Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request 12th March 1941

Does anyone know how a small number of British soldiers died on or around the 12th of March 1941?

They were Cheshire regiment and are buried at Landican. There are eleven of them plus two from the Royal Artillery killed at the same time.

On the 12th & 13th March 1941 there was very heavy bombing in the area, 174 people were killed in Wallasey alone. I will try and find out more.

288 people were killed in Birkenhead and 275 seriously injured.

The deep level shelter at Laird street bus station was hit, as well as one of the Victoria park shelters.

With this level of destruction it would look likely the soldiers were killed in these raids.

13 people in Erskine Road, Poulton lost their lives on that night. The Jennings family, (parents and 3 children), at No. 15, were wiped out.

Although the men were in the Cheshire Regiment, they did not all come from Cheshire. The theatre of War is described as United Kingdom. The very good book "Birkenhead at War 1939-45" does not give a specific reason for so many service deaths that day, but as stated above the 12/13 March was Birkenhead's worst air raid with 288 Killed and 275 seriously injured, in two days bombing.

As a side note from the CWGC site LANDICAN "cemetery contains 128 Second World War burials, 35 of them forming a small war graves plot. This plot also contains a screen wall commemorating 38 servicemen and women whose remains were cremated at Birkenhead (Landican) Crematorium. 2 of the burials are unidentified seamen of the Royal Navy and 1 an unidentified airman of the Royal Air Force.

I'd be interested if you find what happened to these men.

The 2nd Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment was in posted in England in the early part of 1941.

Yes I know, I have just photographed all 128+ and got the screen wall redone by CWGC because it was in a bad state of repair. Also found one with the Y missing from the word Army and I can't believe no one ever noticed it. Have reported that too. There are two unknown sailors but also one unknown soldier in the small plot. I find this strange as surely they must have known who was alive before and if you have one soldier missing then it must be the missing one or am I missing something? He is identified as Cheshires on the grave stone. There are no unknown airmen so CWGC have got that wrong or you have misread it? There is also a Polish war grave there.

My thoughts are that these men were part of an anti aircraft unit hence the Royal Artillery with the infantry (Cheshires) providing their guard. I could be way off beam but seems a likely scenario. Now I have to find out for sure or go mad

Have you tried contacting the Cheshire Regiment Museum at Chester
[email protected]
or Tel: 01244 327 617

Always helpful, if they know the answer

Good call

Trying to find more information, I read back through "Walking through the Blitz, in the Birkenhead Area" the author was a member of the Home Guard aged 17.

The 12th March 1941, he was not on duty but he was out and about in Oxton Village. It was a full moon, and in nearby Alton Road some soldiers billeted in one of the houses were standing outside when a shell burst among them and they were blown to bits.

As a side note:
In Landican cemetery there are six unmarked graves in Ce section 9 Ref.s375-380 incl. In these graves lie the remains of 24 unidenmtified victims of the Blitz of the 12th March. The graves also include the remains of Mildred Hoyoake, Rose O'Calaghan, Catherine O'Calaghan, W McMullen, Elsie McIntosh and Catherine Edge. There are no headstones or other markings on the graves except the serial numbers. Whilst the country has ensured that all the remains of Military personnel are buried with a headstone the town has not seen fit to erect headstones for these civilian victims of the war.

Very interesting. I have emailed the Cheshires museum and will let you know if I get a satisfactory reply.

That's quite sad about the blitz victims. Are they commemorated on a screen wall somewhere at least?

Sadly I have an auntie and two cousins who died on 12/3/1941,I know they are supposed to be in the civilian war dead book,but I have no idea where they were buried,they are in the CWGC database,so I suppose another wander around Landican is in order,one place I must check out is I read that some of Birkenhead civilian war dead were buried at Barnston church can anybody confirm this?.

Why Barnston? I have photographed the few war graves at Barnston but can't say that I noticed any commemorating blitz victims. Doesn't mean they aren't there though.

Usually the CWGC says where they are buried. Is there no mention of it? I did notice while at Landican there were a number of graves stating killed by enemy action and they were civilians as far as I could tell.

I think it was definatly a local history book but I can't remember which,this is why I mentioned it as I think another local book mentions a V1 landing at Bromborough,it was possible as I believe some V1's were dropped from aircraft over Hull and set on course to Manchester but all went astray,that was bit was from a web page after doing some searches on yahoo for something else.

Have received the following. I didn't know this. Where was (is?) Higher Tranmere school?

Appologies for the delay in my reply. I have had a quick look through the regimental
history of WW2 and can find little mention of the 8th Home Defence Battalion.
However there is in an appendix to the work a piece taken from the Bikrnhead
Chronicle 1945. In the extract it mentions the March Blitz 12/13 March 1941. It notes
that among the loss of life 50 troops billeted in the Higher Tranmere School were
killed. Perhaps this explains the burials in Landican cemetery.
If I come across anything else I will let you know.
Regards,

Caroline Mannion
Museum Officer
Cheshire Military Museum
The Castle
Chester
CH1 2DN

Not sure if this is any help, Helles. But my mum told me that the school across from us on Borough Rd, Christ Church Claughton was hit by a "flying bomb - V1?") and destroyed as well as the houses at the bottom of Brattan Rd and the one next to us at 10 Dingle Rd fell down. Not sure if we were classed as Higher Tranmere or that referred to Holt Hill and up along Church Rd.