Beatrice Hannah Parker

Rank:Civilian
Died:14/09/1940Age:34
Incident Date:14/09/1940
Incident Address.Thames Board Mills, Warrington
Died Address:Thames Board Mills, Warrington
Grave Details:T/572
Grave Photo:Yes
Cemetery or Memorial:Altrincham (Hale) Cemetery
Town Memorial:Not Listed
Extra Information:
Born on the 9th August 1906, the birth being
registered during the September quarter 1906 in
the Bucklow R.D. - ref: 8a/187, the daughter of
Frederick & Ada Louisa Walker, later of 104
Stamford Park Road, Hale.

1939 National Registration - 72 Woodheys Drive,
Sale.  Robert Parker - Married - born: 15th
January 1903 - occ: Foreman Fitter Motor &
Engineering (Heavy Worker).   Beatrice H. Parker -
Married - born: 9th August 1906 - occ: Industrial
Welfare & Canteen Supervisor (Heavy Work).

She married Robert Parker during the March quarter
1932 in the Bucklow R.D. - ref: 8a/335 and they
resided at 72 Woodheys Drive, Sale. - they had no
children.

Beatrice was the Canteen Manageress at Thames
Board Mill in Warrington when the Town was bombed.
   At 17.05 hours on the 14th September 1940, a
lone raider dropped two H.E. bombs on the
Recreation Ground of the Thames Board Paper Mill,
where a garden fete was in progress. One bomb fell
on the Canteen and 150 people were buried in the
wreckage, of these 16 were killed (including six
employees), fifteen others were seriously injured
and 28 slightly injured. 

This was Warrington's worst Wartime atrocity,
coming without warning on a fine Saturday
afternoon and targeting innocent families enjoying
a fete on Thames Board Mill's recreation Ground.  
 "Bomber Kills Women, Babies," reported the local
press. "Mothers and tiny babies were among the
helpless civilians killed by a lone German raider
who swooped down upon them in a North-West town.  
 They were attending a Spitfire gala in a
recreation club when the bomber dived without
warning and released two bombs.   One completely
wrecked the light wooden club......two families
were partly wiped out, members of others lie in
hospital gravely wounded.   It was all over in
seconds.....but dead, dying, injured and a mass of
mangled debris were the pitiful aftermath which
this Nazi bomber left behind as, immediately he
swept back into the skies and vanished."

From the "Warrington Worldwide" website
commemorating the 75th anniversary of the
incident:-

"Women and young children were amongst the
casualties when a German bomber on its way back
from a bombing raid at Manchester, targeted the
factory’s annual fete.  The stray German bomber
was travelling along the Manchester Ship Canal and
spotted a large crowd of people at the fete and
decided to unload its last remaining bombs.  There
was carnage as one bomb fell on the canteen
burying 150 people in the wreckage, killing 16,
injuring a further 28, 15 of them seriously.

“Bomber Kills Women, Babies,” reported the
local press.  “Mothers and tiny babies were
among the helpless civilians killed by a lone
German raider who swooped down upon them in a
North-West town.  “They were attending a
Spitfire gala in a recreation club when the bomber
dived without warning and released two bombs. 
“One completely wrecked the light wooden club…
two families were partly wiped out, members of
others lie in hospital gravely wounded.  It was
all over in seconds… but dead, dying, injured
and a mass of mangled debris were the pitiful
aftermath which this Nazi bomber left behind as,
immediately he swept back into the skies and
vanished.”

Later there were many conflicting eyewitness
accounts from those who had seen the plane swoop
over the town, but most agreed that the pilot was
low enough to see exactly what he had bombed. The
Warrington Fire Officer’s log reported, however,
that German radio reports that evening claimed
that the Aluminium Mills at Bank Quay had been
bombed.”

At around 5pm, the time of the bombing, Rev
Kingsnorth will read out the names of those who
lost their lives a memorial to the victims
situated at the Lake on Centre Parks, Warrington,
close to the Village Hotel – the site of the
bombing.   Those who lost their lives were:

Donald Ackerley;  Henry Williamson Coope;  Albert
Wallance Cox;  Albert William Cox;  Rhoda Hannah
Gittings Cox;  May Domville;  Amy Heath Edwards; 
Ruth Jackson;  Beatrice Hannah Parker (Canteen
Manageress); Ann Lawson (aged 2);  William Stanley
Reynolds;  Lilian Maud Springham;  William George
Springham;  Williams James Taylor;  William John
Taylor (aged 3);  Albert Webb (aged 3).

Beatrice was buried on the 11th October 1940 in
Altrincham (Hale) Cemetery - Burial No. 10,697.

Commemorated on the private family gravestone in
Hale Cem.

Her mother, Ada Louisa died 11/05/1931 aged 61
years.  Her brother, Sydney Frederick Parker died
on active service in the 1st W.W.   See Altrincham
1st W.W. Database.

CWGC - Of 72 Woodheys Drive, Sale, Cheshire.
Daughter of Frederick Walker, of 104 Stamford Park
Road, Hale, Cheshire; wife of Robert Parker. Died
at Thames Board Mill.

District:
Altrincham (Trafford MBC)
Memorials found on:
C.W.G.C.
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