Civilian casualty of WWII, Adela was 28 and the wife of Sidney Franks, of 15 Ashfield Street, Stepney, London. Died at St. Margaret's Emergency Hospital, Epping.She was injured in the bombing raid on Sprigg's Oak Maternity Home in Epping.
Inquest held at Epping.
Eight expectant mothers died when Epping's Spriggs Oak maternity hospital was bombed. On the outbreak of war hostels were provided in areas considered to be safe for evacuated expectant mothers. In Epping, the Palmers Hill house of Spriggs Oak, which today stands as flats, was offered by its owner. Spriggs Oak with its large garden and comfortable surroundings must have seemed a world away from the poor areas of the East End. It must have also seemed a lot safer especially after the weeks of heavy bombing that had occurred in that part of the capital. But the war was never far away as falling bombs and ever-increasing air raids constantly touched upon Epping. Parachute mines had begun to fall in the area during September 1940. This was the backdrop to Wednesday, October 9, 1940, but neither the women who paid a visit to see Clark Gable and Joan Crawford in Strange Cargo at the cinema or the ones who stayed behind at Spriggs Oak could have foreseen that that fateful autumn evening would end in the biggest loss of civilian life in Epping's history. It began with the air raid siren on the police station sounding at 7.57pm. A bomb demolished the Maltings Lane side of Spriggs Oak where the staff and expectant mothers, who had no air raid shelter, were taking refuge. Twenty-four women were trapped inside. The electricity supply had been cut off and a gas main ruptured. Amid the flames, dust and debris the rescue effort got underway. By 9.45pm only 12 of the 24 had been found. Survivors were taken to St Margaret's Hospital and the trauma put two women into premature labour. Their families must have been devastated. Not only had a daughter or a wife been lost but also the unborn child and this must have made their loss even harder to take. The death toll could have been higher still. The women who decided to go to the cinema that evening had a very lucky escape. In the weeks following a rumour began to spread that the bombs were dropped after the German aeroplane saw lights of cars driving along Palmers Hill. This cannot be confirmed but a captured Nazi airman was quoted in the then West Essex Gazette, in January, 1941, saying the Luftwaffe would always drop a bomb where a light could be seen if their primary target could not be found. There is a possibility that North Weald Aerodrome was the intended target but the lights of passing traffic put Spriggs Oak in the firing line.(adapted from research work by Mike Osborne )
Inquest held at Epping.
Eight expectant mothers died when Epping's Spriggs Oak maternity hospital was bombed. On the outbreak of war hostels were provided in areas considered to be safe for evacuated expectant mothers. In Epping, the Palmers Hill house of Spriggs Oak, which today stands as flats, was offered by its owner. Spriggs Oak with its large garden and comfortable surroundings must have seemed a world away from the poor areas of the East End. It must have also seemed a lot safer especially after the weeks of heavy bombing that had occurred in that part of the capital. But the war was never far away as falling bombs and ever-increasing air raids constantly touched upon Epping. Parachute mines had begun to fall in the area during September 1940. This was the backdrop to Wednesday, October 9, 1940, but neither the women who paid a visit to see Clark Gable and Joan Crawford in Strange Cargo at the cinema or the ones who stayed behind at Spriggs Oak could have foreseen that that fateful autumn evening would end in the biggest loss of civilian life in Epping's history. It began with the air raid siren on the police station sounding at 7.57pm. A bomb demolished the Maltings Lane side of Spriggs Oak where the staff and expectant mothers, who had no air raid shelter, were taking refuge. Twenty-four women were trapped inside. The electricity supply had been cut off and a gas main ruptured. Amid the flames, dust and debris the rescue effort got underway. By 9.45pm only 12 of the 24 had been found. Survivors were taken to St Margaret's Hospital and the trauma put two women into premature labour. Their families must have been devastated. Not only had a daughter or a wife been lost but also the unborn child and this must have made their loss even harder to take. The death toll could have been higher still. The women who decided to go to the cinema that evening had a very lucky escape. In the weeks following a rumour began to spread that the bombs were dropped after the German aeroplane saw lights of cars driving along Palmers Hill. This cannot be confirmed but a captured Nazi airman was quoted in the then West Essex Gazette, in January, 1941, saying the Luftwaffe would always drop a bomb where a light could be seen if their primary target could not be found. There is a possibility that North Weald Aerodrome was the intended target but the lights of passing traffic put Spriggs Oak in the firing line.(adapted from research work by Mike Osborne )
Civilian casualty of WWII, Adela was 28 and the wife of Sidney Franks, of 15 Ashfield Street, Stepney, London. Died at St. Margaret's Emergency Hospital, Epping.She was injured in the bombing raid on Sprigg's Oak Maternity Home in Epping.
Inquest held at Epping.
Eight expectant mothers died when Epping's Spriggs Oak maternity hospital was bombed. On the outbreak of war hostels were provided in areas considered to be safe for evacuated expectant mothers. In Epping, the Palmers Hill house of Spriggs Oak, which today stands as flats, was offered by its owner. Spriggs Oak with its large garden and comfortable surroundings must have seemed a world away from the poor areas of the East End. It must have also seemed a lot safer especially after the weeks of heavy bombing that had occurred in that part of the capital. But the war was never far away as falling bombs and ever-increasing air raids constantly touched upon Epping. Parachute mines had begun to fall in the area during September 1940. This was the backdrop to Wednesday, October 9, 1940, but neither the women who paid a visit to see Clark Gable and Joan Crawford in Strange Cargo at the cinema or the ones who stayed behind at Spriggs Oak could have foreseen that that fateful autumn evening would end in the biggest loss of civilian life in Epping's history. It began with the air raid siren on the police station sounding at 7.57pm. A bomb demolished the Maltings Lane side of Spriggs Oak where the staff and expectant mothers, who had no air raid shelter, were taking refuge. Twenty-four women were trapped inside. The electricity supply had been cut off and a gas main ruptured. Amid the flames, dust and debris the rescue effort got underway. By 9.45pm only 12 of the 24 had been found. Survivors were taken to St Margaret's Hospital and the trauma put two women into premature labour. Their families must have been devastated. Not only had a daughter or a wife been lost but also the unborn child and this must have made their loss even harder to take. The death toll could have been higher still. The women who decided to go to the cinema that evening had a very lucky escape. In the weeks following a rumour began to spread that the bombs were dropped after the German aeroplane saw lights of cars driving along Palmers Hill. This cannot be confirmed but a captured Nazi airman was quoted in the then West Essex Gazette, in January, 1941, saying the Luftwaffe would always drop a bomb where a light could be seen if their primary target could not be found. There is a possibility that North Weald Aerodrome was the intended target but the lights of passing traffic put Spriggs Oak in the firing line.(adapted from research work by Mike Osborne )
Inquest held at Epping.
Eight expectant mothers died when Epping's Spriggs Oak maternity hospital was bombed. On the outbreak of war hostels were provided in areas considered to be safe for evacuated expectant mothers. In Epping, the Palmers Hill house of Spriggs Oak, which today stands as flats, was offered by its owner. Spriggs Oak with its large garden and comfortable surroundings must have seemed a world away from the poor areas of the East End. It must have also seemed a lot safer especially after the weeks of heavy bombing that had occurred in that part of the capital. But the war was never far away as falling bombs and ever-increasing air raids constantly touched upon Epping. Parachute mines had begun to fall in the area during September 1940. This was the backdrop to Wednesday, October 9, 1940, but neither the women who paid a visit to see Clark Gable and Joan Crawford in Strange Cargo at the cinema or the ones who stayed behind at Spriggs Oak could have foreseen that that fateful autumn evening would end in the biggest loss of civilian life in Epping's history. It began with the air raid siren on the police station sounding at 7.57pm. A bomb demolished the Maltings Lane side of Spriggs Oak where the staff and expectant mothers, who had no air raid shelter, were taking refuge. Twenty-four women were trapped inside. The electricity supply had been cut off and a gas main ruptured. Amid the flames, dust and debris the rescue effort got underway. By 9.45pm only 12 of the 24 had been found. Survivors were taken to St Margaret's Hospital and the trauma put two women into premature labour. Their families must have been devastated. Not only had a daughter or a wife been lost but also the unborn child and this must have made their loss even harder to take. The death toll could have been higher still. The women who decided to go to the cinema that evening had a very lucky escape. In the weeks following a rumour began to spread that the bombs were dropped after the German aeroplane saw lights of cars driving along Palmers Hill. This cannot be confirmed but a captured Nazi airman was quoted in the then West Essex Gazette, in January, 1941, saying the Luftwaffe would always drop a bomb where a light could be seen if their primary target could not be found. There is a possibility that North Weald Aerodrome was the intended target but the lights of passing traffic put Spriggs Oak in the firing line.(adapted from research work by Mike Osborne )
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