Shawclough & Healey August 2021

There was once an explosion but
fortunately nobody was injured.’
Pillboxes still stand in Healey Dell
ready, if needed, to repulse any attacks
that might have followed an invasion.
The fact that they were not needed was
testament to the war effort.
There are many stories from World War
II some of which might explain, if true,
why Rochdale was bombed so lightly
given that it was on the flight path to
and from Liverpool. The story goes that
Adolf Hitler admired Rochdale Town
Hall and its stained-glass windows
so much that he gave orders not to
have the town bombed, intending to
dismantle the building at some point
and take it back to Germany. Whether
this is true or not will never be known
but the only bombs to fall on the town
were four in total although there are
records of a doodle-bug passing over
the town and coming to earth on an
estate in Oldham.
The most clearly recorded bombing
in the town was on the night of the
9th January 1941 when bombs fell
on the Sudden area. The Rochdale
Observer reported that ‘The blast from
two high explosive bombs dropped on
the town early today, wrecked shops
and offices and shattered windows of
property - including a school - over a
considerable stretch of roadway and
adjoining streets. There was, however,
only one fatal casualty, a Mrs Rossiter.’
Six other people were injured in the raid
and houses in the area around what is
now Brimrod County Primary School
suffered broken windows. The water
mains were blown from the ground and
Finsbury Street and Holborn Street,
some reports suggest, were covered in
broken glass which the residents set to
and swept up!
Other bombs dropped around the
town were at Bellfield in August 1940,
on Norden in October 1942 and near
a row of houses at Red Lumb. There
have always been stories that a bomb
dropped near Firgrove and that it went
straight into the canal although how
authentic these stories are is unknown.
Compared to many towns in the north
of England Rochdale got off lightly.
If you have any memories or comments about the bombs that were dropped
in Rochdale during World War II I’d be delighted to hear from you and add
them to a growing Rochdale archive on the subject. Please contact
Gary Heywood-Everett at garyheywoodeverett@yahoo.co.uk or leave your
comments by text or by recorded message at 07562 752774.
Visit our website www.streetwisemag.co.uk for all the info about the Streetwise magazines
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