THE BLITZ AND CROOKES - WALKLEY 1939 - 1945

In the excellent book "Crookes - The History of a Sheffield Village" the authors remark that 

"there was a small amount of destruction during the 1939 - 1945 war. A bomb fell in Cobden View Road, causing some fatalities and destroying a group of houses. An aircraft crashed in Greenhow Street, just below Crookes" 

According to the research I have done I cannot find any trace of an aircraft crashing in Greenhow Street or anywhere else in Crookes -Walkley districts of Sheffield for that matter.

Mary Walton's and the late J.P. Lamb's book "Raiders Over Sheffield" which was compiled at the time from official records makes only a passing reference to the Crookes area and infers that the district was outside the perimeter of the main bombing. Other more recent books on the Sheffield Blitz have added little to the earlier books.

But a check through West Yorkshire Index of the Civilian War Dead reveals that both the districts of Crookes and Walkley did sustain casualties.  I have identified TWENTY fatalities in total, all of which occurred on the night of 12th-13th December 1940. Whilst it is thankfully low when compared to other areas of the city, it is still twenty deaths.

There is not much information on these deaths, and so I thought that I would try and find some additional  material.

The following was extracted from the West Yorkshire Index of the Civilian War Dead

Abbey, Ada Marion - 77 yrs - 12 December 1940 - 422 Springvale Road, Sheffield, WRY - 2283 (widow of William James Abbey)

Atkin, Alan - 3 yrs - 13 December 1940 - 79 Oxford Street, Sheffield, WRY - 2283 (grandson of the late Arthur and Elizabeth Atkin)

Atkin, Elizabeth - 28 yrs - 13 December 1940 - 79 Oxford Street, Sheffield, WRY - 2283 (daughter of the late Arthur and Elizabeth Atkin)

Atkin, Elsie - 36 yrs - 13 December 1940 - 79 Oxford Street, Sheffield, WRY - 2283 (daughter of the late Arthur and Elizabeth Atkin)

Atkin, Frances, age 24, of 79 Oxford Street, Sheffield, WRY - 2283 (daughter of the late Arthur and Elizabeth Atkin).

Baxter, Elsie - 47 yrs - 12 December 1940 - 167 Cobden View Road, Sheffield, WRY - 2309

Harrison, Annie - 64 yrs - 12 December 1940 - 424 Springvale Road, Sheffield, WRY - 2291 (Wife of Richard Harrison)

Harrison, Richard - 62 yrs - 12 December 1940 - 424 Springvale Road, Sheffield, WRY - 2291 (Husband of Annie Harrison)

Harrison, Richard Arthur - 23 yrs - 12 December 1940 - 424 Springvale Road, Sheffield, WRY - 2291 (Son of Richard and Annie Harrison. Husband of Ruth Harrison)

Harrison, Robert - 38 yrs - 12 December 1940 - 424 Springvale Road, Sheffield, WRY - 2291 (Son of Richard and Annie Harrison)

Hill, Dorothy - 27 yrs - 13 December 1940 - 222 Oxford Street, Sheffield, WRY - 2292 (daughter of T A and Ethel Hill)

Hudson, James - 80 yrs - 13 December 1940 - 188 Burgoyne Road, Sheffield, WRY - 2309

Marshall, Gordon Edward, age 10, of 107, Bloor, Street, Walkley, "son of Edward Marshall, and of Sarah Ann Marshall. Injured December 12, 1940, at 107 Bloor Street. died December 13, 1940, at Royal Infirmary. WRY 2295

Marshall, Sarah Ann, age 37, of 107, Bloor Street, Walkley, daughter of Thomas and Sarah Ann Fox, of 13, Wordsworth Close, Parson Cross, wife of Edward Marshall, injured December 12, 1940. at 107, Bloor Street, died December 13, 1940, at Royal Infirmary. WRY 2295

Marshall, Terence, age 5, of 107, Bloor Street, Walkley, son of Edward Marshall, and of Sarah Ann Marshall. injured December 12, 1940, at 107. Bloor Street, died December 13, 1940, at Royal Infirmary. WRY 2295

Rose, Henry - 74 yrs - 12 December 1940 - 94 Bloor Street, Sheffield, WRY - 2300 (husband of Eveline Rose)

Singleton, Emma - 77 yrs - 12 December 1940 - 32 Crookes Road, Sheffield, WRY - 2300 (widow of J Singleton)

Tingle, Kate - 74 yrs - 13 December 1940 - 98 Cobden View Road, Sheffield, WRY - 2302 (Widow of H Tingle)

TINGLE, Kate (WW2 Civilian War Dead, age 74). Died at 98 Cobden View Road on 13 Dec 1940; Buried on December 20, 1940 in ~ ground; Grave Number 77, Section L of Walkley St Marys Cemetery, Sheffield.  Remarks: Identified by Kate Ethel Ralsron of 52 Sheard Rd (Daughter).

Kate's grave has no memorial and is unmarked (Walkley St Mary's Cemetery, Sheffield)

Woollen, Ethel - 46 yrs - 13 December 1940 - 133 Crookesmoor Road, Sheffield, WRY - 2304 (Wife of Vernon Brookes Woollen)

Woollen, Vernon Brookes - 48 yrs - 13 December 1940 - 133 Crookesmoor Road, Sheffield, WRY - 2304 (Son of Mr and Mrs J J Woollen, of 23, Springwood Road, Heeley; husband of Ethel Woollen.)

The burial record shows that Ethel died at Olive Grove Road whilst her husband Vernon died at 133 Crookesmoor Road. I can only surmise that Olive Grove Road was a casualty station where Ethel was taken to after the family home was destroyed. Her husband Vernon died at the scene. 

WOOLEN, Ethel (wife of Vernon (Air Raid Victim), age 46). Died at Olive Grove Rd; Buried on December 24, 1940 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 3661, Section JJ of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.
Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: Officiating Minister: E. P. Cook: Removed from Sheffield Parish.

WOOLLEN, Vernon B (~, age 48). Died at 133 Crookesmoor Road; Buried on December 31, 1940 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 3661, Section JJ of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield. Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: Officiating Minister: J E Foster: Removed from Sheffield Parish.

The corner of Burgoyne Road and Bloor Street, Walkley