the online A-Z of Southampton's history.
Opening the new Bosworth Hall,
Northam Methodist Church, Union Road
5 January 1952.
Opening the new Bosworth Hall,
Northam Methodist Church, Union Road
5 January 1952.×
The original Northam Primitive Methodist Chapel, dating from 1874, had been damaged in an air raid, 8 July 1941 and had to be demolished.
Two members of the church, Alfred and Catherine Dear, had died in the raid. (see below).
Ten years later, with the help of War Damage funds, the Church built a new hall, to be called the Bosworth Hall after Charles J W Bosworth, who had given nearly 50 years of service to the church as church treasurer, chapel steward, trustee and preacher.
His wife laid the foundation stone 16 June 1951, and he himself performed the opening ceremony 5 January 1952. It was a cold day, as can be seen by the fur coats.
The hall was for youth and other activities: the church was worshipping happily in what had been built in 1928 as the School Hall.
EIGHTY YEARS AGO
Remembering the Southampton blitz day by day
8 July 1941
“Men, women and children were killed during this raid, which was short, but intense… Buildings either damaged or destroyed included two churches, one of which was gutted, several schools, two banks, public houses and dwelling houses.” (Southern Daily Echo 8 May 1941)
In the back garden of 12 Pewsey Place, backing onto Warwick Road, two bombs fell close together. One scored a direct hit on a reinforced concrete shelter, where Walter Des Reaux Le Page and his wife Florence, from 11 Warwick Road, were killed, together with their daughter Betty Kathleen Cass and her four-week-old daughter Josephine Anne Cass. The Echo reported that “a woman friend, who came to Southampton a few days ago for the christening of the baby, was also killed.”
For some reason, Walter and Florence Le Page were not included on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission civilian roll of honour. A death notice appeared in the Southern Daily Echo, Thursday 10 July 1941 for “Walter des Reaux and Florence Louise Le Page, of Ropias, Warwick Road, Southamton, also Betty Kathleen Cass and Baby Josephine. Funeral at Highfield Church 11 am Friday.”
Also in the shelter were Gertrude Maria George and her son Harold Leonard, of 19 Pewsey Place, and an “Army Sergeant” visiting the Le Pages, who may be identified with Gunner Charles William Ainsworth, who is buried in South Stoneham Cemetery.
Mabel Dorah Frecknall, her two year old daughter Jean Elizabeth, and four year old son Terence Bryan Frecknall died at 11 Victory Crescent.
Theodore Godden Hoskins, his wife Fanny Ella Olive, and their 15 year old son John William Hoskins, died at 58 Waterloo Road, together with Fanny’s invalid brother Warwick Albert Blakeway
PC Henry William Gordon Wells was sent from Shirley Police Station to an incident where a HE bomb had fallen in the gardens behind Nelson Road, Shirley, trapping people in their shelters. He freed a woman buried under wreckage blown into a shelter, put out a fire on the roof of a public house, and released a male casualty from a damaged house, all while bombs were still falling and before the official rescue squad arrived. Donald Shaw, at 2 Nelson Road, the male casualty, made a statement (Civilian Gallantry Awards case no. 1747) that “I was unable to see who was responsible for the work but I remember that one man used cheering expressions which helped me to bear the pain.” PC Wells was Commended for his bravery.
John Hibberd, the landlord of the Sawyer’s Arms, Nelson Road, was killed there. His wife was taken to the Borough Hospital, where she died 14 July.
Two men, neighbours, died of injuries received in Firgrove Road in the Borough Hospital:
19 year old Dennis Minett
and firewatcher Bertie William John Shepherd
At 10 Trinity Road, three generations of a family, and their lodger, were in the basement when the house was hit. 91 year old Henrietta Jackman, and her grandson, Arthur Walter Braxton lost their lives: Arthur’s mother Henrietta Braxton was “extricated alive” but did not survive. Nor did George Lambourne.
Round the corner, a bomb fell on 15 East Park Terrace, killing brothers Eric John and Louis Theodore Piekaar aged 9 and 14. Their mother, Rose, was posted missing but had survived.
Another direct hit, on an Anderson shelter in Campbell Road, Northam, killed Alfred Edwin Dear and his wife Catherine, of 10 Union Road, their next door neighbour George Good
Brothers Claude and William Charles Preston, were caught in their Campbell Street house when three bombs fell close together nearby. Their recently widowed sister, Ethel, who had already taken shelter next door, was unhurt.
St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, Woolston, built only two years before, was gutted, leaving “the outside shell and the blackened rafters.” The curate had dashed into the burning building and “saved the Blessed Sacrament intact and many of the sacred vessels.”
Further up Portsmouth Road, at 146, died Mary Long and her husband Robert Henry
Round the corner, at Pasadena, Archery Grove Frederick Patrick O’Donnell and his wife Florence May lost their lives
Baby Roger David Hartnell died at 3 Cornwall Road, Midanbury.
9 July 1941
John Biffin died at the Royal South Hants Hospital of injuries received in St Andrew’s road the previous night
14 July 1941
Violet Blanche Hibberd died at the Borough Hospital, six days after her husband John.
July 2021
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Sotonopedia last updated 14 July 2021
