Born Annie Shaw on the 23rd February 1908, the
birth being registered during the March quarter
1908 in the Northwich R.D. - ref: 8a/250, the
daughter of Joseph & Beatrice May Shaw (nee Wood).
  Baptised at St. Mary's P.C., Weaverham, Cheshire
on the 10th May 1908.

1911 Census - Copyhold, Weaverham, Northwich,
Cheshire.     Daughter - aged: 3 - born:
Weaverham, Cheshire.   Head of household - Joseph
Shaw - Married - aged: 33 - occ: Boiler Maker -
born: Wilderspool, Cheshire.   Also - Beatrice May
Shaw - Wife - aged: 26 - born: Weaverham,
Cheshire.   Plus 2 siblings.

Married Ernest Hough during the March quarter 1935
in the Bucklow R.D. - ref: 8a/235.

1939 National Registration - 91 Oakfield Road,
Altrincham.  Ernest Hough - Married - born: 6th
November 1911 - occ: House Painter & Decorator.  
Annie Hough - Married - born: 23rd February 1908 -
occ: Unpaid Domestic Duties.   Ernest A. Hough -
born: 28th September 1935 - occ: Under School Age.
  There is one other person listed, but blanked
out under the 100 year rule.  Presumably this is
Annie's other son - David Hough?

Just before 20.30 hrs during the second night of
the "Manchester Blitz", a bomb fell on the corner
of Oakfield Road & Moss Lane, Altrincham,
destroying six houses and killing 12 civilians. 

CWD Ref No. 10 - Buried by Masonry - Body (dressed
in a frock) found at 1300hrs, 25/12/1940 - Taken
to A.B. Brookes & Son's Mortuary, Stamford New
Road, Altrincham - Identified by her husband,
Ernest.       Ernest, a Painter & Decorator by
trade, had only been in the Army for 2 weeks at
the time of the bombing.

The 05/03/42 edition of the local newspaper
reports of a letter that had been received by his
parents at their home at 27 York St, Altrincham
from a United States Major General John C.H. Lee
paying tribute to their son and the way he was
recovering from the tragic loss of his family.   
Ernest, by then in the British 8th Army, had been
assigned to help the Major General at his Army
H.Q. both at Tobruk and Tripoli.    

Buried 30/12/1940 - Burial No. 10,773.

Commemorated on the private family (Hough in-laws)
gravestone in Hale Cemetery, which lists her as
Nancy.

M.I. - "In Jesus' keeping".

Her two sons, Ernest Alan and David also died in
the same incident.

Her husband - Ernest, died 15/11/1966 aged 55
years.  

Although not individually named, Annie is one of
the 12 local residents killed at this site and
around the corner on Moss Lane who are
commemorated in the Memorial Garden on the corner
of Moss Lane and Oakfield Road.

On Friday 23rd December 2011 a group of local
residents, relatives of the victims and civic
dignitaries attended a wreath laying ceremony at
the memorial garden on Oakfield Road, Altrincham,
to the 12 civilians that died when a German bomb
landed at this site at about 8.30 pm 71 years ago
to the day.

The Sale & Altrincham Messenger sent a
photographer and a short report of the ceremony
appeared in the 5th January 2012 edition of their
newspaper.    The Hale, Sale & Altrincham
Independent Newspaper also reported the event in
their January 2012 edition.

As the articles attracted such interesting
feedback from relatives of victims and those
involved in their recovery, the Messenger's Chief
Reporter Chris Griffin,  researched the event
further and wrote a number of excellent articles
about it and the families involved.   He also
reported about the recent demolition of the nearby
Bridge Inn public house where one of the victims
was raised.    The articles were dated 12th
January, 26th January, 2nd February, 16th
February, 1st March and the 15th March 2012.  
Chris was able to obtain much unknown information
and personal photographs of a number of the
victims from their families.

Six houses were demolished in this incident - Nos.
83, 85, 97, 98 & 91 Oakfield Road, plus the first
house on Moss Lane.    No.43 Moss Lane was
situated immediately behind No. 91 Oakfield Road. 
These two dwellings suffered the greatest amount
of damage and was obviously the point where the
bomb struck.   The bodies from these two houses
were the last to be recovered at 1.0 pm on
Christmas Day.    The land where Nos. 83 to 91
Oakfield Road was sited is now the site of the
Memorial Garden and a builders merchants now
occupies the site of No. 43 Moss Lane.