Manchester's Blitz on film

I have talked to many people who experienced the Manchester blitz over the years and one story sticks in my mind:

A young lad known to one witness wanted to do his bit and volunteered as a fire-watcher. His post was on top of one of the big mills and unfortunately it was hit and no trace of him could be found at first. The next day they found him two streets away, dead and completely naked, but without a mark on his body – I think he was sixteen and unfortunately the witness could not recall his name.

My wife’s grandfather volunteered as a fireman during the war as his religious beliefs meant he was a non-combatant. He was posted to Manchester right at the start of the blitz and I know he saw many terrible scenes and they affected him badly and he could never bring himself to talk about them – I still have his uniform buttons that he gave me – a sadly mute testament to the blitz, as he died several years ago.

Aeronut, your grandfather’s life sounds like it would/could make a great book !

Maybe the family can provide you with a few more gems? I am sure we would be delighted to hear them !

avro`s chadderton is now a sad site 😡

He also took work home with him, he is remebered in the family for converting the drawings for the Manchester’s outer wing jig into those for the Lancaster on the kitchen table.
I wish I’d been able to have talked to him but he died three months after I was born in 1956, he’d worked for Avros from 1913 going from stick and string to nuclear bombers. He had met and flown with the like of Hinkler, Cobham, Kingsford Smith and the Mollinsons.

Your Grandfather was made of strong stuff ! These days most people would have been off work for a week or two at the very least !

Its great to hear these little stories that would otherwise be lost , thanks for sharing it with us.

My Grandfather was caught up in this blitz whilst he was attending Avro’s works Christmas do. This came to an end when the side of the hotel it was being held in was blown out. Grandfather left the hotel through this hole and walked back to Newton Heath and went straight to his job (Jig and tool Foreman).
I still have a copy of a publication about the raids on Manchester in 1940 and 41 called ‘Our Blitz – Red sky over Manchester’. This particular copy is well travelled having been sent by my mother to my father whilst he was serving with the BLA in Normandy in 1944.