12 replies to this topic

[KathyT]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and I am wondering if anyone can help me. I am trying to put together details of what happened in the London Borough of Newham during the Zeppelin and Gotha raids.



What I really want to know is the names of those killed, and the streets that were bombed in the borough,  i.e. in the areas of Canning Town, Custom House, East Ham, Forest Gate, Manor Park, North Woolwich, Plaistow, Silvertown, Stratford, The Royal Docks, West Ham.



I have got hold of the two books by Ian Castle: London 1914-17 The Zeppelin Menace; and London 1917-18 The Bomber Blitz. These books have been really useful and from them I have been able to work out the dates of the raids that I am interested in, which are:



·         17/18 Aug 1915 - Wanstead Flats, opp Dames Road and other locations on Wanstead Flats      Windows broken in 73 houses in the Dames Road area.

·         23/24 Sept 1916 - Marshgate Lane & Carpenters Road. Stratford. The final bombs caused severe damage to a match factory and the depot of an oil company

·         13th June 1917 - Stratford, East Ham, Royal Docks - 2 of the bombs fell in Alexandra Road damaging 42 houses, killing 4 and injuring 11. Another bomb fell on Royal Albert Dock killing 8 dock workers, and damaging buildings, vehicles and a railway truck.

·         4/5 Sept 1917 - Stratford and Wanstead Flats - Messrs Wm Ritchie former jute factory, used a internment camp until June 1917 was bombed at 23:25 on 4 Sept.  A few bombs on Wanstead Flats or Park 23.55

·         19/20 May 1918 - Manor Park, Forest Gate, Stratford, West Ham, East Ham, Plaistow, Canning Town, East Ham.        Grange Road Board School damaged. Leo Grogan, aged 7, killed 12 Ladysmith Road, Canning Town.



I have checked with the LB Newham Archives dept but the do not have a bomb list for WW1. Before I look through the local newspapers I thought I would see if anyone on this forum might know if such a list existed elsewhere.



Kathy

[Rif Brig]

Hi Kathy,

Not sure if you have tried this website:

http://www.newhamstory.com/

My grandfather and uncle worked in the Royal Docks and my mum has told me many stories about the blitz during the second world war.

Hope this helps,

Mark

[Jim_Grundy]

Kathy


Whilst it does not include a list of casulaties, Frank Morison's 1937 work, "War on Great Cities", gives full details of the properties that were hit during the raids on London.

Sadly, it's not easily obtained these days. If you can't trace a copy (the cheapest I can find is around £33 on www.bookfinder.com), let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Regards,


Jim

[Kevin Bush]

My Great Grand-Mother Christina Mary Vasil & her son George were killed in one of the houses bombed in Alexandra Rd.  One daughter at home at the time was injured but the other my Grandmother was at the nearby school.

[hesmond]

As a ex East Ender all ways been intrested in this subject , my nan remberd the North St School and my aunt was a pupil at the time , in the 1960s i rember the plaque on the Black Swan public hose oppitse Bromley-by Bow Church the pub was destroyed by enemy action 1916 , its worth going to the Local History Libary by  Queen Mary College in Mile End , they are superb and very helpfull ,also the After The Battle Book on the East End .

[TJJ]

The match factory mentioned  in the Sept 1916 raid was probably the Bryant & May works, which is now apartments (Bow Quarter) situated north of the Bow Flyover. Marshgate Lane is about mid way between there and Carpenters Road.

The factory was famous for the 'Match Girls' Strike' in 1888.

[TonyE]

Get a copy of the Official History of the War in the Air Volume V (available as a reprint by Naval & Military Press). Lots of details of the raids including lists of houses/streets hit in each raid and casualties in each street.

Regards
TonyE

[hesmond]

It may also be worth contacting the Fire Brigade archive /museum in Victoria ,they will have copys of the Fire Brigade reports and also the Standard Telegraph system used at the time to report insistances of raids and fires , also if passing the old St Leonards St Fire station is still in existance ,now used as a document archive ,it has a super plaque outside ,also if in the area visit the site of the North St School bombing and the memorial ,it was from St Leonards St that the engines went to Old Ford ect .

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Kathy,
Welcome to the Forum.

The German Air Raids of June 1917 caused much death and destruction to the East End of London, one of the worst incidents was the bombing of the Upper North Street School in Poplar, in which 18 children were killed.
Their funeral was held on 20th June, 1917, with 15 of the children being buried in one mass grave, and 3 were buried in private graves.
A Memorial to the children was erected in the Poplar Recreation Ground in June 1919.
Here are some photographs of the damage caused by the air raid, the funeral of the children, and their memorial in Poplar.

Regards,
Leo

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•  East end 1.jpg   27.38K   1 downloads
•  East end 2.jpg   41.3K   0 downloads
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[Lancashire Fusilier]

The Childern's funeral held in Poplar, Wednesday, 20th June, 1917.

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•  East end flowers.jpg   33.68K   1 downloads

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Unveiling of the Upper North Street School Memorial, Poplar, June 1919.
Memorial dedication :-

"In memory of 18 children who were killed by a bomb
dropped from a German Aeroplane upon the L.C.C. School,
Upper North Street, on 13th June, 1917."

Louise Annie Acampora (5)
Alfred Ernest Batt (5)
Leonard Charles Barford (5)
John Percy Brennan (5)
William Thomas Henry Challen (4)
Alice Maud Cross (5)
William Hollis (5)
George Albert Hyde (5)
Grace Jones (5)
Rose Martin (11)
George Morris (6)
Edwin Cecil William Powell (12)
Robert Stimson (5)
Elizabeth Taylor (5)
Rose Tuffin (5)
Frank Winfield (5)

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•  East end memorial 2.jpg   37.49K   0 downloads
•  East end memorial 3.jpg   40.02K   0 downloads

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Poplar Upper North Street School Memorial - details -

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•  poplar mem 3.jpg   34.45K   0 downloads
•  poplar mem 1.jpg   81.2K   0 downloads
•  poplar mem 2.jpg   35.31K   0 downloads

[Lancashire Fusilier]

German air raid on Poplar - Funeral of children killed in the Upper North Street School bombing -

2

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•  poplar order of serv.jpg   27.46K   0 downloads
•  popla rfunera.jpg   93.43K   0 downloads