THE ROCKET SHELTER BOMBING
The Rocket air raid shelter was on a triangular piece of land between Oakvale Church and the Rocket flyover, close to The Gardener's Arms pub at the junction of Broadgreen Road/ Edge Lane Drive. The exact spot where the shelter stood is unknown, but it was within this area. It was an ' E Type ' Shelter ( Built in the shape of the letter E ) and was also built into the ground for extra protection.
On the night of 3rd May 1941 many people had made their way into the shelter as the heavy bombing raid took hold, Many had come out of a local dance hall looking for shelter as the sirens rang. Sadly the shelter took a direct hit that left many dead and injured.
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1942 Map showing the triangular piece of ground at Queens Drive
A more modern map added to the one from 1942 showing the location of the triangle land.
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In those days Edge Lane Drive went across Broadgreen Road near Oakvale Church and continued to Queens Drive. The road across Queens Drive became Thomas Drive (the road up to Broadgreen Hospital) The No.40 tram ran along this route. Queens Drive was then a dual carriageway road and the triangle was formed by this, Broadgreen Road and Edge Lane Drive . It was on this triangle of waste land that the shelter was built.
The distance along Queens Drive from Edge Lane Drive to Broadgreen Road was about 200 yards and the shelter would have been about half way between. The entrance was on Queens Drive and although it was set back a little way, it would only have been a few feet back. Now, of course, Queens Drive has been widened to allow for the flyover and my guess is that the opening and part of the remaining shelter would have been underneath the new road bypassing the flyover.
I never went into that particular shelter, but it would have been identical to the one that was behind Northway Junior School which I did use, albeit only for rehearsals as we never had any air raids during school hours. The shape was like an 'E', the entrance being at the end of the middle crossbar. The main shelter was then in the two side arms and the vertical of the 'E'.
I remember the Queens Drive shelter because my father had a friend who lived in Edge Lane Drive opposite the then waste land but he didn't have his own domestic shelter and this understandably worried him. My father suggested that he made use of the public shelter, the entrance of which woudn't have been too far from his house. He told my father that that sounded like a good idea and he would use it. On the next air raid, he did in fact use it and this was the night on which the shelter got a direct hit and he was killed. I don't know, but I suspect the rest of his family also died. My father wa very upset that his advice had turned out to have been so disastrous, especially as his house was not seriously damaged and still exists.
I think you have to understand that after a bombing raid, there were many sad
stories and not all would have been recorded in the press. It sounds somewhat hard now, but it was almost 'all in a night's work' and we all had to get on with life.
Norman McConnell
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In those days Edge Lane Drive went across Broadgreen Road near Oakvale Church and continued to Queens Drive. The road across Queens Drive became Thomas Drive (the road up to Broadgreen Hospital) The No.40 tram ran along this route. Queens Drive was then a dual carriageway road and the triangle was formed by this, Broadgreen Road and Edge Lane Drive . It was on this triangle of waste land that the shelter was built.
The distance along Queens Drive from Edge Lane Drive to Broadgreen Road was about 200 yards and the shelter would have been about half way between. The entrance was on Queens Drive and although it was set back a little way, it would only have been a few feet back. Now, of course, Queens Drive has been widened to allow for the flyover and my guess is that the opening and part of the remaining shelter would have been underneath the new road bypassing the flyover.
I never went into that particular shelter, but it would have been identical to the one that was behind Northway Junior School which I did use, albeit only for rehearsals as we never had any air raids during school hours. The shape was like an 'E', the entrance being at the end of the middle crossbar. The main shelter was then in the two side arms and the vertical of the 'E'.
I remember the Queens Drive shelter because my father had a friend who lived in Edge Lane Drive opposite the then waste land but he didn't have his own domestic shelter and this understandably worried him. My father suggested that he made use of the public shelter, the entrance of which woudn't have been too far from his house. He told my father that that sounded like a good idea and he would use it. On the next air raid, he did in fact use it and this was the night on which the shelter got a direct hit and he was killed. I don't know, but I suspect the rest of his family also died. My father wa very upset that his advice had turned out to have been so disastrous, especially as his house was not seriously damaged and still exists.
I think you have to understand that after a bombing raid, there were many sad
stories and not all would have been recorded in the press. It sounds somewhat hard now, but it was almost 'all in a night's work' and we all had to get on with life.
Norman McConnell
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Looking along the Queens Drive side of the triangle of land. To the left is the Rocket Flyover, to the right the flats on The Green.
Above, The route that Edge Lane Drive once continued along. It is now part of The Green. The Triangle land was to the left of this photo near to the flats. Below, taken from the other end. Straight ahead over Broadgreen Road is the old part of Edge Lane Drive ( Now The Green ) The flats on the far right were on the land that was part of the triangle.
Looking along Edge Lane Drive . Follow the rail to the right of the photo to the flyover and this gives a rough guide to where the triangle ran. It started opposite the bus stop that can be seen. The Green with the old Edge Lane Drive route can be seen to the left.
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There were many tragic bombings very close to us. Many young people died in a large underground public shelter on Queen's Drive near Broadgreen Road, when it had a direct hit by a bomb. They had been leaving a local dance hall, one that I had been to several times, and they had stopped to take shelter when the bombing started. Mother and other wardens were some of the first persons on the scene, and I remember being there with Irene and my father who seemed to take charge at first. It was a tragic, unforgettable scene.
Hilda Dison/WW2 People's War
The website can be viewed through this link http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/
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I knew a lady (well a rellie actually) who had been at the dance , and went to this shelter with her three friends when the sirens sounded.
After looking in they decided not to stay there, as they knew of another shelter where there was always a good "Sing Song" They had a lucky escape. I believe that one of the girls in that threesome was killed by shrapnel in maybe Warnerville Road. Not clear if it was the same time though. I was young when this was told to me and haven't thought about it much in the years past.
Seems they got caught out when the Ack Ack opened up. One of them got hit in the neck or the head. I cant verify this now of course. Though I think you could be prosecuted for being outside after the Raiders Overhead Sounded. They were sheltering behind a garden wall I seem to recall.
We always had a thing as kids, about the area where the shelter was. Never played on that ground in the early 1950's. We were told (by older kids) the bodies were still under the grass.
Mike Stanley
Flats of The Green backing onto Edge Lane Drive. The land ahead and to the left of the cars was part of the triangle.
Above and below the land of the triangle hitting Edge Lane Drive. The Shelter was located within this area.
A closer look at the land where the shelter stood.
Above and below, two pics of the land where the shelter stood taken from Queens Drive.
Looking across Edge Lane Drive towards the Rocket
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I have found details for 29 people who died as a result of the shelter being hit.
MARJORIE BARNES
died 03/05/1941, aged 19.
Daughter of Fred and Louise Barnes, of 27 Woodhall Road. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broadgreen.
ANN BLUNDELL
died 03/05/1941, aged 4.
of 7 Statton Road, Broad Green. Daughter of Gnr. Alfred Blundell, R.A., and of the late Mabel Blundell. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
FREDERICK JOHN CAVE
died 03/05/1941, aged 17.
Son of William and Elliott Jean Cave, of 8 Warnerville Road, Broad Green. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
FRED DISLEY
died 04/05/1941, age not given.
Private, 7669120, Royal Army Pay Corps.
Husband of Lllian Disley, of Liverpool.
LILIAN DISLEY
died 03/05/1941, aged 23.
of 249 Burnage Lane, Levenshulme, Manchester. Daughter of John Thomas and Martha Gertrude Hodgeson, of 61 Malvern Avenue; wife of Pte. Frederick Disley, Royal Army Pay Corps (killed in same incident) at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
CYRIL HARCLIFFE HOUGHTON
died 03/05/1941, aged 50.
Home Guard. Husband of Lizzie Napier Houghton, of 745 Queen's Drive. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
WILLIAM HUGHES
died 03/05/1941, aged 35.
of 18 Lindale Road. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
ARTHUR JAMES JONES
died 03/05/1941, aged 20.
of 17 Ringwood Avenue, Huyton. Son of Joseph and Eliza Jones. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
SIDNEY JONES
died 03/05/1941, aged 21.
Son of Sidney and Lottie Jones, of 68 Granville Road. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
SARAH JANE LUCAS
died 03/05/1941, aged 66.
of 7 Statton Road, Broad Green. Wife of Timothy Edward Lucas. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
TIMOTHY EDWARD LUCAS
died 03/05/1941, aged 66.
of 7 Statton Road, Broad Green. Husband of Sarah Jane Lucas. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
HENRY ALFRED MANNING
died 03/05/1941, aged 17.
Home Guard. Son of Henry E. and Mary E. Manning, of 25 Church Road, Stanley. Died at Broad Green Rocket Shelter.
EVELYN PARKES
died 03/05/1941, aged 17.
Daughter of Mrs. M. Parkes, of 175A Wavertree Road, Edge Hill, and of the late F. Parkes. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
JOHN PARRY
died 03/05/1941, aged 44.
Home Guard; of 2 Withnell Road. Husband of P. M. Parry. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
ANDREA MAY THOMASEN
died 03/05/1941, aged 6.
of 10 Statton Road, Broad Green. Daughter of Thomas Jensen Thomasen and Matilda Thomasen. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
IVY DOROTHY THOMASEN
died 03/05/1941, aged 7.
of 10 Statton Road, Broad Green. Daughter of Thomas Jensen Thomasen and Matilda Thomasen. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
MARJORIE MATILDA THOMASEN
died 03/05/1941, aged 8.
of 10 Statton Road, Broad Green. Daughter of Thomas Jensen Thomasen and Matilda Thomasen. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
THOMAS JENSEN THOMASEN
died 04/05/1941, aged 12.
of 10 Statton Road, Broad Green. Son of Thomas Jensen Thomasen and Matilda Thomasen. Injured 3 May 1941, at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green; died at Broad Green Emergency Hospital.
THOMAS JENSEN THOMASEN
died 03/05/1941, aged 42.
of 10 Statton Road, Broad Green. Husband of Matilda Thomasen. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
MATILDA THOMASEN
died 03/05/1941, aged 36.
of 10 Statton Road, Broad Green. Wife of Thomas Jensen Thomasen. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
CHARLES HERBERT TRAVIS
died 04/05/1941, aged 48.
of 3 Oak Vale, Broad Green Road. Son of the late John and Annie Travis, of 35 Cornett Road, Aintree; husband of Doris Mabel Travis. Injured 3 May 1941, at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green; died at Broad Green Emergency Hospital.
DORIS MABEL TRAVIS
died 03/05/1941, aged 49.
of 3 Oak Vale, Broad Green Road. Wife of Charles Herbert Travis. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
GLADYS MAY WESTON
died 03/05/1941, aged 29.
of 806A Queen's Drive, Broad Green. Wife of Thomas Charles Weston. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
THOMAS CHARLES WESTON
died 04/05/1941, aged 38.
of 806A Queen's Drive, Broad Green. Son of May Weston, of 169 Muirhead Avenue, and of the late Thomas Weston. Injured 3 May 1941, at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green; died at Broad Green Emergency Hospital.
ANNIE YATES
died 03/05/1941, aged 32.
of 7 Statton Road, Edge Lane Drive, Broad Green. Daughter of Timothy Edward and Sarah Jane Lucas; wife of James Henry Yates. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
MABEL YATES
died 03/05/1941, aged 18 Months.
Aged 18 months; of 7 Statton Road, Edge Lane Drive, Broad Green. Daughter of James Henry and Annie Yates. Died at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green.
MARGERY YATES
died 03/05/1941, aged 8.
of 7 Statton Road, Edge Lane Drive, Broad Green. Daughter of James Henry and Annie Yates. Died at Rocket Shelter. Broad Green.
JAMES HENRY YATES
died 06/05/1941, aged 32.
Firewatcher; of 7 Statton Road, Edge Lane Drive, Broad Green. Husband of Annie Yates. Injured 3 May 1941, at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green; died at Broad Green Emergency Hospital.
JAMES HENRY YATES
died 14/11/1941, aged 11.
of 7 Stratton Road, Broad Green, Liverpool. Son of James Henry and Annie Yates. Injured 3 May 1941, at Rocket Shelter, Broad Green; died at Royal Infirmary.
ALSO FOR THE UNKNOWN, MAY THEY REST IN PEACE
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