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Bethnal
Green tube disaster
(3rd March 1943)
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Bethnal Green Underground
Station was used as an air raid shelter during the blitz on London.
It would not be used to run trains until December 4th 1946. The
tunnels made an ideal place of safety for many East End families,
deep below ground, out of range of the German bombs.
Whenever the air raid sirens sounded,
people generally proceeded a calm orderly manner to the nearest
shelter. On this occasion a new type of sound was heard and the
fact that it seemed to be close caused concern among the people.
They tried to rush down the stairs into the underground as quickly
as possible. In the rush many tripped and fell and before they could
get up, the crowd from behind kept on coming down from the top.
The unfortunate ones at the foot of the stairs were crushed under
the sheer weight of the people behind.
So
what was the cause of the panic?
It has now
come to light that the strange new explosions that were
heard came from our troops. In nearby Victoria Park, new
secret anti aircraft weapons were being tested. The loud
bangs the crowd assumed to be a new type of bomb were in
fact the large guns using recently developed missiles being
fired in the sky. This was the reason the sounds were not
recognised.
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172 people died
(62 were children)
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Discharge papers
from London Hospital following the Bethnal Green Tube disaster
where Alice suffered a fracture to her arm. |
From Alice Emmerson, whose
mother and friend died in the disaster.
Source:
“ A stroll in the past & run to the future"
-Tower Hamlets Age Concern
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Would
you like to see a memorial statue like this artist's impression,
placed at Bethnal Green Tube Station?
Email
us |
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Would you like
a survivor, Alf Morris to come to your school to talk about
the disaster?
Email
us
To find out more and to read
about the memorial and other survivors stories click
here |
George Galloway
creates an Early Day Motion at Parliament about the memorial.
Read More
Why not get your local MP
to sign the Early Day Motion?
Contact your local
MP
(Simply put in your full post code, and then click on "Send
a message to your MP") |
Alice's
husband and his football team during the Second World War |
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