Wigan Album

What excellent contrasting views of the same properties and of great historical importance.
Nothing like the Zeppelin raids had ever been experienced before, huge airships in the sky raining down destruction. My mother was only five at the time but she recalled how her grandmother fussed over getting her bonnet off the back door hook as they all rushed down into the cellar terrified.
Thanks again Keith.

Jane Tomlinson
Rank: Civilian
Died: 12/04/1918 Age: 58
Incident Date: 12/04/1918
Incident Address. Harper Street, Wigan
Died Address: Harper Street, Wigan
Grave Photo: No
Cemetery or Memorial: Not Known
Town Memorial: Not Listed
Extra Information:
Samuel & Jane Tomlinson were asleep in bed when a
bomb blast hurled them through the window and into
a clay pit, killing them both instantly.

During the night of the 12th/13th April 1918,
Zeppelin L61 came across from the east passing
south of Sheffield and headed towards Cheshire.
It was reported over Northwich where Anti-aircraft
guns protecting Brummer Mond Works opened fire on
it. The airship then turned north passing over
the River Mersey at Runcorn. Their first bomb
that night landed beside the 5th milestone along
the Warrington to Prescot Road at Bold. Spotting
the glare from the Wigan Coal & Iron Company's six
blast furnaces he headed towards them. Still
heading in a northerly direction, the airship
crossed the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in the centre
of Wigan dropping bombs on Darlington Street East,
Clarington Grove and Harper Street where its bombs
killed Samuel & Jane Tomlinson. Continuing
northwards, bombs were dropped on Schofield Lane,
Cecil Street and Platt Lane, the latter being
where Margaret Ashurst was killed. It next
struck at Whelley Brow at the rear of 187 Whelley
Road on a row of 12 cottages known as Morson's Row
where Walter Harris and his infant son was killed.
It then headed north-east over Little Hulton,
then on an easterly route, south of Bolton and
Rochdale before heading back to the North Sea.

https://www.greatermanchesterblitzvictims.co.uk/index.php?sold_id=1334,victims&letter=&soldier=Tomlinson&district_id=34

Colin, you and I both, have relations who experienced the terror from bombs descending from the sky. My lovely grandmother, aged 19 at the time, who I knew well, her sister (my auntie Maggie) and their father and brothers, lived in Harper Street at the time of this Zeppelin raid. They hid under the kitchen table as the bombs exploded (two fell in close proximity to Harper Street) and the house next door was destroyed killing the husband and wife, Mr and Mrs Tomlinson, their bodies blown outside. My grandmother had a fear of thunder and lightning for the rest of her life as a result. The blown out windows resulted in their dog being killed by flying glass.

From an account of the raid I’ve selected these snippets.
Bombs fell and the flashes lit up the darkness as people ran into the streets. After dropping a total of 27 bombs, the raider fled as quickly as he had come, leaving a trail of devastation in Lower Ince, Hardybutts, Scholes, Platt Lane, Whelley and New Springs.
The raid on Wigan took place in darkness because Zeppelins had become vulnerable to attack by defending aircraft. For this reason, Zeppelin captains began to choose dark or misty nights, and consequently some lost their bearings and dropped bombs in the wrong places.
At first it was believed that the raider intended bombing the steel works at Kirkless, but if so, the bombs were wide of their target.
Although Wigan was taken completely by surprise, special constables went around blowing whistles - there were no air raid wardens then - and urging people to take shelter in their cellars.
The tale is told of one lady who came out in her nightgown and was told to go back and put something more on. She did so and emerged a little later, still in her nightgown but with a hat on!

Most of us would have had grandparents who experienced these bombs being dropped in such close proximity. It’s made me think how my grandmother and her relatives in John St coped with it. She was married at the time to my grandfather who would have been away at war. Yet we were never told about what happened. I only knew about the Church in Greenough St bombed and re- built. It must have been terrifying for the locals. The war was on their doorstep and not just in some foreign country.

I understand that my great grandfather was blown from his bed in the Zeppelin raid on Platt Lane
I myself have vivid memories of the bomb on Greenough Street Independent Methodist church
Under the stairs in Caunce Street very near the blast but there was very little damage bey and the building itself
I certainly felt no fear.We just got on with it

Bob Grundy and Steve Wall covered this subject in an article, "The Camera Returns" in issue number 104 of The Western Front Journal, "Stand To!" in July 2021.