Can anyone help me on casualties in Birkenhead due to the March 12/13 raids? Trying to do a bit of family history!
thanks in advance
Yes, if killed, have you a name/family?
You can check with the Commonwealth Graves Commission Web for the deaths as they will be in the Book of Remembrance, at the Wallasey town hall and the Birkenhead town hall there are plaques of remembrance with names but the names on them both are not complete as they were compiled after WW2 by the local papers getting people to send in the details of people who died, I believe both plaques were bought by subscription
There is a book available on amazon or maybe waterstones have a copy called,(Birkenhead at war 1939-45 including surrounding areas and Bebington).I have seen this book it lists people and families,who lost their lives during the blitz it names them,dates they died and where they where killed and buried hope this helps you.
Thanks for this but I'm looking for totals rather than individuals. I'll follow up in any event.
Regards
Thanks. Already ordered so should have the info PDQ. Obviously found a very helpful bunch of people when I registered on this site!
Regards
March 12/13th raid, 288 killed and 275 seriously injured, 25,000 people homeless.
Not sure that's right.
For those 2 dates, there re 270 casualties in Wallasey and 171 in Birkenhead. That's not accounting those that would have died later from injuries.
Have a play with CWGC search, select dates and "civilian casualties" -
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead.aspx?cpage=1
The first death occurred on August 9 1940, Johanna Mandale, Prenton Lane, Prenton. The raids continued until November 1 1941, killing in total 464 people. 2,079 homes were demolished and over 26,000 damaged. The raids of March 12/13, 267 people died on those dates rising to 288 in the following days and weeks.
During the March raid, 40 land mines and 180 heavy bombs were dropped as well as other nasty material.
For air raid protection, there were, 7,800 Brick shelters (Domestic) 717 Communal, 3,000 Morrison, 204 Public Shelters, 6,000 Anderson. Also Tranmere and Bidston Shelters, Railway (Underground Stations) Mersey Tunnel and the Market Vaults.