
A book called “The Liverpool Firebobbies” by Frank O'Reilly has a lot of quite detailed information on the type of ordnance and the damage it caused by location in Liverpool during the war. The information is taken from the Fire Brigade Divisional Logs.
I was always told that the last raid of the war dropped bombs on Hitler's brother's house, and this book confirmed that the last raid did indeed damage and destroy houses in Upper Stanhope Street. The copy I viewed was in the Central Library which is unfortunately closed at the moment for restoration though I have heard that arrangements to view can be made.
By: - 18th November 2010 at 11:33 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
A book called “The Liverpool Firebobbies” by Frank O'Reilly has a lot of quite detailed information on the type of ordnance and the damage it caused by location in Liverpool during the war. The information is taken from the Fire Brigade Divisional Logs.
Thanks for the replies guys, I'll try and obtain that book. I have read 'Liverpool, A city at war' by Bryan Perrett but that's more broad brush than exhaustive detail IIRC.
I keep pestering my Dad to write down the family history - he remembers bits and pieces from the war, seeing a Halifax towed out from Rootes onto the airfield, a Blenheim roaring over the bridge at Hunts Cross at low level and he thinks he saw a Condor (Fw-200) on one occasion - I'd love to confirm that sighting!
I'd love to hear any more Liverpool war stories (shame they missed Goodison, eh ;) )
I have managed to find the details of my mum's relatives (as below), if I can now find the Rowson's that may help me tie in whether it was the same raid:
3 WADE , CLAUDE JAMES Civilian * 30/08/1940 46 Civilian War Dead United Kingdom * LIVERPOOL, COUNTY BOROUGH
Name: WADE, CLAUDE JAMES
Initials: C J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Civilian
Regiment/Service: Civilian War Dead
Age: 46
Date of Death: 30/08/1940
Additional information: of 97 Grant Road, West Derby. Husband of Mary Wade. Died at 97 Grant Road.
Casualty Type: Civilian War Dead
Reporting Authority: LIVERPOOL, COUNTY BOROUGH
11 WADE , MARY Civilian * 30/08/1940 47 Civilian War Dead United Kingdom * LIVERPOOL, COUNTY BOROUGH
Name: WADE, MARY
Initials: M
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Civilian
Regiment/Service: Civilian War Dead
Age: 47
Date of Death: 30/08/1940
Additional information: of 97 Grant Road, West Derby. Wife of Claude James Wade. Died at 97 Grant Road.
Casualty Type: Civilian War Dead
Reporting Authority: LIVERPOOL, COUNTY BOROUGH
By: - 18th November 2010 at 11:36 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
There must be some good tales of raids on Liverpool, my own Father always thought the Luftwaffe was made up from Liverpool supporters, as they had a couple of goes at Evertons ground !!!.
As Dad lived two streets away from the ground it did get a bit hairy a few times.
Once during the famed May Blitz my Nan thought they would be safer with his Aunty { his Dad was in the RAF in north Africa} she duly dragged him to his very shocked Aunts, she lived next to a gas works !!!, although his aunty never left her house in any of the air raids she happly survived the war.
Was this Garston Gas works? Didn't someone get the GC for defusing a bomb that hit them?
Cheers
Seb
By: - 18th November 2010 at 11:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
My little mystery solved... my Dad's neighbour was killed the same night as the relatives. A small footnote in history - but how sad....
ROWSON, Civilian, THOMAS HERBERT, Civilian War Dead. 30th August 1940. Age 48. of 1 Woodcock Road, Woolton. Husband of Mary Agnes Rowson. Died at 1 Woodcock Road.
My Dad told me both parents were killed but the daughter survived.
Got this record from this new site:
By: - 18th November 2010 at 13:37 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Chap I know is making a film which is about three Liverpool Sisters, the Blitz and an Italian POW.
http://theicecreammanmovie.blogspot.com/
Synopsis includes
Set against the battlefields of North Africa, France and blitzed Liverpool during WW2. The story follows three sisters in there early twenties and how they and their family survived the blitz and rationing etc. The story reflects life in Liverpool at this time, war, work, blackouts, bombing etc. - But mainly the 'humour' and the 'hope' that got them through each day.....
Each sister finds the love of their life... the story tells how each comes in contact with their man and the background stories of the three men.... one an Italian POW, one an armaments expert and the other a Liverpool dock worker.
By: - 18th November 2010 at 20:15 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Was this Garston Gas works? Didn't someone get the GC for defusing a bomb that hit them?Cheers
Seb
IT was the gas works on Athol street his aunt lived next to, I think this is the Vauxhall / Kirkdale area.
Dad also remembers having to leave the house of another Aunt because of a UXB, the bomb disposal squad spent a long time digging down to it only to find it was one of those large sandstone door lintils that alot of Liverpool houses have, had been blown up into the air and come down and buried its self
Thanks
By: - 21st November 2010 at 10:40 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Was this Garston Gas works? Didn't someone get the GC for defusing a bomb that hit them?
I wondered it it was one of the RN's Aussie mines made safe team, but it wasn't - it was one of their equally brave colleagues:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/8066050/George-Cross-heroes.html
By: - 23rd November 2010 at 07:16 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
No hesitation in bringing this back, but with a question.
Does anyone know numbers of wounded and numbers trapped in the November 1940 bombing of the BSA Birmingham works? Some discussion here: http://airminded.org/2010/11/19/tuesday-19-november-1940/ and relating to the Liverpool Blitz.
By: - 23rd November 2010 at 08:37 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
On the subjectof the Liverpool Blitz I have just placed a summary article on our website relating to an HeIII shot down at Widnes that we investigated and readers on here may find it of interest - a full account of our research into the incident appears in my "North West Aircraft Wrecks" book - see link below.
By: - 23rd November 2010 at 10:11 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I wondered it it was one of the RN's Aussie mines made safe team, but it wasn't - it was one of their equally brave colleagues:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/8066050/George-Cross-heroes.html
I bet he didn't even break a sweat or lose his monacle!
I'm sorry I can't say how many were killed at BSA but thanks for fascinating contributions and links guys - I'll be passing these on to my Dad.
He's made approx 6 Do-17 models in the past two years (he does models in waves and it's Fw-190s next!) so I'm sure he like to do one or two more Mersey raiders!
By: - 23rd November 2010 at 11:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
No hesitation in bringing this back, but with a question.Does anyone know numbers of wounded and numbers trapped in the November 1940 bombing of the BSA Birmingham works? Some discussion here: http://airminded.org/2010/11/19/tuesday-19-november-1940/ and relating to the Liverpool Blitz.
I'll dig up my dad's diaries from the attic. He spent most of the war in Birmingham where he was in the Home Guard, and he also kept a diary for over 60 years - more Mr Pooter than Samuel Pepys, but at least it's contemporary material.
By: - 23rd November 2010 at 11:18 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Please do, sounds great! In some ways keeping it Pooter could be tougher that Pepysing it. :)
By: - 23rd November 2010 at 12:14 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I seen to remember that there was a very large article on this in a very old edition of Air Pictorial - I'll see if I can locate it
By: - 23rd November 2010 at 18:26 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
My mother, born and raised in Liverpool, lived on West Derby Road during the war. In 2007 she narrated a short video story about her Liverpool aunt, uncle, and cousin -- the only survivors, said Mom, of a direct hit on a shelter on 28 Nov 1940. The story is illustrated with various Blitz photos, some from Liverpool, some not. I can't vouch for the accuracy of all details, but Mom did consult reference books at the time she wrote it. The video:
http://www.umbc.edu/oit/newmedia/studio/digitalstories/ctds.php?movie=CT07_LoneSurvivors_poole.flv
She met her first husband (not my father), George Plank, when they each ducked into the same above-ground street shelter one evening as the sirens wailed. The date is unclear to Mom, but it was 1940. The bombs spared their district, love blossomed, and they married in Liverpool just before George departed for India and wireless op/air gunner duties with RAF 159 Sqn, on Libs. He and his crew were killed when their bomber, BZ962, was shot down over Rangoon on 29 Feb 1944.
Mom said her parents' home lost its windows due to bomb concussions on seven occasions. Once, shrapnel from an exploded bomb was found lodged in the ceiling. One day I want to study bomb plots in Liverpool to see how closely they fell to Mom's home, and to George's home on Clifton St.
I know there are plots, as referenced here:
http://www.culture24.org.uk/places+to+go/north+west/liverpool/art29714
Cheers,
Matt
Posts: 216
By: lmisbtn - 16th November 2010 at 13:22
I wonder if anyone can help answer my Dad's question...
(thanks in advance for any help)
Is there any way to find out which Dornier 17 units participated in daylight attacks on Liverpool in August 1940 and from which bases/countries would they have flown?
My Dad was the son of a tenant farmer and lived on a farm at the bottom of Watergate Lane in Woolton and his recollection of one such event is looking up one afternoon to see an untidy gaggle of five or six Do-17s proceeding from the direction of Halewood towards town/the Docks. Quite some way underneath them was a Hurricane going the opposite direction in a hurry (he did not see if the fighter engaged the Dorniers as he was ushered into the shelter at that point - which he said was more frightening than actually being able to see what was going on).
(Incidentally, during one of the night raids that followed later that month, the house at the end of the Woodrock Road just opposite the farm took a direct hit - you can still easily spot where the bomb hit as the house that now stands there is completely different to all the others).
Thanks again
Seb