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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.
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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. |
173 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.
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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 a survivor, Alf Morris to come to your
school to talk about the disaster?
Email
us
To find out more, to read about the memorial and survivors stories
or make a donation
click
here |
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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")
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Alice's husband and
his football team during the Second World War
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