Was Huddersfield hit by German bombs during the Second World War?
The question received the most online votes in our #AskExaminer poll this week.
The archives reveal the first raid was on August 25 1940 when 10 bombs fell on Meltham and the final raid occurred December 24 1944 when a bomb – reported to be a V-1 ‘doodlebug’ – damaged homes in Grange Moor.
One cutting described Huddersfield’s “air raid season” lasting from August 1940 to June 1941 which saw the Luftwaffe dropping bombs, often in open country away from built-up areas.
August 29 1940 saw two bombs land at Hall Bower, although the exact location is not known.
October 13 saw two high-explosive and nearly 100 incendiary bombs hit Salendine Nook, Reinwood Road and Paddock.
On October 21, a bomb landed at Wessenden and on December 12 several flares were dropped over Huddersfield, along with a bomb at Grange Moor. An incendiary bomb went through the roof of Denby Dale house.
On December 23 1940, two parachute mines and a high-explosive bomb were dropped at Oakes, causing considerable damage to Wellington Mills. A bomb also fell in a field at Hade Edge.
March 14-15, 1941 saw hundreds of incendiary bombs and 20 small high-explosive bombs dropped in Huddersfield, Linthwaite, Bolster Moor, Oldfield, Honley and the vicinity of Tinker’s Monument, above Jackson Bridge.
A bomb landed in Lindley Moor Road, on either March 14 or 15, 1941 which left a crater eight feet deep and destroyed three quarters of the road.
On June 2 that year high-explosive bombs were dropped at Slaithwaite and on June 12 hundreds of incendiaries and a few high-explosive bombs were dropped across Huddersfield. Two buildings were destroyed and an unexploded bomb fell in King’s Mill Lane. A heavy bomb also landed in a field at Honley.
The unexploded bomb landed in marshy ground and was nearly 9ft long. It was later put on show in the Market Place and used as a collecting box.
The archives do not mention any fatalities from the raids, although an unusual plane crash claimed lives in July 1944.
Four people, including a mother and her son, aged two, were killed when an aircraft hit two houses at the junction of Central Avenue and West Close, Fartown.
Flight-Lieutenant Ernest Blezard, 24, an RAF pilot, was killed. He was the eldest son of Mr and Mrs E R Blezard, of 110, Blackhouse Road, Fartown.
The pilot was stationed in the Oxford area and should not have been flying over Huddersfield, an inquest was told. He had been authorised to fly only within a 20 mile radius of his base and should not have been carrying out manoeuvres over a town.
