Casualties of the Baedeker raid

February 2011

See also: the simplified version of this list (addresses only), or view the Google map

From the list of civilian war dead, York, 29 April 1942

This information is based on a list on the Genuki website, extracted from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records.

As the CWGC records are now available online, I’ve linked the names to the relevant entries.

Further notes, links, and a map are at the bottom of the page.

This list shows the impact – part of it – on the civilian population, of one bombing raid, on one city, in one war.

The addresses shown are where individuals died, not necessarily their home address. Please see the CWGC records linked from the names for more information. If you have further information or notice any inaccuracies, please email me via the contact link.

Adams, Thomas Cyril 37 16 Bootham Cres, York
Akers, Betty Audrey 12 49 Nunthorpe Rd, York
Atkin, Ernest 45 26 Bootham Cres, York Firewatcher
Blenkin, Christine Elizabeth 11 39 Bootham Cres, York
Blenkin, Pauline Mary 14 39 Bootham Cres, York
Borley, Florence Evelyn 55 112 Spalding Ave, York
Boyes, Ethel 44 45 Nunthorpe Rd, York
Boyes, Noel 9 45 Nunthorpe Rd, York
Broadhead, Arthur (more …) 31 Bootham Cres, York (memorial) National Fire Service
Butler, Elsie 40 46 Nunthorpe Rd, York
Button, Audrey 12 35 Amberley St, York
Button, Elsie 35 35 Amberley St, York see note 1, below
Button, Gillian Patricia 22 months 35 Amberley St, York
Button, James William 39 35 Amberley St, York
Button, Kenneth Ingham 15 35 Amberley St, York
Cammidge, Lilian 51 55 Chatsworth Terr, York
Campbell, Janet 2 16 Burton Stone Lne, York
Campbell, Patricia Ida 28 16 Burton Stone Lne, York
Chambers, John Edward 36 20 Queen Anne’s Rd, York
Cherry, Emily 77 18 Westminster Rd, York
Cherry, Frances Annie 79 18 Westminster Rd, York
Clayton, Madeline 50 The Bar Convent, York Mother Mary Agnes
Colman, George Harold 56 Bootham Cres, York Deputy Head Warden
Cooper, Katherine 47 6 Pickering Terr, York
Copping, Marjorie 33 8 Fairway, Clifton, York
Dale, Jane 64 13 Mansfield St, York
Davies, Arthur Leonard Simpson 6 Phoenix Cott, York
Dickens, Emma 65 39 Amberley St, York
Dickens, Gertrude 40 39 Amberley St, York
Dickens, William Thomas 69 39 Amberley St, York
Dickinson, Edith Melita 47 103 Spalding Ave, Clifton
Duncan, James 2 110 Spalding Ave, Clifton
Duncan, Noelle 22 110 Spalding Ave, Clifton
Emmerson, Albert 29 Chatsworth Terr, York Air-Raid Warden
Ezard, Ellen Elizabeth 44 53 Chatsworth Terr, York
Ezard, James 50 53 Chatsworth Terr, York
Ezard, Muriel 9 53 Chatsworth Terr, York
Farrington, Ada 73 14 Chatsworth Terr, York
Farrington, Sylvan 50 14 Chatsworth Terr, York
Farrow, Mary Jane 66 55 Chatsworth Terr, York
Fowler, John Herbert 34 Chatsworth Terr, York Air-Raid Warden
Hall, Rita Amy 26 16 Burton Stone Lne, York
Halliday, Charles Milford 30 62 Price St, York see note 2, below
Harrison, John William 77 68 Garfield Terr, York
Helstrip, Florence 38 110 Spalding Ave, Clifton, York
Helstrip, Florence Mary 14 110 Spalding Ave, Clifton
Helstrip, Mildred 10 months 110 Spalding Ave, Clifton
Holliday, Tom 62 26 Nunthorpe Cres, York
Hooker, Ada Fanny 55 30 Bootham Cres, York
Howe, Martha 61 80 Rowntree Ave, York
Hyde, Maxwell 6 110 Spalding Ave, Clifton
Hyde, Ruby 30 110 Spalding Ave, Clifton
Hyde, Yvonne 6 110 Spalding Ave, Clifton
Jackson, Annie 45 35 Amberley St, York see note 3, below
Jackson, Ella 21 35 Amberley St, York
Jameson, Francis Noel 36 12 Livingstone St, York
Jordan, Eva 53 The Bar Convent, York Mother Mary Vincent
Kent, Clifford 47 Collingwood Ave, York Air-Raid Warden
Leeming, Doris Elsie 38 6 Pickering Terr, York
Leeming, June Doris 7 6 Pickering Terr, York
Little, Florence 59 39 Bootham Cres, York
Littlewood, Ellen 71 14 Bootham Sq, York
Long, William 31 12 Sycamore Terr, York
Loveley, Emma 66 37 Amberley St, York
Loveley, William Edward 68 37 Amberley St, York
Macmillan, Mary Isabel 21 16 Bootham Cres, York
Maddison, Florence Ada 49 39 Lavender Grove, York
McClorry, Jane 65 The Bar Convent, York Firewatcher
Mercer, Henry 75 Welwyn Hse Flats, York
Mercer, Louisa Emily 69 Welwyn Hse Flats, York
Milner, William (more …) 42 LNER Station, York (memorial) St John Ambulance Brigade
Mort, Francis Royston 17 20 Queen Anne’s Rd, York
Mort, Helen 56 20 Queen Anne’s Rd, York
Munn, Leslie 24 20 Queen Anne’s Rd, York
Murphy, Margaret 50 The Bar Convent, York Firewatcher
Nutter, Kenneth Ellis 2 35 Amberley St, York
Nutter, Lola 21 35 Amberley St, York
O’Connor, Mary Ann 39 The Bar Convent, York Firewatcher
Oakley, Gordon 37 6 Fairway, Clifton, York
Ord, Halbert 66 Bootham Crescent, York Firewatcher
see note 5, below
Pearson, Amy 51 16 Burton Stone Lane, York
Pope, Betty 6 Queen Anne’s School Shelter, York
Powell, Herbert Henry 62 6 North Parade, York
Ruskin, John Henry 30 York see note 4, below
Skelton, Stella Evelyn 35 1 Phoenix Cotts, Leeman Rd, York
Smith, Michael 2 Grant Ave, Fulford Rd, York
Smith, Robert William 64 LNER Police Office, York
Thompson, Dorothy 52 2 Malton Way, Clifton
Trotter, William Alfred 60 16 Westminster Rd, York
Wilkinson, John Stanley 35 6 Fairway, Clifton, York
Worthington, Ernestine Jane 65 18 Queen Anne’s Rd, York
Worthington, Gwendoline Stockton 60 18 Queen Anne’s Rd, York
Wragg, Benjamin 45 45 Plantation Drive, York
Wray, Hilda 36 Burton Stone Lane, York

Notes

1) Elsie Button. Injured 29 April 1942, at 35 Amberley St. Died at York County Hospital, 7 May

2) Charles Milford Halliday. CWGC record. Mr Halliday died over a year after the raid, on 15 May 1943 in Pinderfields Hospital from spinal injuries received.

3) Annie Jackson. CWGC record incomplete. Of 31 Amberley Street.

4) John Henry Ruskin. Of 44 Bootham Crescent. Died at Military Hospital, 11 May.

5) Halbert Ord apparently received a direct hit – his body was never recovered & his death was not registered until 10th July.

Thanks to David Poole for additional information included in these notes.

Poppleton Road Memorial Hall

A plaque at the Poppleton Road Memorial Hall (external link) remembers those who died at the Amberley Street and Chatsworth Terrace addresses. Nine people died at 35 Amberley Street alone.

Map

View York, 29 April 1942 – civilian deaths in a larger map

Links & further information

See also the York Air Raids pages, which present the Civil Defence reports of bombing raids on York, with locations of incidents marked on Google maps.

The searchable Commonwealth War Graves Commission database includes the casualties listed here, as well as those killed in the other bombing raids on York.

Telegraph – Britain at War: Warming up with a Baedeker raid on York – the memories of C Fawcett, ten years old at the time.

. . . . .

Page compiled in 2011.
The original list from the Genuki website is © Brian Pears and Carl Nutbrown 1995-2000, reproduced with permission. Notes on the original Genuki list. Please link back to this page if using information from this list.

Changes/additions in 2012: Removed references to the East/North Riding, and to ‘Flaxton’ district (which refer to properties now in the Clifton/Rawcliffe (Clifton Without) area); linked to the original CWGC records; added further notes in right-hand column, clarified dates where date of death was not 29 April 1942. Added information regarding queries in notes – thanks to David Poole.

Footnote

Last updated: 15 March 2018 (updated broken link. Thanks Paul Hepworth in the comments).

This page has now been online for 7 years, with hosting fees for it the responsibility of the person who created it (Lisa@yorkstories). If you appreciate this information, the work involved in compiling it and sustaining it, and would like to support it,  virtual coffees are always welcome, thank you.

More recent additions to this resident’s record of York and its changes.

 

10 comments

  1. David Poole

    re Baedeker fatalities, there are errors with some addresses.
    2 Jackson family lived at 31 Amberley Street (not 35)
    3 Helstrip family lived at 104 Spalding Ave (not 110)
    (This will affect your numeral address list)

  2. David Poole

    The addresses are from York Cemetery records, but I acknowledge that some families may well have had to use shelters in neighbours properties during air raids (as we had to do in the Layerthorpe district)

  3. Thank you David. When I’ve got chance I’ll have a look and see about incorporating this information.

  4. I too remember the air raid on York as I could hear every bomb that dropped. I could also see the flashes in the sky when Hull was bombed. I also remember a
    a Heinkel 111 making a forced landing while on its way to bomb Belfast. The site of the crash is down the lane that runs from Skelton to Huby.

  5. johnny appleseed

    shame about how many people died

  6. The link back to our Memorial plaque is not working. The URL is http://www.poppletonroadhall.org.uk/history/
    Grateful if you can kindly check it out. Grateful for the listing.

  7. AJK Wilkinson

    I lived in 16 Bur dyke Avenue. I was aged 5. On the morning after the raids I went up to the top of Bur dyke with the corner of Spalding Avenue. The house on the corner was demolished with a bomb crater in Spalding Avenue. The air raid shelter was badly damaged.

  8. Barbara leach

    My grandmothers family ( named Kay) lived at 5 Berkley Terrace, York. They were good friends with the Button family who lived in Amberly Street. all the family sadly died in this raid.
    My grandmothers oldest sister ( Dolly Reast) was best friends with Elsie. Elsie was one of Dollys bridesmaids at her wedding. I have a lovely group photo with Elsie on.
    One if Dollys daughters ( colleen) was best friends with Elsies daughter ( Audrey). Colleen told me that the day of the raids she had been out to the pictures with her friend Audrey and walked home with her to Amberley Street. Later that night the police visited Berkley Terrace and took Colleen ( aged only 13) to amberley street to identify where she had last seen her friend, as they were needing to account for those present in the house. The horrendous memory had forever lived with her.
    I am contacting you as i have a lovely group photo of my great aunts wedding which has a picture of Elsie as her bridesmaid. It may be there are relatives who would appreciate these, as everything belonging to the Buttons was clearly destroyed in the bombing.
    I have visited the memorial hall on Poppleton Road, to try to pass the information on, but could not find anyone who knew who to contact.
    It is only in recent years that i learned who the unknown bridesmaid was. She was identified by Colleens younger sister who also knew The button family, so i am sure the identification is correct. If you would be interested i could meet or send a copy you a photo. I live in Harrogate.
    I also feel this information is of historic interest.
    There was an article in the York paper in 2012, 70th anniverary of raid where a reader said he remembered button family, he may recognise photo.
    Hope this is of interest.

  9. Paul Clithero

    My mothers family lived at 25 Price Street.
    The house next door was completely destroyed.
    Were there no fatalities/injuries at that address?

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