Research Forum

The Bombing of Weston-super-Mare
published by on Mon, 09/01/2017 - 14:07
My mother recalls an annual event on January 4th / 5th 1941 when the house she was living in was damaged by a bomb nearby. The house opposite in Lonsdale avenue received a direct hit. My mother and my grandparents had spent the whole of Christmas with this family (Andrews) and they were all killed that night. My mother has vivid recollections of that event and a further event where her house in Argyll avenue was also bombed in June 1942 and the family was machine gunned by a bomber perhaps mistaking them for a gun crew.

As my mother (Doreen Lillian Pain nee Salway) is now 92 and lives in Lancashire, her memories are clear for the moment and I wonder if anyone would like me to write her thoughts down whilst she can still remember them. My mother worked in Weston Library throughout the war and later moved to Bristol following her marriage to an airman (my father) from RAF Locking. Look forward to any reply.

Comments ..


Submitted by on Tue, 10/01/2017 - 10:09
My mother recalls an annual event on January 4th / 5th 1941 when the house she was living in was damaged by a bomb nearby. The house opposite in Lonsdale avenue received a direct hit. My mother and my grandparents had spent the whole of Christmas with this family (Andrews) and they were all killed that night. My mother has vivid recollections of that event and a further event where her house in Argyll avenue was also bombed in June 1942 and the family was machine gunned by a bomber perhaps mistaking them for a gun crew.

As my mother (Doreen Lillian Pain nee Salway) is now 92 and lives in Lancashire, her memories are clear for the moment and I wonder if anyone would like me to write her thoughts down whilst she can still remember them. My mother worked in Weston Library throughout the war and later moved to Bristol following her marriage to an airman (my father) from RAF Locking. Look forward to any reply.
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Submitted by Pat Hase on Tue, 10/01/2017 - 12:56

Thank you Steve, this all sounds really interesting and I'm sure that members would find it fascinating.  We are thinking of running a series of articles in Buckets & Spades about people's experiences during WW2 and this would fit in beautifully.  Paul Tracey would welcome articles from other members who have access to similar memories.

Last January a Notice Board was erected in the Cemetery to commemorate civilians who were buried there and who died during the bombing.  Details can be seen in the January Update of 2016 but we are very much aware that only shows a small part of the war-time memories and that we should record others while we still have the chance.

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