Holy Cross Shelter

**Spike** · 05-03-2011

From the Wartime Website http://liverpoolremembrance.weebly.c...s-shelter.html

Today is the 70th Anniversary of this event.

Holy Cross church stood on Standish street with the huge presbytery attatched to it on Great Crosshall street.The school was located in nearby Addison Street and was used as a air raid shelterwhere people would go into the basement for safety. On the night of 3rd May 1941 the sirens rang and many people made their way to the shelter. The planes came and the bombing raid began. The church and school were both hit causing terrible damage. The school took a direct hit from a parachute mine resulting in the deaths of many of those in the shelter. People who came to the rescue tried to move the rubble with their bare hands in an attempt to help those trapped below. The victims had been sheltering underneath the boys building at the school. The girls building was also being used to protect people and those who came here remained untouched by the bombing.Both the church and school were demolished and later rebuilt, the church reopening in 1954. Sadly the church closed in 2002 and was demolished in 2004. The school has also been replaced by a new building.

**Ged** · 05-03-2011

And we must never forget. Joe Riley has come in for a bit of stick, apparently saying in the echo, it's 70 years now so shouldn't we just let it go - no we shouldn't.

**Lizzie1** · 05-03-2011

Originally Posted by Ged

And we must never forget. Joe Riley has come in for a bit of stick, apparently saying in the echo, it's 70 years now so shouldn't we just let it go - no we shouldn't.

Can't believe he said that! Of course it should NEVER be forgotten.

http://http://www.liverpoolecho.co.u...0252-28596891/

**Spike** · 05-03-2011

Originally Posted by Ged

And we must never forget. Joe Riley has come in for a bit of stick, apparently saying in the echo, it's 70 years now so shouldn't we just let it go - no we shouldn't.

It will never be forgotten.

I believe Joe Riley's father found his brother dead in a street after a raid? Not sure how true that is?? If it is true then im shocked that Joe wants to forget this.

I will never stop. I will always remember. People will Remember them.

**burkhilly** · 05-03-2011

I had forgotten or was ignorant.

I knew there'd been air raids in the war, but thought it was just the city centre and Bootle that got it bad. It's only in relatively recent years that I've come to realise that the whole city was affected. We did learn some of this in school, but they tended to gloss over stuff. I'm so glad that Spike created the war rememberance site, because I didn't know about all these direct hits onto shelters.

We shouldn't and won't forget them, not when people like Spike create such great information.

**Gerard Fleming** · 05-03-2011

Well done Spike with your research... invaluable mate..

I went to Holy Cross school...the original tin school around 1962, and my mam and all her family went before me...my mams little brother was run over and killed at the bottom of Hunter St/Byrom St by a milk cart one morning going to Holy Cross school.. my mams other brother Billy was a decent footballer by all accounts... he played for Holy Cross and the combined Holy Cross and St Anthony's teams.. he's on some old team photos..

I've memories of making christmas cards in underground dank gaslit classrooms in Holy Cross tin school..
memories of the giant dinner hall full of kids with teachers all lined up looking rather stern...like something out of Oliver my memories of Holy Cross.... my mother was a Holy Cross girl all her life, she was well known having her own pubs and from working the Scottie Rd area pubs all her life before getting her own pubs....Holy Cross church was packed out on to the Street when my mam died... she was well liked and well known all over Scottie Rd was my mam..

I've loads of pics of my mams 70th at Holy Cross club..

I was married in Holy Cross church.. still got all the pics, signing the register in the back of the church etc...

**Spike** · 05-03-2011

The night of the 3rd/4th May saw the heaviest attack of the Blitz. It rained bombs that night. It was the most serious attack of any kind that this city has ever faced. The people took it and got through it, though at a huge cost.

Mr Riley we should be building monuments and marking the spots where huge loss of life happened, not forgetting.

They are heroes all of them who went through it.

---------- Post added at 06:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:20 PM ----------

BABY CONNOR
died 03/05/1941, aged 2 days.
Daughter of George and Elizabeth Ann Connor, of 20B Warwick Gardens. Died at Mill Road Infirmary.

How can we forget this?

**hmtmaj** · 05-03-2011

Spike, Your site keep these in all our minds and will do in the future.

**Spike** · 05-05-2011

Gerard I bet your mum knew stories about the bombing here. As you say a real Holy Cross Girl.

Oliver Twist. Bloomin Eck mate I thought our school was bad.

**Spike** · 05-09-2011

Dunno what happened to the posts here?

Gerard the story of your dad. I read through quick this afternoon. It sounds great,, and the photo too. Would you consider adding it to the wartime website?

**Gerard Fleming** · 05-09-2011

Originally Posted by Spike

Dunno what happened to the posts here?

Gerard the story of your dad. I read through quick this afternoon. It sounds great,, and the photo too. Would you consider adding it to the wartime website?

I deleted the post Tony, after reading it I thought I might have put just a little toooooooo much info and maybe waffled on a bit...

I'd be delighted to show my dads photo on your wartime website, thanks, I'll be in touch about the photo....I'll tell you my dads story he told me as well, you could add that to the photo... its fascinating, I think it is anyway, its about how close him and his army colleagues came to almost certain death.. and how that moment affected one of his mates when this incident took place... I'd be made up if you showed my dads photo with this story to it.... he was proud as punch my Dad Tone wearing his black blazer with pride with his army regiment badge on it... I'll give you the full story soon.

I've got all his medals as well...I wouldn't part with them for the world..
and a few other pics I think... and I think I have some of his army stuff.
and a letter from the White Star line to my dad telling him they cant give him any info on his dad being torpedoed..
I think theres more... I could scan you them and send them.. if you want them of course...

Cheers Tony... G...